By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
Oct. 22, 2004
SCOOBA It was cold, but was worth it to Roger Carr.
The first-year East Mississippi Community College head football coach shivered as his players dumped ice-cold water on his head in the waning moments of his team's 28-19 win over Coahoma community College on Thursday night.
But, it was a bath the veteran coach would be willing to take again and again.
The Lions, now 1-7 this year, have had few chances to win football games, so Carr was glad to see his team cash in.
When asked if he thought his Lions could carry this win into next season, Carr responded, "I hope we can carry it into next week."
EMCC closes out the 2004 season on the road Thursday at Northeast Mississippi Community College.
It was a strong rushing attack and an opportunistic defense that handed Carr his first career win as a junior college head coach.
A big play by former Meridian High School standout Jeremy Campbell set up the touchdown that gave EMCC the lead for good just before the half.
A Coahoma runner dove into the line, but Campbell stripped the ball away from him and rambled 10 yards down to the Tigers 29-yard line. Three plays later sophomore running back Jarris Williams of St. Mary's, Calif., scored on a 6-yard run. The kick by Shawn Millson put the Lions up 14-7 with 41 seconds left to play in the first half.
Coahoma had taken a 7-0 lead on its first possession of the game. After a Jonathan Russell punt pinned the Tigers down at their own 8-yard line, Coahoma put together an impressive, 19-play, 92-yard drive to score on a 14-yard run by quarterback Aomair Avant on a fourth-and-goal play with 4:07 left in the first quarter.
EMCC marched right back to tie the game at 7-7 with 12:43 left in the half when Williams scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 2-yard run.
Coahoma was marching deep into East Mississippi territory early in the third quarter before the Lions' NeAndre Hoskins came up with a fumble recovery to stall the drive at the 15-yard line.
The Lions then moved the ball 85 yards on nine plays with Williams breaking free for a 46-yard touchdown run on a well-executed draw play. The extra point kick by Millson, the third of four he would boot on the night, put the winners up 21-7 with 7:06 left in the third quarter.
It seemed as if EMCC was in control of the game, but Coahoma's Jonathan King came up with a big interception late in the third quarter and returned it 19 yards to the East Mississippi 1-yard line. Johanthan Youngblood scored on a 1-yard run two plays later to cut it to 21-13 with 2:22 left in the third quarter.
The extra point attempt was wide left.
EMCC went up 28-13 on a 19-yard run by Ricky Johnson with 13:29 left in the game, culminating an eight-play , 65-yard drive.
Coahoma's last touchdown came with 6:29 left when John Carter hit Julius McClellan with a 6-yard scoring strike. The pass for two failed.
EMCC sealed the game when Brandon Parnell picked of Carter's pass on Coahoma's next possession.
Williams led EMCC with 129 rushing yards on 25 carries, while Johnson had 77 yards on 18 attempts.