1989

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ee to enter ECCC Hal l

By Marty Stamper ----------------------- Special to The Star DECATUR- Three former Warrior greats will be mducted into the East Central Community Col– lege Athletic Hall of Fame during homecommg ac– lntties Saturday. Those chosen are ColJinsville native Arno Vin– cent, Dl'catur's Lamar Blount, and Philadelphia native Earl Mar~hall. Vincent had never seen a football game before at– tendmg East Central. He came to the school on a basketball scholarship in 1~35, but was persuaded by coach Pat Wilson to try his luck on the gridiron. Vincent eventually became an all-state performer m both sports. Learmng the rules of football though, took a little \\hile ''I remern~r blocking a punt on the first game of the beason and the ball rolled almost to the oppo– nent's goal hue." Vincent said. "The coaches had told me to always fall on tht! ball when it was fumbl– ed so that's what 1 did. I didn't realize at the time that I could have picked up the ball and scored a touchdown." After .tlis <:areer ended, Vincent was chosen E~JC's Most Outstanding Male Athlete He later erved the school as pre::;1dent, dean of students, rei1.J,Slrar, and was a coach for 16 years. As coach,

he led the men's basketball team to its only state championship. Blount played on East Central's only unbeaten, untied, and state championship-winrung football team m 1939. He scored 86 points in 1938 and 100 in 1939. The Warriors were 1742 over that period. Blount suffered a broken wrist on his very first play, yet he never thought of quitting. "You just didn't quit in those days," Blount said. "For me to go to college, I had to play football. My father died when I was six and I didn't have anyone to pick up the tab." He was also a member of Mississippi State's only Southeastern Conference championship team in 1941. Blount later played professionally for the Baltimore Colts and the Buffalo Bills. Marshall was an all-state selection during the 1954 and 1955 seasons. His most memorable games were against Hinds. Hinds beat East Central21-6 in 1954 en route to an unbeaten season that included a win in the Little Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Cal. The next year, East Central won 13-7. Marshall also remembers two Eagles, Earl Leg– gett and Jim Taylor. Leggett went on to play at LSU and for the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. Taylor was a star for the Green Bay Packers during their dynasty. Marshall recalled nearlv losing six teeth in the SEE Halt so.-

1955 Hinds game while blocking on an extra-point play. He still remembers spitting blood all over the field, but wanted to con– tinue playing because that game was so important. Marshall inked with Florida State, but later decided to play at Mississippi Southern, now USM. The 1989 Warriors will face South Division foe Pearl River at 2:30p.m. with a reception to be held in Mabry Cafeteria follow– ing the game. • Members of the 1939 team will also receive special recognition during homecoming activities on the 50th anniversary of their state title.

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SCOTT COUNTY TIMES UMION APPEAL_ .: 1 WINSTOM COUNTY JOUUAL- · 1 MUlDW ST!Jl_ . \

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