1996

WEEK OF __ 9..._-...l..lH"--2- 9..LUI.IP____

Off to best start since 1 83 Warriors roll past Northeast

Off to their best start in over a decade, the East Central Communi!) College Warriors dis– played a balanced offensive attack and a stubborn defense in soundly defeating Northeast 36-7 Thursday night on the Decatur campus. East Central's 2-0 record repre– sents the best start for a Warrior foothall team since 1983. Nonhea't fell to 0-2. With sophomore Jake Kizziah and fre~hman AI Hunt sharing quar– terback duttes, the Warrior offen::.e amassed 342 yards--192 passing and 150 on the ground. And it was not until late in the third period. with East Central comfortably ahead 29- 0, did the vtsittng Tigers find the endzone, capping a 19-yard drive set up by a Warrior interception. The Warriors, led b) second-year head mentor Willie Coats. took con– trol early tn the non-division matchup when freshman running back Mack Pillman found paydirt on a three-yard blast. Freshman Shaun Walker kicked the PAT. Pittman, the Warrior 1.1. orkhorse on the night with 22 carries for 159 yards and two scores, accounted for 49 of the 67-yard. seven-play drive. His longest run--a 27-yard scamper– -gave EC a ftrst and goal situation on the Tiger three-yard-line. East Central carried its 7-0 lead into the second stanza, when the Warrior offense put 16 points on the scoreboard. Pittman led the scoring on !aught

on hi' SC\en-~ard run with 8:34 left betore halftune. Walker's PAT was blocked 'The mne-pla), 41-yard drive was set up v.; hen freshman free safety Joe~ Pan ton picked off Tiger quar– terback Bart Doran's errant pass and . returned the ptg<.ktn 28 yards. Last week againsl Holmes Pinkston returned intercep 10n 55 yards for a touchdown Ea t Central later padded its 13-0 lead on \\a1ker·, 33-yard field goal. The ax-pla), 59-) ard drive was h1ghhghted b) Pittman's 37-yard run to orthea<.t 22. The \hmor last score before halfume came on a six-yard strike from KIZZtah to ophomore Calvin \\ 11liam . \\alker booted the PAT. The hart cor ng drive was set up b) \\arrior cornerback Ashanti Webb "'ho tackled the Northeast punter on the Tiger six-yard-line after he wa unable to get the kick a\\ a) due to the heavy EC rush. Ea t Central took a 23-0 halftime lead into the dre~~ing room. The \\amors matntained control of the home opener by scoring of their fir,t pos~I!!>Sion of the second half. The tall) came when Kizziah and sophomore Kevin Blanks connected on a three-yard scoring pass play midwa} in the period. Walker's PAT was not succt.:~~ful. A kc) pia) of the eight-play, 60- yard march wa~ Kizziah's 30-yard pa<> 10 Williams which gave EC

first and goal on the Northeast three. The Tigers got on the scoreboard with 2:30 left in the third period when Doran fired a 19-yard strike to Ramone Goode in the endzone. Maldonado kicked the PAT. East Central registered the game's final points with Hunt 's two– yard sneak early in the fourth quar– ter. Walker's PAT made the fi nal score 36-7. The 42-yard drive was set up by freshman Zacb Sanders' recovery and return of Northeast's onside kick following the Tiger tally. Offensive leaders for the Warriors were Pittman with 22 car– ries for 159 yards and two touch– downs, and Kizziah who completed nine of 12 passes 121 yards and two scores. East Central had 14 first downs. Defensively, the Warriors were led by Corey Hamler who had seven tackles and one assist. Other top defenders were Kemba Bryant, six and one; Tyquan Tyler, five and two; Dejuan Clark, four and three; William Johnson, four and two; and Pinkston whose interception set up a Warrior touchdown. , This Thursday East Central trav– els to Northwest for another non– division battle. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on· the Senatobia campus. The Rangers (1-1) got their first season victory last week by defeating homestanding Pearl River 16-13.

APPEARED IN: CARTHAGINIAN - --- --- NESHOBA DEMOCRAT

SCOTT COUNTY T~ UNION APPEAL .L__---- WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL

NEWTON RECORD

-----

CLARlON-LEDGER - --- ---

MERlDIAN STAR

- - -