1996

~ s- ~ --– )

Pittman, Warriors keep on trucking 3y Creg Stephenson fhe Meridian Star the season 5-0 before finishing 6-3-1. Northeast falls t.o 0·2.

"We knew if we played our brand of defense we would be all right," Webb said. "If we're doing things right, we won't give up too many yards or points " 'l' h t• Wnrriors put lhl' gam<> hWIIV on I hoir· fi r'tJI, cldvr• of t lw oc.-,'r"l hnll', lif•lrirlrl "".l·l l v Ill!) u r'ilr nl' J\i:tJ.tfrtr 1 wlrrJ i rr[HIO ftt}O( I 1111 ull live) ol' l11" pHf.ltllllt, iru:lwl rng 11 I hrt'l' ytrrd t uut~hduwrr I cr Mt• ridian's Ke v1 11 Blo"'" ll tr_r make Lhc score :lU 0 'l'lw p11irr1 after was blocked The Tigers scored th.. ir· lrn11. touchdown after anolhr:r l~lllll Central blunde r . .f' 1'elil h111 11 11 quarterback Al Hunt loftt•tl 11 pass down the middh• whcl •• Northeast linebacker On•tha Sherrod waited. Sherrod pickt•(l the ball off and rambled to U11 ECCC 4. After a too-many-men on the field penalty moved th<· ball back to the 19, NorLheasL finally dented the scoreboard with Dora n connecting witt Remond Goode for a touchdown. Maldonado hit the extra point to make it 29-7. Hunt atoned for his error by leading the Warriors on an eight-play scoring drive on the ensuing possession, keeping the ball from two yards out to com– plete the scoring with Walker's extra point. East Central is back in action next Thursday, when the Warriors travel to Senatobia to battle Northwest.

ECCC Football 'l'hn 'l'iJ;r:r'R went three nnd 1111t. 1111 lhOil' IH!X l clrJV(' lllld I~ COG I(Kilt tl\'t;r ut t htli r' own •II . l'iltrllrH• lhr]ll urnclo hill IOI1f:1~141 r1.111 uf 'll\1) rllf;lrl.. ill l

''I knew I could fill the posi– tion," Pittman said. "I've been n starter all my life - I hate sit – ting on the bench, 1 just. thnnk flml· I gnt . the uppot·t,un it .y tcmiAht.." 'l'hc Wnrriors took lht! onl'n ing kickoff and marched 6~ yards in seven plays for the score. Forty-nine of those yards came on four carries by Pittman, including a 9-yard sweep for the touchdown. Shaun Walker's extra point made it 7-0 East Central at the 12:11 mark of the first quarter. The two teams would trade four punts before the Warriors' defense would make its first big play of the game. Joey Pinkston stepped in front of a Bart Doran pass and returned it to the NECC 21. It was Pinkston who intercepted a pass last week and returned it 65 yards for a touch– down in ECCC's 13-6 win at Holmes. The Warriors were called for clipping, and the drive began at the Northeast 41 instead. Not to worry for East Central, though, as the Mack Truck was idling on the sideline. Pittman carried four times for 17 yards on this drive, scoring from six yards out on a fourth-and-one play to make the score 13-0. Walker's extra point was blocked.

DECATUR- Ea'st Central Community College defensive back Ashanti Webb said the Wan-iors' philosophy ThurtHiny lltt':hl ngninst.. Northcfls(, wn simple. "Just givo it to the Mack •r ruck and let him explode'," Webb said. Wi th tailback Dorrell Reed out and fullback Steve Bradford hurting, ECCC freshman tail– back Mack Pittman got his first collegiate st.art. The Northeast rrigcrs never knew what hit them. Pittman rushed for 161 ynrds on 21 carries and scored two ioucdowns to lead the Warriors to a 36-7 win over vis– iting Northeast at Warrior Field. "We felt like, with Derrell out that Mack could step in and do well," ECCC head coach Willie Coats said. "The offensive line did a good job opening holes for him all night. Anytim·e your line plays like thai, a talented player like Mack will get the job done." Led by Pittman and a stingy defense that limited Northeast to just 85 total yards, the Warriors improved to 2-0 for the first time since 1983. When adding in last year's 2-0 finish, ECCC has a four-game winning streak for the first time since 1987, when the Warriors beg9J1