1999

) D - ~'S- Df1

WEEK OF

East Central heads to Pearl River y Rocky Higginbotham he Merrd1an Star The playoff scenario in the ~outh Division of the Underwood said. "It'-. alwavs a big game for me. per~onally. When you know folks, you want to do well." · JUCO Football man" Underwood said. "Tlwn you've got ttl execute." Pearl River's o,·erall mark "ho ha 60 --olo stops and 9. total tackle-. this "enc::on - has 1 b1 oken bone in hi:- foot a n~ could play Saturday, but t ha hi~ tacklP i" "highly-question b}p 'We're a banged up footbal

Em;t Central has done well in 1999. The Warriors arc 6·2 over– all and 3-1 in South Division play. The Warriors arc coming off a thrilling, 42-41 victory over Mississippi Delta. But while Underwood says it may have been thrillmg for fans, it was lt•rrifying for t11m and his coach– ing staff. The Trojans gave ECCC fits with their option offense, one that Underwood :-;ays his Warriors will see again on Saturday. East Central went from try– ing to defend wide-open attacks against Hinds and Jone:-; to try– ing to figure out the option last week. Under-wood said he hopes }a;;;t week':; lcs~on helps. "What (Pearl River) runs is very similar to Delta, and we had a lot of trouble with them. "It's an ass'ignment deal where you've got to know who has the dive who has the quar– terback and who has the pitch

1ississippi Junior College foot– nil league is pretty complicat- ·d. Bul. for East Central ommunity College, things are retty simple: If the Warriors v:in their final two game~. they nakc the playufi~. "We've got two big onc1:1 left," CCC head coach Terry nderwood said. "13ut the most 'rnportant one for us right now is the next one." East Central goes to Poplarville Saturday, where the ~arriors will battle host Pearl ivcr in a key South Division matchup. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m., with Pearl River celebrat– ing homecoming. Underwood spent three sea– :;ons at Pearl River earlier this decade before he carne to ECCC, and says the return to Poplarville is a bit of added incentive for him. "I know a lot of people there,"

just 3-5. but the Wildcat own wins over Jones and Delta. And with a break here or there, PRCC could right in the thick of the South race, as well. "Pearl River has got a reall good football team," Undcmood said. "They've just had a prob– lem hanging onto the football recently. "Turnovers is a b1g thmg 1 this game," Underwood said. "Last week, they lost to Co-l111 44-14. Bu t t h ey were up 14 7 and about lo score again to g, up 21-7 \'I.' hen they turned th · ball over. Things just snow balled from athere. "But they're a much bett 1 football team than their recmd indicates." East Central playullnst we without ~:~tarting defensive tack- 1<' James Keys, who is the mo t criou I 'injured of tl Warriors. Underwood smd Kc

team nghl now," LJnderwoo said. "It ':s nut to the point wher we\·e got a lot of lolk::; out, b ' e \e got a lot of bumps a n4 bntJ"'t' I'm \\onied about this ba gnnw," Underwood said. ''W ncL·d to go down there and win. East Central will try to tak < dvantnge of Pearl River' dt>fense, which ranks as t h tate's \\ orst with 417.9 yard; urrendcrcd per game. ECC'C's Steve Henley is tn tate' fourth-best ru~her wit 811 yards and fivt• touchdown .Jamarcus Murray has a dd o 523 ya1 ds and six scores, whil quarterback Ti Garner has con pleted 42-of-87 pa::-ses for 55 ard::. and six touchdowns. Chris Hay is the Warrior lending receiver with 27 catch for 493 yards and six touc dm ns

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