2002

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By Marty Stamper EMG sports ass stam

With twc non-di ·. · gam out of the way, the East Central Community College Warrio~ open South Division play Thursday night at Pearl River·s Dobte Holden Stadium. Kickoffi- set far 7 p.m. in Poplarville. ECCC fell to 0-2 with .ast week's 14-7loss to Northeast ~Iis­ sissippi. Pearl River, 1-1, lost 1J-6 to Northeast in the season opener. The Wildcats stunned North– west Mississippi 20-18last week, dropping the Jtangers to 0-2 for the first time since 1981. North– west outgained the Wildcats 373- 274 in total yards, but were the victim of four turnovers. "It goes to show you what hard work on the practice field can do," PRCC first-year head coach Tim Hatten said. "I'm proud of every– body... it was a complete team effort." "They've got a really good team," ECCC head coach Terry Underwood said. "They're tal– ented. They improved tremen– dously from the first to the!second game. They played with~ great effort at Northwest. We've got our hands full." The Warriors head to Poplarville with several key players still banged up. "We hope to have (running back) Ramon Williams back," Underwood said. "He's practiced a couple of days this week, but he's still kinda slow and stiff. We're hoping and thinking he's going to play some. "(Offensive lineman) ~1arcel Binion is still a big question mark. He hasn't really practiced, we're just hoping he can go and play some. "(Fullback) Wesley Wright got a concussion against Northeast and hasn't practiced any this week and won't play."

The Warrior!> lost offensive tackle Rudy Su'e in the season opener with a broken leg. "When you look at that offen– sively, we've got three starters for sure and possibly four that wouldn't be playing," Underwood said. "That's what's affected us some. We've had to make some changes and I feel like the things we've done are best for the team." Pearl River probably hasn't for– gotten a late-season loss at ECCC last year that knocked the Wild– cats out of the playoffs and put the Warriors in. Despite a new head coach at the River, the plan is• to air the ball out as much as possible.

Daniel Forrest (6-3, 210) was 12- of-17 for 239 yards last week. He was sacked only once. Donovan 1\;lorgan (6-3, 195) had six recep– tiOns for 144 yards. The Wildcats were held to just under 50 yards rushing. "They spread the field offen– sively and throw it around and try to get it to the skill guys," Underwood said. "They've got great skill people. "They throw it as much as last year, if not more. They're going to be four-wide pretty much every down. They may run trips or some empty backfield, but most of the time they're four-wide and throw it, throw it, and throw it.