2004

Oc \- !'ir Lions search for first win again.st Coahoma Community College from staff reports S( OOBA- Ea~t Mississippi Community Col– legt: is running out of chances.

~ I've looked at film, and they

The Lions (0-7) have only two more chances Lo pull out a win during the 2004 season. the first of which comes on Thursday when East Mississippi hosts Coahoma Community College (l-6). But Coahoma's visit may be the last realistic chance at victory this season for the Lions. East Mississippi's last game is on the road against Northeast Missh;sippi Community College which is 5-2 ' 'Tve looked at the film, and they (Coahoma) have got some speed." said Roger Carr, who is still searching for his first victory in his first year as EMCC's head coach. "They've got three receivers that can run by you in a heartbeat. I think they've got a pretty good football team, and after seeing the film from last week (EMCC's 42-llloss). I'm sure they think they'll be able lo come in here and throw the football." The Tigers wouldn't be the first to do it East Mississippi has surrendered 130 points in its last three games and has given up several big plays, but Carr says that's due in part to the fact that he is already giving playing time to young, inexperienced players who may contribute during the 2005 campaign. "1 think morale could be a problem, but I don't necessarily think it is because we've got so many kids playing," Carr said. "We've got so many guy~ trying to get experience. We're trying to work on those things." : Despite his hope for giving freshmen some playing timl', Carr :;aid he will continue to rely on sophomores like defensive end Zac Anderson to hold the team together. "He (Anderson) is a great kid, and we've got a lot of positiv<· kids who know that their future is ahead of them," Carr said. "Vlhen you've got kids like him, it helps morale.'' - Will Bardwell East Central at Hinds East Central's :~8-14 loss at Gulf Coast last Thursday didn't officially eliminate the Warriors East Central must win at Hinds on Thursday and at home against Jones the fol– lo....;ng Thursday to stay in the hunt. Gulf Coast would have to lose to both Pearl River, and Hinds as well. What perplexed ECCC head coach Terry Underwood most in last week' loss was hi:. WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL ____ SPIRIT OFMORTON-------- IMPACT _ _ ________________ from the playoffs. but it did leave them needing a lot to go their wav over the final two weeks. ·

(Coahoma) have got some speed. They've got three receivers that can run by you in a heart beat. I think they've got a pretty good football team, and after seeing the film from last week (EMCC's 42-14loss), I'm sure they think they'll be able to come in here and throw and football. "The bottom line is Gulf Coast was really ready to play and played at a high level," Under· wood said. "Not to take anything away from them, but I don't think we played at a very high level. Those two things combined, they took it to us and took it to us good. "It's really frustrating because it was a great - opportunity for us," Underwood added. "I hate we weren't ready to play at the level we should have played at." ECCC fell to 2·2 in the MACJC South Division and 4-3 overall. Hinds is 3·1 and 6-1 coming into their 7:30 p.m. homecoming contest with the Warriors. Hinds' only loss was a 37-30 thriller to unbeaten Pearl River three weeks ago. The Eagles are averaging 32 points per game while allowing 13.3. Hinds leads the state in total defense, giving up just 152.1 yards per game. ECCC is aUowing 271.9. "Hinds has a great football team," Underwood said. "They're very talented, as talented as any· body in the league.They've probably got as good a defensive front as I've seen in the league in the last five to six years. l'd have to go back to the 1996 and '97 group that they bad." Heading up the defen sive front four for the Eagles are David Cooper (6-2, 256) at nose, Ryan McBean (6-6, 270) at tackle and Ken Griffith (6- 3. 260) and Kentrell Tanner (6-0, 265) at the ends. Hinds averages 361.4 yards per game on offense, while ECCC comes in at 340.1. Keats Baldwin has completed 105-of-187 passes for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Eagles. "There's not really many weaknesses, if any, tAT on their team," Underwood said. 'They're going team's effort... or lack thereof. EMCC coach Roger Carr

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to be a huge challenge for us."

- Ma rty Stamper

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