2006

Warriors top Lions in I · thrilling season opener By Marty Stamper staff writer ~

the special teams department came when Ike Knighten returned the kickoff 78 yards for a touchdown with Grey LaPrade's PAT tying the game at 7-7. The Warriors got big play No. 2 when they blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt by Henderson early in the second quarter. ECCC covered 78 yards to go up 14-7 as Roosevelt Ross scored on a 3-yard run with 3 minutes left in the half. LaPrade added the extra point. The Lions marched 80 yards to close to within 14-13 with 4:40 to go in the third quarter. Facing fourth– and-10 from the EC 23, Mitchell found Marvis Owens open in the back of the end zone for the score.

It was anybody's game.

DECATUR- The smoke lin– gering overWarrior Stadium wasn't from the footb all game, but East Central and East Mississippi never– theless staged a barn burner before the Warriors hdd on for a 24-20 season-opening win 1bursday nighL The I ions aJ)pt>arcd to have gone ahead. on a 2-yard run by LcGar– rcttc ntount with 29.2 "econds left, but. 'EMCC was penalized for holding, negating the touchdown. Facing third-and-goal from the 11, Chris Mitchell's pass was broken up at the line of scrimmage and his fourth-down toss was picked off by )orrick Calvin to seal the War– riors' fifth-straight victory in the series.

ECCC head coach Terry Underwood

"It was anybody's game," War– riors' ninth-year head coach Terry Underwood said. "Probably the dif– ference in the game was special teams. We blocked a punt and blocked a field goal and those plays were big in the ball game to get us back in it." The Lions took an early 7-0 lead as Mitchell teamed with Jeremy Jef– ferson on a 34-yard touchdown pass with 4:18 left in the first quarter. Cal Henderson added the extra point. Big play No. 1 for the Warriors in

PHOTO BY 1\\'t£ Cll"llfll I IIIIi

TAKING A HIT East Central quarterback Josh Lowery is h1t by r:'~1s!. Mi James McLamore as Lowery releases a pass ddrinu tt; their game in Decatur on Thursday.

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field goal...

thing we really worked hard on in preseason." "We made some plays, but then again, gpecial teams was a nemesis all night," Lions' third-year head coach Roger Carr said. "We either got penalties that put us back in a hole or got punts blocked or blocked in the back. We made enough plays to lose a ball game just on special teams and I take the blame for that. "We gave them about 21 points tonight. If we shore up and don't make as many mis– takes, we'll give ourselves a chance to have a cushion and win a ball game." Special teams nearly cost ECCC the win as Christian Tru ssell fielded a LaPrade line drive punt on a bounce and returned it 27 yards to

the Warrior 29 with 2:50 left. EMCC had first-and-goal from the 5, but had a pass dropped in the end zone; saw Mitchell recover his own fumble after a 3-yard run on second down; had the apparent game-winning touchdown wiped out with a penalty; had a third-down pass batted down; and finally saw Calvin'c; theft end any

Big play No. 3 in the spe– cial teams was soon to follow. After the Lions went three– and-out, the Warriors blocked Michael Pogue's punt to set up the game-winning drive from the EMCC 14. After a 17-yard gain on a shuffle pass from Josh Lowery to Ross, David McCants scored on a 5- yard run with LaPrade's kick giving the Warr iors a 24-20 advantage with 8:04 remaining. "It took all night to figure out how to block it because of how he was punting it," Underwood said. "It's very difficult to block that type kick. "We work very hard in the kicking game on blocking kicks. We didn't d6 it very well last year and that's some-

Henderson slipped on the wet turf and his bid for the lie sailed wide left. Blount gave EMCC the lead al 20-J 4 when he raced 77 yards with 2:30 showing 10 the third quarter. Hen– derson's kick was good. lvon Hickmon put the Warriors in business when he recovered a Blount fumble at the EMCC 37. Unable to reach the end zone with three cracks from inside the Lions' I0, the Warriors closed to within 20-17 on a 22-yard field goal by LaPrade with 11:53 to play. "TI1at was a big fumble," Unde rwood s aid. "We'd have liked to have gollen the touchdown, but we got the

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hopes of a win.

''I'm proud for our team, Z but we've got a long way to <( go," Underwood said. "1\io ~ :::> disrespect to East Missis- C> 8 sippi. They've got a really <( good team. They whipped us ~ t: up front all night. We had 0::: 0 problems blocking tht>m and c:J: o stopping them running on us. (..) (/) "I salute East Mississippi and I salute our kids for finding a way to win." Z

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