2007

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receiver Johnny Thomas of Kentwood, La., with 12:51 rem~ining. The scoring march covered 74 yards and took seven plays. The two-point conversion attempt failed. The Warriors had a chance to score on their next possession, thanks to Langston's 31-yard kickoff return and subsequent face-mask penalty that gave EC excellent field posi– tion on the Southwest 39. However, the drive stalled and Hannah's 49-yard field goal attempt was blocked with 10:34 remaining. The Bears took posses– sion following the blocked field goal on their own 36 and drove to Warrior one– yard line, but were denied the end .zone by a stubborn Warrior defense with 5:51 left. Southwest was not to be denied on its next posses– sion , however, as Mason and Thomas hooked up on a 36-yard touchdown strike with 3:30 remaining. Les Mulkey of Parklane kicked the PAT~ and the Bears trailed 21-19. EC took possession on its 38-yard line following the ensuing kickoff and appeared to be in position for its third season win when Roosevelt Ross. the state's leading rusher, gamed nine yards to the Southwest 48 on third and five with just over two min– utes remaining. But Ross. a former stand– out at Ocala-Forest (Fla.) High School, lost posses– sion at midfield on the ne:ll.i play, and the Bears took advantage of the miscue three plays later with Mason scm ing the game– winner on his five : 81 d run. The brief drive began with Mason completing a nine-yard strike to Robert Jordan of Miami. Fla., fol– lowed by a 36-yard strike to Thomas. The two-point convtrsion attempt failed. EC took possession on its

29 following the ensuing kickoff and reached the Southwest 46 on Williams' 25-yard scamper. Buton the next play Williams was intercepted by Cotton on the Bears' 42 and South– west ran out the clock, pre– serving the upset victory. EC had 12 frrst downs compared to 18 for South– west. The Warriors had 159 yards rushing and 74 yards passing for a 233 total. Williams completed four of nine passes for 74 yards and one score. He had two interceptions. Langston was the top receiver with his 25-yard touchdown reception. Williams was the leading rusher with 62 yards on 14 carries and one touch– down. Ross rushed 19 times for 54 yards and Langston added 42 yards on 13 car– ries. The Bears had 416 yards of total offense, 302 through the air and 114 on the ground. The Warrior defense was led by free safety Ray Frier– son, a product of Hillcrest HS in Tuscaloosa, and linebacker Jamar Lawrence of Tuscaloosa (Ala.) County, who had 11 tackles each. Linebacker David Brackett of Philadel– phia- the state's leading tackler - had eight tackles. Brackett was injured prior to halftime and saw limited action in the second half East Central faces nationally ranked Pearl River Community College this Thursday, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. at Bill and Louise Bailey Stadium on the Decatur campus. The Wildcats. · ranked thr natirm's top squad prim to their 24-17 loss to Gulf Coast. All Warrior football games can be heard on KICKS 98 (98.3 FM) featur– ing veteran broadcasters lvlelvin Wooten and Gilbert Barham.

Beau Hannah of Morton added the PAT The drive covered 53 yards and took just c;ix plays. The key play was a 13-yard scran1ble by Williams, a former stand– out at Tuscaloosa (Ala.) County High School, which gave EC possession on the Southwest 31. East Central missed an opportunity to score early in the second period when Williams was intercepted on the one-yard line by Bear defender Rotedrick Cotton of McComb to nix the threat. The Bears also missed a scoring opportunity late in the half when Les Mulkey's 42-yard field goal attempt was blocked b~ Warrior defender Travis Robinson with 21 seconds left before halftime and EC main– tained its 7 .()lead. Southv. est got on the c coreboard on its first pos– c;ession of the second half when quarterback EJ Legree of Beaufort. S.C., crossed the goal line from tJu·ec yards out. ThG PAT failed. East Central responded in grand style on the ensuing kickoff, as Lang! ton broke clear for a 93-yard touch– down scamper: Hannah's PAT extended the Warrior lead to1Wwith 11:46remain– ing in the third stanza. The Warrior~ scored again to begin fourth quar– ter action, with Williams fmding pay dirt on a five– yard run, capping a short 21-yard, five-play drive, set up by Langston's 36-yard punt return. Hannah again added the PAT and EC held a 21-6 advantage. Southwest began its fourth-quarter rally with Mason, an Amite, La., native, liring a 13-yard touchdown strike to wide