2008

c·lieatliam sees progreSs ilespite 37-2-1- loss By Marty Stamper Special to the Star

Two possessions later, Holmes took the lead for good on a 3-yard run by Harry Collins. Landry had completions of 23 and 16yards on a pair of third downs to keep the drive alive. After ECCC was flagged for pass interference on a two-point pass, Collins ran in a two-point conversion to up Holmes' lead to 15-9 with 2:26left in the third quarter. Afumble recovery and 17-yard return by Trell Hagans put Holmes back in business at the ECCC 311ate in the third quarter. Landry found Chris Frison open in the end zone on the first play of the four th quarter on a 31-yard toss. Landry then teamed with Hampton for a two-point conver– sion and 23-9 lead. Langston cut the Warriors deficit to 23-15 when he fielded a rolling punt and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown ~th 11:13 to play. Alley was unable to handle the snap on the PAT and Cren– shaw was smothered, leaving the Warriors down by eight points. ECCC had apparently stopped Holmes on its next possession, but the Warriors were offside on a blocked 40-yard field goal attempt. Given new life, Landry ran for 14 yards to the ECCC 4 on fourth down. Collins scored on the next play as the Bulldogs led 30-15 with 6:22 remaining. A30-yard run by Langston and a 23-yard pass from Emmanuel Taylor to the Holmes' 5 set the Warriors up for their final score. Langston got the touchdown on a 5-yard run with 5:37 left. Taylor fumbled the ball into the end zone .::: _, c.. v -

DECATUR - Despite the War– riors' 37-21 loss to Holmes Com– munity College Saturday after– noon, East Central Community College first-year head football coach Steve Cheatham saw some progress from his team's 47-31 season-opening whipping at Coa– homa Community College. "There was a lot of improve–

ment in dif– ferent areas, but we're still not able to finish it," Cheatham said. "Defen– sively, I though t we did some good things today and offen– sively we did

HOLMES CC 37 ECCC 21

some g0od things. Bu t we did some bad things on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game ... little mistakes that get you beat and we've got to get better than that. We'll just keep plugging away." Holmes, 1-9 a year ago, evened its 2008 record at 1-1. ECCC fell to 0-2. Holmes drove 83 yards on its first possession to take an early 7-0 lead. Facing third-and-12 from his 48, Bulldog quarterback James Landry completed a 21-yard toss to keep the drive alive. Landry put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard with a 19-yard pass in the end zone to David Hampton with 8:25 left in the first quarter. The homestanding Warriors

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PHOTO BY PAULA MERRITT / THE MERIDIAN STAR

INCOMPLETE East Central Community College's Quadarius Wallace pounces on Holmes Commnity College's James Jackson causing him to cough up the ball for an incomplete pass Saturday in Decatur. Look for more .photos by clicking the Star Shots banner at the bottom of The Meridian Star web site at www.meridi- anstar.com.

closed to within four points with 4:10 to play in the opening period on a 28-yard field goal by Derek Crenshaw. A 58-yard punt return by Maurice Langston to the Holmes 20 set the Warriors up for their only lead of the afternoon. Derrick Cade had two carries for 11 yards and Courtney Shelton

capped Lh<' short five-play drive with a 1-yard scoring run with 6:13 remaining in the second quarter. Holder Dustin Alley bobbled the snap on the extra point try and ended up throwing an incomple– tion. leaving the Warriors up 9-7. ECCC carried that two-point lead into halftime after the Bull-

dogs missed a 23-yard field goal with 1:07 left before intermission, but Holmes used a 30-12 scoring advantage in the second hall to earn its frrst win of the year. Crenshaw was well short on a 45-yard field goal try for the War– riors with 12:06 showing in the third quarter.

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needed a Y'in today, but that's okay. Good things happen to peuple that keep trying. We're ~ing to come back to work and get better and be ready for Hinds when they come in Thursday night."

pass at the :-J and returned it 95 yards ior a touchdown to seal the win for Holmes. ECCC hosts Jlinds on Thur:;day. "No question the compe– tition level is fixing to pick up," Cheatham said. "We

From Page C3 on a two-point run with Holmes recovering. £CCC reached the IIohnes 15 with just under three minutes to play, but Hagans picked off a Taylor