2008

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their only lead of the the Jones 22-yard line. night late in the initial Jones threatened to period on a 29-yard take the lead on the strike from Taylor to ensuing possession but Langston. The score was the Warrior defense set up when EC defen- again held the Bobcats sive back Clint Coleman in-check on fourth and of Louisville intercepted eight from the 30-yard– an Early James pass on line. the Bobcat 30. But the Bobcats scored EC's advantage was later whe.n James broke short-lived, however, as several tackles while the. Bobcats found pay scrambling and found dirt early in second-peri- Tristan Purifoy open in od action on a 13-yard the end zone on a 44-yard run by Daniel Borne. pass play on third and , capping a nine-play, 55- 16. The TD was set up yard drive. when Jones defender - The Bobcats regained Jamie Bender intercept– the lead at 21-14 when ed Taylor's pass as Allen defensive back Elliott tried to make a juggling McGaskin stripped the catch. ball from Taylor while The Warrior defense making a tackle and rose to the occasion once raced 44 yards for the again late in the third score. period by stopping Jones missed on an James on a fourth and opportunity to extend its one play near midfield. lead as the Warrior East Central tied the defense again respond- contest a final time earlv ed. The Bobcats had in the final quarter, taken possession on the when Langston zig– EC 13 following a zagged across the fleld blocked punt but thanks on a 71-yard punt return to a stubborn Warrior with 11:13 remaining in defense and penalties, the game. Jones was forced to Jones put the game's attempt an unsuccessful final points on the score- 42-yard field goal. board with an eight-yard The EC offense took pass from James to advantage of the oppor- Anthony Jackson, cap– tunity by scoring on a 64- ping a 10-play, 60-yard yard pass play from Tay- drive with 5:53 remain– lor to Langston, knotting ing. the score again at 21-21. East Central finished The Bobcats took the with 336 yards of total ensuing kickoff and offense. most of which marched 60 yards in came through the air. nine plays, with the go- Taylor completed 16 of ahead 28-21 score coming 28 attempts for 248 yards on a 16-yard pass com- and three scores. He also pletion from James to had three interceptions. Darius Dear with 43 sec- Langston was the top onds remaining before receiver with five catch– halftime. .es for 113 yards and two Third-quarter action touchdowns. Tate had resulted in the Warriors .:three receptions for 65 tying the contest at 28-28. yards and a score. Taylor as Taylor connected led EC rushers with 50 with Donovan Tate of yards on 19 carries. Hattiesburg on a 22-yard Langston had five rush– pass play with 10:14 left es for 23 yards and one in the stanza. Akey play score. EC had 10 first during the , 85-yard, downs. seven-play march was a Jones had 159 yards 39-yard completion from rushing and 152 passing Taylor to May, which for a 311 total. The Bob– gave EC possession "'~" ""+c h~c 1 " r:.. st downs.

receiver Kendrick May of Tuscaloosa (Ala.) County, but officials ruled the Bobcat defend– er was in possession when the two players fell to the ground. East Central was set up for the possible late score thanks to a heads– up play by long snapper Will McBeth during a Warrior punt. The Leake Academy product stripped the ball while tackling Jones return specialist Rafael Pollard near the 30-yard-line and then hulled his way to the Jones 19. EC reached the six following two plays: a nine-yard com– pletion from Taylor to May, and Dustin Alley's four-yard run. First-quarter action featured a gallant effort by the Warrior defense, which held Jones on fourth and one at East Central's six-yard-line. Jones had gained posses– sion when Greg Bolton intercepted Taylor's pass and returned the pigskin to the EC 15- yard-line. But the Bobcat defense took advantage of anoth– er Warrior mistake when Derek Welch's 30- yard interception return with 3:56 left in the flrst period gave Jones a 7-0 lead following the flrst of six Jacob Chancellor PATs. EC responded by cap– ping a 40-yard drive in just three plays with Maurice Langston, a for– mer Northeast Laud– erdale standout, tallying on an 18-yard run. Neshoba Central prod– uct Derek Crenshaw con– nected on the flrst of his flve PATs for the night. The short scoring drive was set up by May's 43- yard kickoff return to the Bobcat 40. The Warriors took

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