2008

Warriors stun No.8 Pearl River on double OT thriller Maurice Langston's 10· yard burst throu~h Pearl River Commumty Col– lege's top- rated defense provided East Central Community College's Warriors with a stun– ning 44-38 double-over– time victory over the playoff-bound Wildca~ Thursday night at Dob~e Holden Stadium m PoplarVille. Langston, whose 48- yard reception from quarterback Emmanuel Taylor to the Wildcat

"Coach (Cheatham) wanted us to set up for the field goal but I was thinking something could go wrong especial– ly after C. J. (Estelle) had just blocked Pearl River's field goal attempt. So I told him that if I saw a seam in the defense I would score," said the former standout at Northeast Lauderdale High School, who also tallied in the first over– time period and scored twice in regulation. Langston's fourth score of ----- the ECCC evening- which occurred as late– n i g h t PEARL RivER Letterman were about to begin their respective monologues- sent the ECCC sideline into a wild celebration and pro– vided first-year head coach Steve Cheatham and the Warriors with their third victory in the last four games, improv– ing to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in division play. Cheatham. who com– pletes his 31st year in the coaching profession with the victory. praised his team for battlingback for the win. s h 0 w hosts Jay Leno and D avid

"I told our guys before the game that a team with character will beat a team with talent every time," he saidof the War– riors who rallied three time~ to tie the contest in regulation and took their first lead in the first over– time. ''And this team has tremendous character. They hung in there and found a way to win. I'm very proud of them ~d our coaching staff.... this was a great win for our football program." The nationally-ranked Wildcats, who fell to 7-2 overall, finished runner– up in the South with a 4·2 mark and will take on North Division champi· on East Mississippi in first-round action of the state playoffs on Novem– ber 1 in Scooba. Gulf Coast, which hammered Jones County 41- 8 Thursday night in Perkinston to claim the South championship, hosts North runner-up Northwest the same day. After a scoreless first period, the seventh- See ECCC, Page 6B

four-yard line with lOseconds remain– ing in reg– ulatio n help ed send the MACJC S o u t h Division battle to

Cheatham

. the first overtime per10d, said after the hard· fought victory that he felt confident he would make the game-winning touch- down.