2009

Warriors blow 28-61ead in 32-3lloss to Coahoma

in the half

By Marty Stamper Appeal Sports Editor It didn't take East Central Community College interim head coach Brian Anderson long to descnbe his Warriors' second half meltdown in Thursday's 32-31 loss to Coahoma Community College. "It was a total embarrass– ment the second half," said Anderson. ''We weren't ready to play. That's my fault. We weren't lined up where we were supposed to be. We did– n't execute plays. We didn't get calls in. We just didn't do the things you need to do to win a ballgame like this. "Being the first game, there's going to be some mis– takes. Obviously, we've got a Jot ofmistakes we ca~ cor– rect. We've just got to get to work and try to get better and fix some of our mistakes." The Warriors did Iittle wrong in the ftrst half as they jumped out to a 31-12 lead. EC had 293 total yards in the first half to go with 17 first downs. The Warriors' first two possessions resulted in touchdowns and an early 14-0 lead. EC's first drive covered

74 yards in six plays with Derrick Cade scoring from a yard out. Chad Mangum kicked the first of four extra points. The Warriors' second pos– session produced a six-play, 60-yard scoring drive with Emmanuel Taylor throwing a 30-yard scoring toss to a leap– ingAntonio Hughes just inside the left pylon at the goal line. Coahoma got its first touchdown on a 3-yard run by Artavis Gregory with 14:14 left in the second quarter. The Warriors answered with an eight-play, 44-yard scoring drive following a 36- yard kickoff return by C.J. Estelle. Taylor threw an 11- yard touchdown pass to Antonio Ricks with l0:49left in the half for a 21-6 lead EC extended its lead to 28-6 with a 14-play, 83-yard drive following an intercep– tion that halted a Coahoma drive at the EC 17. Taylor rolled right and threw an 8- yard toss to Tevin Houston for the touchdown with 2:04 left in the half. The Tigers closed to with– in 28-12 on a 23-yard pass from Garrick Jones to Bobby Holiday with 28 seconds left

A 17-yard run by Taylor and a 22-yard toss from Taylor to Hughes enabled Mangum to try a 45-yard field goal which sailed through the uprights for a 31- 12 lead as the half ended. While the first half belonged to the Warriors, the second half was dominated by Coahoma. "They executed and we didn't," Anderson said. "That's the bottom line." The Tigers went 83 yards in six plays with Jones com– pleting a 53-yard bomb to Courtney Vaughn to bring Coahoma to within 31-18. EC threatened on its next series, but Mangum was just short on a 39-yard field goal bid with five minutes left in the third quarter. Ladarius Dawson turned in the game's biggest play when he returned a Mangum punt 96 yards for a touchdown' as the third quarter ended. A two-point pass pulled the Tigers to within 31-26. Following a 44-yard kick– off return by Estelle, the Warriors reached the Coahoma 20, but Mangum missed a 37- yard field goal attempt with

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