2009

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RUNNING ROOM East Central Community College's Emmanuel Taylor finds running room as he sprints for a Warrior touchdown Saturday against Northeast Mississippi Community College. ECCC Warriors set to face nationally ranked Gulf Coast from school reports

rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit- simply ran out of time and the eventual state champions held on for a 38-35 decision. Current EC quarterback Emmanuel Taylor and all-pur– pose performer Maurice Langston - now at Mississippi State University -played key roles in the near upset. Taylor threw for three scores and Langston, a former standout at Northeast Lauderdale High School, was also credited with three scores, one ofwhich came on a 99-yard kickoff return. Interim Warrior head coach Brian Anderson, whose main responsibility last season was serving as offen~ive coordinator, said the situation going into last year's contest is very similar to this week's challenge, which gets underway at 6:30 p.m. "We were really playing well prior to the Gulf Coast game,'' said Anderson, referring to War-

riors' 38-7 thumping of North– east Mississippi Community Col– lege the previous week, spoiling the Tigers' homecoming. "Even though the odds were against us la:st year. we knew that we were capable of beating Gulf Coast and almost did. We just ran out of time." However, Anderson knows that his Warriors, who improved to 2-4 overall after last week's 34- 28 homecoming overtime victory against Northeast, will face an even greater task against this year's Gulf Coast squad, which sports a 5-1 overall mark and 3-0 slate in league play. The War– riors are winless in the division following three matchups. "Gulf Coast has another great team, as evidenced by their national recognition and record," Anderson said. "We obviously have a tremendous challenge before us... and we look forward See ECCC on page 83---

When sixth– ranked Missis– sippi Gulf Coast Commu– nity College invades Bailey Stadium tonight for a MACJC South Division show– down with East Central Community College, the Warriors will no doubt have last year's close battle on their minds. East Cen–

Gulf Coast atECCC 6:30p.m. Bailey Stadium

tral came within three points of upsetting the then-No. 15 Bull– dogs and spoiling homecoming activities on the Perkinston campus. But theWarriors- who