2009

~CCC frompage Bl Following a scoreless first quarter, the Warriors appeared to be taking control just before the half. Following a 13-yard scoring pass from Taylor to Jeremy Harvey early in the second quarter, East Central was driving for another score when Pearl River's Reggie Bailey scooped up a fumble and rumbled 92 yards for a score with 1:03 remaining in the half. The teams traded field goals to open the third quarter before Emil Jones hit Desmond Ratliff from 15 yards out to give the Wildcats their first lead at 17-10. Fol– lowing Mangum's second field goal with 9 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Pearl River scored in the first minute of the fourth when Jones and Ratliff con– nected on a 33-yard score. The teams again traded field goals before the Warriors launched their late rally. Johnson (7 for 109), Harvey (6 for 100) and Antonio Hughes (3 for 103) all hauled in more than 100 yards receiving, as East Central totaled 499 yards of offense. Pearl 'River was limitPrl to 261 vards of offense.

PHOTO BY PAULA MERRITT/THE MERIDIAN STAR

CATCH East Central Community College's Gabe Loper picks off a pass in the end zone against Pearl River Community College's Sam Robinson Thursday night in Decatur. The play was called back on a defens1ve penalty. Pearl River downs ECCC in overtime From st aff reports more connected from 41 yards out with Antonio Ricks with 2:40

left in the game to pull ECCC within 27-22. The duo then hooked up for the 2-point conver– sion. Then. as time expired, freshman kicker Chad Mangum nailed a 32-yard field goal to knot the game at 27. It was Mangum's fourth field goal of the game as he connected from 23, 32, 22 and 32 yards. .Pearl River, though, answered to open the overtime session when Reggie Bradley hit a 37- yard field goal on the Wildcat's possession. The Warriors. fol– lowing a pair of sacks, faced a third-and-22 when Taylor hit Fabian Johnson on a 22-yard pass. Taylor's next pass, though, fell incomplete to end it.

East Central Community Col– lege's late rally fell just shy Thursday night at Bailey Sta– dium. The Warriors scored 10 points in the final three minutes of reg–

ulation to force overtime only to fall to visiting Pearl River 30- 27when Emmanuel Taylor's fourth–

and-! pass fell incomplete in the end zone during the fi rst over– time period. Pearl River finishes the season 6-3,3-3 in the MACJC South Divison, while East Cen– tral ends 2-7, 0-6. Taylor, who threw for 386 yards on 18-of-40 passing, spear– headed the Warriors' comeback in the fourth quarter. The sopho-

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