2011

ECCC Warriors rally to 12mb:r1~, 1011 Dari~ Wren'5 78- S ard mtercept10n return wuh le...:::: than o mmute~ remam– the scoreboard on Goodwin'~ 32-yard

game, the celebration was under way for the Warriors (1-2) who entered the wm col– umn for the first time in 2011. Head coach Bnan Anderson said he was "especially proud" of his troops following the stunning victory. "I don't know what to say about our young team, other than when all hope seemed lost they never doubt– ed themselves and they finished the bat– tle togeth er and emerged as a team," said Anderson . "We have 11 players back from last year's squad and 16 who have never played college football. We're young and inexperienced in some ways but talent– ed and resilient in others. I have liked t he mindset and char– acter this team has displayed thus far. There is no doubt how blessed we were Thursday night and how much our team needed t he victory. I look forward t o get– ting out on the prac– tice field this week and getting better as we prepare for our South Division sch ed– ule." After a scoreless first quarter, Itawam– ba took a 7-0 lead early m the second stanza on a 52-yard run by running back Deshawn McGaughy of Fulton. Will Good– Will of Starkville added the PAT. McGaughy scored again on a six-yard scamper with 4:59 left before halftime, cap– ping an eight-play, 31- yard drive set -u-p by a Warrior miscue. The Indians put their final points on

field goal with 10 sec– onds left before half– time. The short scor– ing drive began at the EC 22 and wa!' set up by a Warrior turnover. East Central cut into the Itawamba lead on Carpenter's 38-yard field goal with 5:30 left in the third period. A key play during the scoring drive, which began at the Itawamba 44, was running back LaVa– dius Lyles' 16-yard scamper to the Indi– ans' 24-yard-line . Lyles is a product of Forest High School. The Warriors used a little trickery ill scoring their first touchdown as Dennis Thames of Louisville caught a pass from Manley in the back– field and then fired a 13-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Corey Collier of Tuscaloosa (Ala.) County High School for a 13-yard scoring play. arpenter'$ PAT following the halfback pass cut the Itawamba lead to 17- 10 with 7:53 remain– ing in the final stanza. The Indians had an opportunity to stretch their lead to 10 points on thetr next posses– ston but GoodWUl's 33- yard f1eld goal attempt with 3:20 remammg was wide right. ·It took JUSt one play for East Central to take advantage of the India ns' mtssed scor– ing opportunity, as Manley and wide receiver Brock Hall hooked up on an 80- yard scoring pass play with 3:20 left in the contest. Carpenter's

mg .. at up Ea... t Cen– tral Commuruty Col– lege game-v.-mning touchdown and capped an 1mpre'""tve ralh for the Warnor;:, \\ho clauned a 24-17 non-d.in ...lon ~~crorr O\'er Ita amba Con:i'– mumty College Thur5- day mgh' at Lambert Stadlum on the Ful– ton campu' . \Vren, a ..ophomore linebacker and \\Test Lauderdale ffigh School product, ptcked off Indian quarter– back Darren Darnel's pass attempt near the East Central 30 and returned the ptgskm to the two-vard line. Two piays later, fre hman quarterback ~fitch ~fanley of Pitts– burg, Texas, sneaked across the goal line from one yard out wtth 30 seconds remallll.Dg. Jacob Car– penter of Winona added t he PAT and the Warriors had theu fir t lead of the night with the seven– point ma rgin after t railing 17-0 at half– time. Itawamba took the ensumg kickoff and follow ing Demarius Howard's 36-yard return, the Indians had excellent field posmon at the EC 36. But the scoring t hreat was rupped in the bud when Warrior defen– 'tve back Jonathan Scott intercepted Daniel's pass in the end zone with 3.7 sec– onds remaining. Scott is a product of Seabreeze High School in Dayton Beach, Fla. After Manley "took a knee" to end the

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