2012

tough players, and our players are tough." Players have takenAnderson's mission to heart and are set to improve the future for East Cen· t:ral. Several veterans have stepped up this season, encouraging the freshman and making sure the team remains positive while facing adversity. "I tell them to not get down and keep their head up," Smith said. 'The tougher something is to get, the more you have to fight for it. lf you want it bad enough, you have to take it" Smith said the team is hungry for its first win onThursday. The Warriors, who beat Southwesl41- 28 in the lastgame of the season last year, will look to come out on top again tonight and get that much-awaited first taste of victory. "Uke coach always said,losing never tastes good," Smith said. "When you win, everything starts tasting better. The food taste bet1er, itmakes everything seem be tier."

WARRJ0RS from page B1 due to injuries, il will pul extra emphasis on the current starters to perform on defense. "It would help out our defensive backs a lol if we could gel bacl< there fast," Defensive lineman Kalvin Smith said. "111e faster we can get back there, the less they have to cover. We want to help eliminate some of those big plays." Though the Warrior, are off to a slow start, Ander on ha reminded his players to not give up, stressing that they are part of the building process at East Central. ''We are trying to build some– thing at East Central,·· Anderson said. "U you look at the record books here, it's tough to do, but that's what we are trying to accompli h. 'We are trying to start somP-– thing, and anytime you try lo start something, it's tough. You have to have a tough mind set and and

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ECCCPbot.o ECCC quarterback Colton Kane drops back dunng praCtice. ecce Will be Without the Injured Kane ton"ght. East Central looks to battle injuries against Southwest Mississippi

"We got' two guys Zak Thrashe;a~d Brock H~ll ~h? give us _diff~rent things," Anderson saJd. Right now tl wt!l be a game-time decision to sec who plays and how much. 1 expect both of them to pla}'. "The~ arc doing the same tbjng as Colton. They t are fightmg through and they are tying to learn and · ~ take the offense forward." ~ .' On defen~e. the Warriors will look to combat a Southwe t offensive scheme that will look to attack the East Central secondary on quick passes and screens. "Offens~vely they operate behind a controlled short-pa ·.mg game: Ander on said. "They have ~o quarterback that both do a great job of getting nd of the f~otba!J quickly. They have a really good runmng game They have a good football team they have JUSt played two really good football ' teams." U East ~entral plans to stop the Bears, h will need a sohd effort, not only from its secondary but a~so from the defensive line to add pressure and dtsrupt the quarterback. With so many lineman out --- • .· CLARION-LEDGER------

As if a disappointing ().3 start is not enough to handle, East Central Community College will be bat– tling injuries to several of its key players. as the Warrior:. h_ead into a week-four match up agam!'t Southwe ·t \-fj,.,j,,jppi. ntra1 will be without defensive linemen Cordell Paige. Kyron Samuels and Bradley Dorsey, as well as quarterback Colton Kane, a' they take on the Bears tonight in Decatur. Kane. who i battling a MRSA E iot

Southwest

at ECCC

. staff infection in his foot, is one player the Warnors will sorely miss. Head coach Brian Anderson said the freshman had started to show signs he was coming into his own this season. Now East Central will turn to two backups in ZakThrasher and Brock Hall to keeo thinl!'s runnin~ on offenRP