2016 Combined

FOOTBALL: EAST CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLt~GE 14, NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI 21 Warriors' season ends With-MACJC semifinal nify 0 ~ 0 t:~~~~~r~~=~ los·s:to Northwest two touchdown lead into the ·

locker room at halftime, but could not hold on as the No. 4 nationally ranked Northwest Mississippi Community Col lege Rangers stormed back for a 21-14 win in a Missis sippi Association of Commu nity and Junior College state semifinal football game

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played Saturday, Nov. 5, in--------- Bailey Stadium in Decatur. With the win, Northwest advanced to the MACJC State Championship at East Mis sissippi Community College in Scooba on Saturday, Nov. 12. on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Clay Holgorsen to

Marquisian Chapman. The --rrnemrcentral offense PAT was no good. The was held in check the second Rangers needed to convert a half managing only eight total foW'th and 15 from the War- yards of offense and no first rior 32 to keep the drive alive. downs, after nine first downs After a Warrior punt, the and 187 first-half yards. The Rangers drove 58 yards for Warriors six second-halfpos another score, this time on a sessions included four punts four-yard run byTywun Wal- and two interceptions. ters. The try for two was no For East Central, Marino good, but the Warrior lead managed 109 yards rushing had been cut to 14-12 with and one touchdown. He was 5 5:57 to play in the third quar- of 14 through the air for 63 ter. yards and one score. Sopho Northwest scored on its more defensive back Nick third straight possession of Nichols of Morton led the the second half when Drake Warrior defense with 12 total McCarter hit a 35-yard field tackles. goal to give the Rangers their The two teams met just a first lead of the game at 15-14 little over two weeks ago on with 14:28 to play. Oct. 20 in Senatobia with On Ea.st Central's next Northwest winning 20-14. drive, Marino wa.s inter- East Central and Northwest cepted by Northwest's Fred also met in the MACJC semi Garth Jr. who retlli'ned it 42 finals last season with the yards to the Warrior. 20. Rangers winning 27-20 in a Three plays later, Mccarter game also played in Senato hit a 28-yard field goal to bia. push the Ranger lead to 18-14 with 11:02 to play.

East Central, champions of the MACJC South Division, finished its season 5-5 over all. It was the first time in 40 years that the Warriors had made the state playoffs in consecutive seasons. North west, the defending National Junior College Athletic Asso ciation national champion, improved to 9-1.

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East Central jumped out to a 14-0 halftime lead thanks to the legs and arm of sopho more quarterbaek Dominic Marino. The Sarasota, Fla., product ran for a seven-yard score in the first quarter and then tossed a 31-yard touch down pass to freshman wide receiver Antonio Gibson out of McDonough, Ga., in the second quarter. Two PATs from the leg of sophomore kicker Aaron Garrett of Meridian put the Warriors up by two scores heading into the locker room. The Rangers drove into APPEAi East Central territory four

Mccarter kicked his third field goal of the second half with 4:13 to play in the game, this time from 42 yards, for the final 21-14 margin.

times in the first half and came away with no points

CARTHJ each time. East Central

NESHOBA DEMOCRAT ________

forced and recovered a-,,,--

Ranger fumble on the 19-yard NEWTO SPIRIT 1

SCOTT COUNTY TIMES ------- WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL -- CLARION-LEDGER -----------

line, twice held Northwest on --- foW'th down, and then --- stopped a fake field goal at- .

I

MERIDU tempt.

The second half was all OTHER Northwest. The Rangers fi

nally got on the scoreboard with 9:06 to play in the third