Top-ranked and state champion EMCC Lions feature 11 players with postseason football accolades
On the heels of claiming their sixth MACJC State/NJCAA Region 23 football championship in nine years, the top-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College feature 11 players who have earned postseason honors for their respective season-long efforts on the field. The 2017 NJCAA All-Region 23 and MACJC All-State football teams were announced Monday by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges office headquartered in Jackson.
SCOOBA – On the heels of claiming their sixth MACJC State/NJCAA Region 23 football championship in nine years, the top-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College feature 11 players who have earned postseason honors for their respective season-long efforts on the field. The 2017 NJCAA All-Region 23 and MACJC All-State football teams were announced Monday by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges office headquartered in Jackson.
Leading the way for six-time Region 23 Coach of the Year Buddy Stephens' 10-1 EMCC Lions were the all-region quartet of wide receiver/kick returner Kirk Merritt (Destrehan, La.), defensive back Duke Upshaw (Baldwyn), defensive lineman Aarron Boatright (Manning, S.C.) and kicker/punter Taylor Crabtree (Vancleave HS). Joining them on the MACJC's All-State/North Division First Team were offensive lineman Walter Barnes (Charleston) and linebacker Ty'Ree Evans (Wayne County HS).
In addition, East Mississippi also placed the quintet comprised of quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. (Zachary, La.), running back Tyrell Price (Lafayette HS), wide receiver Mike Williams (Lake City, Fla.), offensive lineman Jakoby Jones (Starkville) and defensive lineman Cole Baker (Birmingham, Ala.) on the MACJC's All-State/North Division Second Team.
Merritt had the distinction of collecting all-region and first-team all-state accolades as a wide receiver and kick returner. The Texas A&M/Oregon transfer leads EMCC's talent-laden receiving corps with 50 catches on the season in addition to averaging 32.8 yards per kickoff return and 15.9 yards per punt return.
Also as a multi-position recipient, Crabtree garnered first-team all-state recognition as both a kicker and punter. As an all-region placekicker, the Pascagoula native currently ranks fifth among the NJCAA's kickers with a state-best 90 points on 9-of-12 field goals and 63-of-65 PAT attempts.
On defense for the Lions, Boatright, a transfer from Pima (Ariz.) Community College ranks among the team leaders with five quarterback sacks for the year. Upshaw owns a team-high three pass interceptions along with eight pass breakups and 39 total tackles. Evans has recorded a club-best 91 total tackles on the season, including seven stops behind the line of scrimmage, in addition to two pass breakups, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Offensively as a team following their epic 67-66 double-overtime road win over No. 4 Northwest Mississippi in Saturday's MACJC state championship game, the EMCC Lions rank second nationally averaging just under 50 points per game on the season. While standing fourth among the NJCAA's team statistical leaders averaging an MACJC-best 516.6 yards of total offense per contest, East Mississippi also ranks third nationally in passing yards (311.3 yds/gm) and second with 40 rushing touchdowns for the year.
Headlining EMCC's second-team all-state selections are Scott and Price, who both rank high among the nation's statistical leaders at their respective offensive positions. Scott, an LSU transfer, ranks third nationally in both passing yards (301.0 yds/gm) and pass completion percentage (65.7%), while ranking tied for fourth with Region 23 Offensive Back MVP Dan Ellington, of Itawamba, with 27 passing touchdowns for the season. Ellington presently sits atop the NJCAA leaders averaging 356.8 passing yards an outing.
Price, who is 54 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark for the year, leads the NJCAA in scoring (144 pts) and rushing touchdowns (23) after notching his eighth multi-TD effort of the year during Saturday's state title tilt. The Abbeville native currently stands seventh in the MACJC in rushing yards per game (86.0 yds/gm), ranking behind the likes of the nation's leading rusher, Cameryn Brent of MACJC North Division foe Holmes (152.6 yds/gm) and division counterpart Josh Johnson of Coahoma (6th in NJCAA - 122.3 yds/gm). Additionally within the state, the MACJC South Division's All-Region 23 tandem of Deandre Torrey (Mississippi Gulf Coast) and Scotty Phillips (Jones County) respectively rank second (144.2 yds/gm) and 13th (107.0 yds/gm) nationally in rushing.