By By Stan Caldwell / EMG Sports Writer
Sept. 20, 2002
POPLARVILLE In business, it's called closing the deal.
In football, it's called scoring when you have the opportunity, and East Central Community College didn't close the deal Thursday night, dropping a 13-9 decision to Pearl River in the South Division opener for both teams.
ECCC dropped to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in the division; PRCC improved to 2-1 and 1-0.
"We were able to move the ball, possess the ball and keep their offense off the field," said Warrior coach Terry Underwood. "But we couldn't get it in the end zone when we had the opportunity."
Indeed, mistakes at critical times killed the Warriors. ECCC got into the red zone three times, but only got one touchdown out of it. The Warriors had two drives of 16 and 18 plays, and got nothing out of either one.
East Central got a taste of how the night would go on its first possession after the opening kickoff. The Warriors from their own 34 to the PRCC 6, eating up nearly eight minutes off the clock.
But two consecutive motion penalties moved the Warriors back 10 yards, and the Wildcat defense stiffened. Travis Osley then missed a 33-yard field goal attempt wide left.
The Wildcats wasted little time in taking advantage of the reprieve. Moving from their own 20, PRCC drove briskly down the field in seven plays, getting a touchdown pass from Daniel Forrest to Donovan Morgan. The Warriors blocked the conversion, but PRCC led 6-0 with 3:54 to play int he first quarter.
East Central tied it up early in the second quarter, taking advantage of a Wildcat mistake. Defensive end J.E. Haynes got his hands on a pass by back-up quarterback Garrett Tapper and reeled the pass in for an interception, then rumbled 25 yards to the Wildcats 5.
Kentay Eiland ran three times for the score, getting in from a yard out. Osley's kick was blocked, but ECCC had it tied with 10:32 to play before halftime.
After an exchange of punts, Pearl River embarked on what would prove to be the winning touchdown drive, going 90 yards in 13 plays. A pass interference penalty on a third down play from midfield kept the drive alive, then Forrest hit Jonathan Eiland for a 20-yard scoring strike. Greg Bryant's PAT made it 13-6 with 1:21 to play in the period.
A short kickoff, however, gave the Warriors the ball at midfield. A 9-yard pass to Josh Viverette, plus a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer put East Central at the Wildcat 29, and after three consecutive incompletions, Osley nailed a 47-yard field goal with 13 second to play in the half.
Midway through the third quarter, cornerback Pete McBride hauled in a tipped pass at the Warrior 10, and dashed 45 yards to midfield. But a holding penalty moved the ball all the way back to the 10, forcing the Warriors to got he length of the field.
Nevertheless, the Warriors held the ball for 16 plays and nearly seven minutes and thought they had the go-ahead touchdown. East Central got strong running from a host of backs, primarily Horace Glenn, Titus Ryan and Eiland.
Glenn led the Warriors with 97 yards on 16 carries. Ryan had 75 yards on 17 caries and Eiland had 52 yards on 17 runs. In all, ECCC ran for 218 yards.
The Warriors converted a fourth down on their long march, with Eiland picking up 5 yards to the Wildcat 21. Then, after a motion penalty and a 3-yard loss moved the ball back to the 29, Ryan burst 18 yards to the 11, and Eiland plunged a yard to a first-and-goal from the 10.
Germaine Smith then burst up the middle and into the end zone for an apparent score. But the Warriors were flagged for holding, and on third down, Marcus Hibbler was stripped of the ball and Glentrelle Ware recovered for Pearl River.
The Warriors held and got the ball back at their own 10 again with 9:31 to play in the game. The Warriors drove as far as the Wildcat 35, but a motion penalty on a fourth-and-5 forced the Warriors into a passing situation, and Stephens rushed pass fell incomplete.