French Camp Academy graduate Holman Edwards and fellow freshman Devonte Yarbrough of Louisville were locked in a battle for playing time at quarterback for East Central Community College College.
The 2019 season opener against visiting Northwest Mississippi Community College on Aug. 29. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Bailey Stadium.
— Austin Bishop
NO SURPRISE, EMCC ONCE AGAIN ATOP NJCAA RANKINGS
There was no surprise when the NJCAA revealed its first football rankings of the year on Monday. At the top of the preseason poll was two-time defending champion East Mississippi Community College, a spot the Lions have held for the last 17 consecutive polls. EMCC was ranked No. 1 in every 2018 poll, including two in the regular season and three — including the finale — in the postseason.
No. 2 in the rankings is Iowa Western, followed by Garden City (Kansas), Jones College (Mississippi) and Hutchinson (Kansas).
Other Mississippi schools joining EMCC and Jones in the preseason Top 20 were Northwest Mississippi Community College at No. 9, Mississippi Gulf Coast at No. 12, and Copiah-Lincoln at No. 17. Also receiving votes were Northeast Mississippi, East Central Community College, Holmes Community College, and Hinds.
— Austin Bishop
HOLMES HIRES VETERAN COACH
A 13-year veteran of collegiate coaching, including two on the NCAA Division I level at the University of Nebraska, has been hired as the men’s assistant basketball coach at Holmes Community College.
Eric Colbert, a native of Compton, Calif., is set to join veteran head coach Jason Flanigan on the Goodman campus. His junior college stops have been at Angelina College, Navarro College, Pratt Community College and Independence Community College. While he was at Navarro the school advanced to the NJCAA Final Four in 2010.
The HCC Bulldogs, who finished 17-10 last season, will open the 2019-20 season at Co-Lin in Wesson on Monday, Nov. 4
— Austin Bishop
JUNIOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS WEEK
The most powerful junior college football league in America will begin another season this Thursday night as all 14 teams will play. The schedule has Jones at Coahoma, Holmes at Co-Lin, East Mississippi at Hinds, Pearl River at Itawamba, Gulf Coast at Delta, Northeast at Southwest and Northwest at East Central.
— Dale McKee
NOT SO FAMILIAR RIVALRY
Surprisingly enough, Saturday’s 11 a.m. college football match-up at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans between Mississippi State and Louisiana-Lafayette is just the sixth match-up between the two schools all-time.
Despite being just one state over the two schools have only played three times since 1987, including this year’s contest. Four of the five previous contests have been played in Starkville with the first ever meeting between the two schools — on Oct. 23, 1908 — being played at Columbus, Miss. The Rabun’ Cajuns won that contest. State won the four at starkville, including a 56-10 win last year, which is the most points ULL has ever scored MSU in a game.
— Austin Bishop
