ICC Shocks #3 EMCC; Lions’ Win Streak Snapped

FULTON, Miss. (WCBI/LetsGoICC.com) — Freshman kicker Tyler Jackson (Oxford) connected on a 43-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in the game and sophomore defenseive end Fred Ward (Aberdeen) closed out his career with a sack on the final play of the game to help the Itawamba Community College Indians upset the defending National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Champion and No. 3 ranked East Mississippi Community College Lions 24-23 on Homecoming.

“In my 16 years of coaching this is my most proudest moment and it wasn’t anything we as coaches did,” said ICC head football coach Jon Williams. “This was a team coming together, playing their hearts out for four quarters and believing in each other that won this ball game.”

The Indians (6-3, 4-2 MACJC North) snapped the Lions’ (8-1, 5-1 MACJC North) and NJCAA’s longest win streak at 22 games with the historic win.

“I can’t be more proud for a group of guys,” said Williams. “They believed all week that they could win the game. I felt like we played with more and more confidence as the game went along and in the end we were able to put it together for the win.”

Freshman QB Griff Loftis (Mooreville) finished the game with 289 yards on 28-of-44 passing with two touchdowns to Rashad Pargo (Aberdeen) and Ronald Carswell (Macon, GA). Pargo caught 6 passes for 39 yards (3-yard TD) while Carswell added 60 yards (40-yard TD) on 3 receptions. Tobias Lofton (Forest) rushed for 51 yards and a 21-yard touchdown run on 10 carries while Courtney Gladney (Olive Branch) added 50 yards on 16 carries.