Video: Powell Aims To Revive EMCC Women’s Soccer Program

April 24, 2017

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI / EMCC Athletics) – Soccer is returning to East Mississippi Community College for the first time since 2009.

The man chosen to revive the program is Leon Powell. Powell joins the Lions with years of experience as a player and a coach.

Powell joins the Lions after a two year stint with Lamar School in Meridian, where he led the girl’s soccer team to back-to-back MAIS Class AAAA Division Two state championships. Powell also directed the boy’s soccer team to back-to-back state runners-up.

Through his nine years of coaching experience, Powell also spent time as an assistant coach for Meridian Community College.

“What I’ve done in my playing career is take what I think is good, and what I think will help others, and mold that into my form”, EMCC’s newest head coach Powell said, “I’ve played this game with a lot of different cultures, a lot of different persons, a lot of different coaches.

Powell, a Jamaican native, hopes he can bring attention to the program not just in Mississippi, but also garner some international attention.

“You’ll go to Jamaica and might see, after my first two seasons, I’ll take home a hat, somebody might like it, and that hat will be circling around Jamaica,” Powell said, “I think that EMCC will become bigger and if I do well and bring championships to this town, it will only help me and EMCC expand as any program would like.”

A familiar face around the Meridian community, Powell was an NJCAA All-American at Meridian Community College before completing his collegiate career at the University of Cincinnati. Upon his return to the Magnolia State in 2013, Powell helped coach the Meridian-based Alliance Futbol Club within the competitive ranks of the Meridian Youth Soccer Organization.

Having twice earned All-Region 23 soccer honors while ranking among the NJCAA Division I Top 20 scoring leaders both years at Meridian Community College, Powell netted 39 career goals and assisted on 11 other scores for 89 total points. As a freshman forward in 2009, he ranked 10^th nationally with 20 goals to garner Honorable Mention All-America laurels. Powell added 19 goals and eight assists during his sophomore year with the Eagles.

Powell took his soccer talents to Cincinnati in 2011 and earned two letters with the Bearcats. After playing in 17 matches his junior year as a top reserve forward, Powell totaled six points, 33 shots and 14 shots on goal to earn UC’s Offensive MVP postseason award following an injury-shortened senior season. Off the playing field, Powell earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management.

“My goals going into this year is to build a brand,” Powell said of his goals for year one.

“Build a foundation, make it something that we will stand by for the time I’m here. It’s not…I’m coming to win a championship in my first year, it’s coming to set foundation, lay the pipe, lay the steel, lay the cement, lay the blocks so we can achieve in the further years to come.”

The EMCC women’s soccer team will be based in the Mayhew-Golden Triangle campus, and will have a MACJC slate coming up this fall season.

Coach Powell and the Lions will host an open tryout to prospects at the Columbus Soccer Complex Tuesday and Thursday, beginning at 1 p.m.