SENATOBIA — Thursday’s MACJC North Division opener for the No. 4 Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers and the No. 8 East Mississippi Lions was as good as advertised.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, it was the Lions that got the better end of the matchup in the form of a 45-42 win at Bobby Franklin Field.
In a game where both teams were evenly matched and the atmosphere felt more like a playoff game, the difference between winning and losing for the Rangers (2-1 overall) came down to a few mistakes made on special teams and a costly turnover late in the fourth quarter.
The Rangers were able to out-gain the Lions, 545 to 386, but a fumble by running back Teshadi Talton at the EMCC 33-yard line was recovered by Jeremy Cannon, who then scooped the ball up and returned it for a back-breaking 67-yard touchdown with 4:32 left in the game.
NWCC, which trailed 45-35 after the score, appeared to be on its way to pulling ahead of the Lions when the fumbled occurred. (September 16, 2011, Page 6A)
