DECATUR — On an otherwise dreary, drizzly afternoon, EastCentral and Copiah-Lincoln provided quite a few thrills before theWarriors posted a 31-20 MACJC South Division win.

ECCC improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the South half, winningits homecoming game. Co-Lin fell to 1-5 and 0-3.

The 11-point final margin wasn’t settled until ECCC’s KelvinHorne broke a 32-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds remaining.Darryl Mapp had given the Warriors a first-and-10 with a 7-yardgain on the previous play.

The Warriors looked to have a safe 24-14 lead after Tony Edisonstopped a Co-Lin drive with an interception inside the ECCC 10.However, the Wolves forced a punt and needed just one play to closeto within 24-20 when Victor Williams hit Daryl Johnson with a65-yard scoring bomb down the middle. Edison blocked ChrisBlackwell’s PAT, leaving the Wolves down by four points with 2:17left.

“That’s the way we’ve been all season,” Co-Lin head coach GlennDavis said. “We’re just kinda good enough to get beat.

“We’ve got to learn how to do the little things right beforewe’ll be successful.”

The Wolves took a 7-0 lead on the game’s first possession,driving 62 yards in eight plays. Julius Roberson scored on a10-yard run with 11:08 left in the first quarter.

ECCC answered with an 11-play, 70-yard drive on its firstpossession with Cameron Tawater hauling in a 10-yard touchdown passfrom Robbie Morse with 6:16 left in the first quarter. JayMcMillin’s extra point was no good as Co-Lin led 7-6.

The Warriors went up 9-7 on a 33-yard field goal by McMillinwith 12:47 to go in the second quarter. Morse injured a knee on the12-play drive that covered 65 yards and did not return.

Jarius Neal took over and had the best day of his brief careerat ECCC. On the Warriors’ next possession, Neal hit a divingDerrick Harris in the right corner of the end zone for a 22-yardtouchdown. After the Wolves were penalized for having 12 men on thefield, Mapp ran in a two-point conversion for a 17-7 lead with 6:18left in the half.

Co-Lin closed to within 17-14 just 73 seconds into the secondhalf when Roberson scored on a 2-yard run. A fumble recovery by theWolves at the ECCC 20 set up the short four-play drive.

ECCC answered the challenge with a quick score as Neal hitHarris over the middle at the 50 and the sophomore speedster pulledaway and found nothing ahead but daylight for a 63-yard touchdown.McMillin’s PAT gave the Warriors a 24-14 lead with 12:44 still togo in the third period.

The Wolves had their chances, but were unable to cash in. Ablock below the waist penalty on first-and-goal from the 10resulted in a fourth-down pass coming up two yards shy of the endzone with 8:31 to go in the game.

A 17-yard punt return by Johnson put the Wolves at the ECCC 30on their next possession. Co-Lin had first-and-goal at the 10 againonly to have Edison pick off a Williams pass to kill thethreat.

The Wolves closed the gap to 24-20 on their next possession onthe 65-yard pass from Williams to Johnson, but Terrance McFaddenrecovered an onside kick for the Warriors and Horne’s run cappedthe homecoming victory.

ECCC had an unusually good game in the air as Morse and Nealcombined to go 13-of-18 for 282 yards. The Warriors rushed 50 timesfor 174 yards, giving them 456 total yards.

Harris caught five passes for 139 yards. McFadden had 110 yardson 27 rushes.

Co-Lin had 365 total yards with 137 coming on 31 rushes. Johnsoncaught six passes for 165 yards.