A 45-yard field goal with 1:48 remaining lifted the Copiah-Lincoln Wolves to a 27-24 win over the East Central Community College Warriors Thursday, Sept. 28, in Bailey Stadium in Decatur.
East Central had fought back from a 24-14 halftime deficit to tie the game at 24-24 late in the third quarter, before the Co-Lin defense stiffened and held the Warriors without a first down in the final quarter.
Co-Lin's Griffin Sublett was true on his game-winning field goal to break the tie and give the Wolves a 27-24 MACJC South Division win on Black Out Bailey night.
Co-Lin would exert itself early in the game by scoring on its first two possessions to take a quick 10-0 lead. The Wolves got a 27-yard field goal off the toe of Sublett and a 43-yard touchdown pass from Auburn transfer Woody Barrett to a wide open tight end TK McClendon.
On the ensuing kickoff, East Central would strike quickly to cut the deficit to 10-7. Sophomore running back Mikell Daniels scored from the five to cap a five-play, 65-yard drive. Quarterback Mario Asagunla hit tight end Chris Deloach for 27 yards and tight end Nigel Wood for 35 yards on the drive.
The Wolves would move in front 17-7 just before the first quarter would end on an eight-yard pass from Barrett to wide receiver Jemarcus Weatherall that capped an eight-play, 65-yard drive.
After an exchange of punts, the Warriors needed just one play to score. Freshman running back James Smith III took a screen pass from Asagunla, reversed field a couple of times, and raced 80 yards to the end zone. The point after by Zach Engell cut the score to 17-14 with 11:31 still to play in second quarter.
East Central would threaten one more time in the first half after sophomore defensive lineman Jamari Smith forced Barrett to fumble and the Warriors recovered on their own 44. The Warriors drove to the Wolves' 31 before the drive stalled and they were forced to punt.
Co-Lin immediately drove 86 yards to extend its lead back to 10 points, 24-14, just before the half. A six-yard keeper by Barrett with just :49 showing on the clock in the first half ended the 12 play, 86-yard drive.
East Central would control the third quarter scoring. Keonte' Daniels stepped in front of a Hayden Davis pass and raced 33 yards untouched to the end zone with 7:19 to play in the third quarter. The PAT by Engell made the score 24-21.
The Warriors would tie the game the next time they had the football on a 36-yard field goal by Engell. The 13-play drive took over six minutes off the clock.
Sublett's field goal would win the game for Co-Lin as the East Central offense could get no closer than its own 38-yard line the remainder of the game.
Asagunla finished 11-of-23 through the air for 199 yards and one score. Eight different Warriors caught passes, including Deloach with two for 31 yards and freshman Octavious Olowo-ake with three for 22 yards.
Freshman linebacker Tanner Bullock totaled 11 tackles in the game for East Central.
while freshman defensive lineman Landon Keely from Enterprise was credited with a quarterback sack for a 10-yard loss.
