SENATOBIA – In a game of momentum exchanges, seven lead changes, 170 total yards in 21 penalties for both teams, and several defensive heroics by Coahoma Community College, the Tigers scratched back into the win column on the road against the Northwest Community College Rangers with a 41-36 nail biter.

With a 4-3 record, CCC travels to Booneville Thursday for its last road trip before returning home Oct. 23 for the final home game against Itawamba. If the Tigers can manage two more victories, they may be in the playoff picture for the first in at least two decades.

Thursday’s contest was marked by a streamlined aerial and a strong ground game led by Coahoma’s quarterback Garrick Jones and running back Devacus Ireland respectively. Jones completed 17 passes out of 22 attempts with one interception for 246 yards unofficially. The ground game was equally impressive with running back Devacus Ireland scoring four touchdowns of four, one, one, and 27 yards.

The aerial attack provided excitement as did the back and forth lead changes. The Tigers took the lead when Jones lofted a five-yard touchdown spiral to the consistent and ever-present LaDarious Dawson at 8:09 in the first quarter. The Tigers marched 94 yards in 16 plays. Dawson finished the game with three catches for 49 yards. Sophomore Daniel Lee led the CCC receivers with six snatches for 95 yards; Hollis Moore II came through for the Tiger with four receptions for 56 yards.

There were six more lead changes before CCC made a final stand for the win. Northwest scored twice in the first quarter on a one-yard run by Calvin Malone and a five-yard pass from Casey Weston to Michael Lindsey, 14-7. Coahoma tied the game at 14 all at with 10:15 clocked in the first half on Ireland’s first touchdown. Northwest took the next turn with an 11-yard run from Montez Phillips, but CCC’s Charles Harris blocked the extra kick and the Rangers led 20-14.

CCC’s Courtney Vaughn returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards to the two-yard line of the Rangers. The Tigers’ Ireland scored his second TD in quarter two, CCC leading 21-20 before a 35-yard field goal by Buford for a 23-20 halftime lead.

Fired up out of the locker room, the Tigers got right to work. Seven plays and 60 yards later, CCC’s Ireland launched his third TD run of one yard and the Tigers led 28-23. Deangelo Anderson, one of Coahoma’s captains for the night, sparked the Tiger defense with an interception that gave the Tigers another scoring opportunity. Teammate Kendrel James galloped 27 yards into the end zone to culminate a 16-play, 81 yard drive, 35-23. Besides Vaughn and Ireland, CCC’s rushers turned in a solid performance in the ground game. James was back to speed and Brodis Toles was a needed boost for the Tigers.

A 14-yard scamper from Northwest’s Malone and an 11-yard quarterback keeper put the Rangers back into the driver’s seat although CCC’s defense stiffened and foiled the two-point conversion attempt so the Rangers led by a thread, 36-35 with 8:21 remaining. CCC’s final scoring drive went 70 yards in nine plays for the winning margin, 41-36.

An ironic twist to the game was the epidemic of yellow flags; CCC was flagged 12 times for 105 yards while Northwest had 11 infractions for 65 yards. The Rangers’ rash of encroachments throughout the contest resulted in their undoing when CCC was faced with a third and three with 1:02 remaining on the clock. The Tigers had fought back from a halftime deficit of 23-21 to take a five-point lead in the closing minutes of the game and were trying to preserve the win. The Rangers, having no timeouts remaining, were flagged for encroachment giving the Tigers a first down and the opportunity to run out the clock.

The Tiger defense had many standout performers. Three interceptions by Anderson, Michael Ruffin, and LaDarian Petty came at crucial moments when Northwest was beginning to build momentum. Robert McCoy Jr. and Ned Stokes both recorded quarterback sacks that stopped the Rangers’ offensive scheme. Solo tackles were submitted by Decante Walker, Brandon Duncan, Chris Tucker, Anthony Lewis, Shavidea McKinley, Nico Jones, Gerald Oriol Jr., Rico King, and placekicker Reed Gallagher even became a defender. Besides kicking five of five extra points after TDs, Gallagher tackled a Ranger return man, keeping him from going all the way to pay dirt in the third quarter.