Clarksdale, Miss. - The Northeast Mississippi Community College football team returns to the road after three straight weeks at home to begin the most important part of its 2017 schedule.
The Tigers travel to Coahoma Community College on Thursday, September 28. Kickoff for the annual gridiron battle of the Tigers is slated for 7 p.m. at James E. Miller Stadium.
Those that cannot attend the matchup can watch it live and in high definition on NEMCCTV. Tune in starting at 6:30 p.m. for the pregame show by visiting www.nemcctv.com on any computer, smartphone or tablet.
The Northeast Broadcasting Network also includes new radio affiliate WOWL Fun 91. An audio simulcast featuring Jody Presley and Carter Smith, the Voices of the Tigers, can be heard on frequencies 91.9 FM from Burnsville, 92.9 FM from Florence, Ala., and 102.3 FM from Killen, Ala.
Search and follow @NEMCCTigers on Twitter for live in-game updates and interact during the contests by using the hashtag #TigerPower across all social media platforms.
The Tigers (1-3, 0-1) completed non-division play with a 36-19 win over Southwest Mississippi Community College on a rainy, mud-filled evening in the City of Hospitality one week ago.
Northeast now faces five straight Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division contests to close the regular season beginning with its trip to Clarksdale.
"We're in a new season," said Tigers head coach Greg Davis. "There's a lot of football to play and you never know what's going to happen in the North. It's going to be interesting, but at the end of the day, we've got to take it one day at a time.
"Coahoma is much improved. We're gonna have to be able to play lights out on the defensive side in order to keep the field short for us offensively so we can move the ball and go score. We just have to be able to manage the game the way we need to."
The homestanding Tigers fell to third-ranked Holmes Community College in their MACJC North Division opener last week, but pieced together an impressive showing on defense by limiting the Bulldogs to nearly 200 yards less than their average per game figure.
Cecil Cherry tops that effort for Coahoma with 48 tackles through four games. Reigning National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American Antonio Nelson has 22 stops and a team-best five passes defended.
The Tigers (1-3, 0-1) have accounted for nine total takeaways so far this year. Davion Taylor has two fumble recoveries while Nelson has a pair of interceptions to guide Coahoma.
Freshman Trey Mitchell has started each game at quarterback for the Tigers. He has completed 47 percent of his passes for 739 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions himself.
Chris Claybrooks is Mitchell's most targeted wideout with 22 receptions for 301 yards. Josh Johnson has 407 yards on the ground and two touchdowns as well for Coahoma.
Northeast counters in the running game with Oxford's Kenzie Phillips, who currently leads the Magnolia State with 91 rushing attempts. He also has team-highs of 378 yards and three touchdowns.
Corinth's Jalen Cobbs and Karleke Oliver of Hernando both have over 100 yards for an offense that is tied for 12th in the country with Dakota (N.D.) College at Bottineau with 185 total rushes.
Toreano Miner of New Orleans, La., brought in his first touchdown catch of the campaign in the triumph over Southwest. He now guides the Tigers with nine receptions for 146 yards.
Wilkinson County High School graduate Desmond Hunter was somewhat limited in his passing due to the muddy conditions during his debut as starter for Northeast, but he did have 98 yards and one touchdown.
Juwan Taylor continued his sensational inaugural campaign on the Booneville campus with 12 tackles against the Bears. The Provine High School alumnus presently has a team-best 38 stops.
Peyton McMahon of Southaven follows Taylor with 31 takedowns. Eastern Illinois University transfer Kylin Washington has team-highs of six tackles for loss and three sacks plus a forced fumble.
The Tigers capitalized on five miscues by Coahoma to win last year's meeting at home by a final score of 35-6. Northeast is also ahead in the all-time series between the two institutions by a 33-8 margin.