POPLARVILLE, Miss. - The Northeast Mississippi Community College football team used another phenomenal defensive performance to put a second win in the results column.
The Tigers pitched a shutout in the second half and held Pearl River Community College to less than 250 yards of total offense in a 19-3 victory on Thursday, September 14 at Dobie Holden Stadium.
"I'm really proud of this team. God's blessing us and we're doing a great job," said Northeast head coach Greg Davis. "I think in all three phases we did well. We came through on big, critical plays."
Keaton Thomas led that effort as the Tigers' top tackler for the second week in a row. The West Virginia University transfer posted 16 takedowns, including 11 solo stops and one tackle for loss.
"Honestly, this was a really good team win," Thomas said. "This is a hungry group. Everybody from the d-line to the safeties are just playing scrappy and tenacious. We've got each other's backs."
Northeast had eight pass break ups as well with four of them coming from corner Jalik Yancey. It was the most in a game for the Tigers since matching that total in a triumph at Southwest Mississippi Community College on September 22, 2016.
Add in a pair of interceptions by Mykel Randall and Jermaine Ray and Northeast successfully defended 10 passes. The Tigers (2-0) oppositely did not commit a turnover in the entire contest.
The defense also accounted for Northeast's first points of the matchup in the opening quarter. CJ Barney and Corey Clark were held by the Wildcats in the end zone after bursting through the right side of the offensive line, which resulted in a safety.
The Tigers increased their advantage to 9-0 with 1:37 remaining in the first on Antonio Kennedy's short touchdown run. Wesley Corbitt set up the score two plays earlier with a 59-yard reception.
Both teams exchanged field goals during the second to make the lead 12-3 for Northeast at the intermission. Guy Gillespie drilled a 40-yarder for the Tigers, who are receiving votes in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rankings.
Justin Kowalak gave Northeast some extra breaking room with an eight-yard touchdown scamper late in the third quarter. He found Kylen Vaughn, who made an acrobatic catch while being double-teamed in coverage, for a 32-yard gain on the prior play.
Kowalak finished 13 of 28 for 254 yards through the air. The Eastern Illinois University bounce back targeted nine different receivers with Jeremiah Augustin, TJ Brown and Tyrell Randall each bringing in multiple receptions.
"I've got to give all the glory to God. Without Him, none of this would be possible," said Kowalak. "My goal is to lead this team as far as we possibly can. I love the confidence we have."
This was only the third road win all-time against Pearl River (0-2) in program history. The other two victories for Northeast in Poplarville came during the 1989 and 2015 seasons, respectively.
Northeast begins the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) North Division portion of its schedule next Thursday, September 21 by hosting Itawamba Community College. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. from Tiger Stadium.