BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Students, Fans, Alumni,
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
On behalf of Northeast Mississippi Community College, welcome to the greatest institution in the United States!
Here at NEMCC, we have a tradition in all sports of exhibiting not only a championship atmosphere, but one of class, integrity, and professionalism. We are proud of the student/athletes that have chosen to attend Northeast. We are thankful each of you have chosen to attend this athletic event.
While our students are here, our goal is to provide opportunities of personal growth through cutting edge instruction in the classroom and athletic programs. Northeast recognizes that its primary commitment is to the education of our student-athlete.
Our vision is to develop one of the premier athletic programs in the nation. To that end, the completion of our Baseball/Softball complex was certainly a step in the right direction. In addition, the beginning of our Game, Set, Match capital giving campaign for our state of the art tennis complex shows our continued commitment to excellence.
Recently Northeast was recognized as an Apple Distinguished School. Receiving this coveted honor exhibits to the world our commitment to cutting edge technology within our instructional process.
I hope you will have time prior to or after this athletic event to walk or drive around our campus and get a small glance at what we have to offer. You are welcome to visit anytime with our students, faculty, and staff.
We are happy to have each of you as part of the Northeast family. Please feel free to contact me should the need ever arise. As you leave campus after this event, we wish you the very best and safe travels.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ricky G. Ford, Northeast Mississippi Community College President
TIGER FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF
ATHLETIC SUPPORT STAFF
NEXT LEVEL TIGERS: MORE THAN 40 ALUMNI
The Northeast Mississippi Community College football program currently has 41 studentathletes continuing their playing careers at fouryear institutions.
Twenty-seven former Tigers play NCAA Division I football with seven calling a Power Four university their home. Nine alumni play at the Division II level, three suit up for Division III teams and two are at NAIA schools.
The following is an update on how members of the Northeast family have fared at the end of one full month of the 2024 campaign.
Deonta Barnes (Lexington) is in his second season at Southern Arkansas University. Barnes is fifth on the team with 21 total tackles. The linebacker recorded a season-high six tackles in the Muleriders’ season opener against Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Barnes matched that total two games later against Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) University.
Goldman Butler VI (Biggersville) is in his second season at LaGrange (Ga.) College. Butler leads the team with 205 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Butler has rushed for over 70 yards in two of the Panthers’ three games. The Corinth native had a season-high 79 yards in their season-opener at East Texas Baptist University.
Kenny Byrd (York, S.C.) is in his first season at Tiffin (Ohio) University. Byrd tops the Dragons
with 30 tackles on the young season and ties for the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss. He recorded a season-high 12 tackles and two tackles for loss on September 14th against Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) University.
Alfernee Hankins (Charleston) has played in all four games for the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM). Hankins has nine total tackles and leads the team with four tackles for loss. He recorded a season-high four tackles against Harding (Ark.) University on September 19th and two tackles for loss in the Weevils’ opener against Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
Cedric Hillsman (Fort Valley, Ga.) is in his second year at his hometown university of Fort Valley State. Hillsman has posted 10 total tackles. He is second on the team with four tackles for loss and two sacks. Hillsman has recorded a tackle for loss in each of the Wildcats’ first four games of the season.
Reginald Hughes (Tunica) is in his first season at Jacksonville State (Ala.) University. Hughes leads the team in quarterback hurries and is second in total tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. The edge rusher had a season-high 13 tackles against Eastern Michigan University. Hughes has recorded 19 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and five quarterback hurries over the last two games.
Triston Newson (Independence) has 14 total tackles in four games for the University of Missouri.
PLAYING NATIONWIDE
The former Northeast All-American recorded five tackles each against Murray State (Ky.) University and Boston (Mass.) College. Newson has helped the Tigers appear in the Associated Press top 25 in four of the six polls that have been released.
Dallas Payne (Bay St. Louis) is in his third season at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Payne has caught four passes for 44 yards and one touchdown through four games for the Blazers. He had a season-best three catches for 33 yards along with his lone score against the University of Arkansas.
Keaton Thomas (Jacksonville, Fla.) is in his first season at Baylor (Texas) University following his AllAmerican season in 2023 for Northeast. Thomas is second on the team with 43 tackles and tied for a team-best three tackles for loss. The linebacker has recorded seven or more tackles in all five games for the Bears. Thomas recorded a season-high 12 tackles on September 7th at the University of Utah.
DQ Watkins (Oxford) is in his second season at Long Island (N.Y.) University. Watkins was named a second-team preseason all-conference selection in Phil Steele’s annual preview magazine. He has 15 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks through five games for the Sharks. Watkins has matched a season-high five tackles in road trips to Texas Christian University (TCU) and Villanova (Pa.) University.
2024 NORTHEAST FOOTBALL ROSTER
Greg Davis (10th year - Texas Christian University)
Campbell (1st year - University of Arkansas)
Sean Cannon (2nd year - Delta State University)
Cedric Shell (7th year - Alcorn State University)
Cordell Upshaw (1st year - Southern Arkansas University)
Rotenberry (4th year - Mississippi College)
(10th year- Mississippi State University)
Farris (10th year- University of North Alabama)
(3rd year - University of North Alabama)
(12th year - University of Mississippi)
Moreland (4th year - Mississippi State University)
2024 ITAWAMBA FOOTBALL ROSTER
TIGERS SWEEP MACCC WEEKLY AWARDS; LOPEZ
The Northeast Mississippi Community College football team raked in the awards while its counterparts around the state idly observed their bye date.
The freshmen trio of Freddy Lopez, Makyi Reed-Jones and JD Washington gave the Tigers a sweep of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACCC) Player of the Week honors.
In addition, Lopez was recognized as the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Special Teams Player of the Week after connecting on two more lengthy field goals at Mississippi Delta Community College.
“It’s a blessing to receive an award like that,” said Lopez. “I really developed my strength through soccer. I’ve known how to kick a ball my whole life and known how strong my leg is.”
Lopez got the Tigers on the board less than two minutes into the second quarter with a career-long 43-yarder. It concluded Northeast’s lengthiest scoring drive of the contest of nine plays and, ironically, 43 yards.
The Ripley native extended the Tigers’ advantage to 13-7 early in the third on a 37-
HONORED NATIONALLY
yard field goal. Antonio Kennedy set up the score with a 25-yard run that got Northeast into the red zone.
Lopez remained perfect on extra points with two more makes. He is the first Tiger to earn national player of the week since current University of Missouri starting linebacker Triston Newson did so in October 2022.
“Offensively, we didn’t really finish things out and had some miscues so Freddy had to come on and work his magic,” said Northeast head coach Greg Davis. “He went out there and did a great job.”
Reed-Jones recorded the first 100-plus yard receiving performance by any Tiger this year. He had 101 total yards on five catches for an average of just over 20 yards per reception.
The Lafayette High School graduate produced a pair of explosive plays in the opening period. His first catch of the game was a 30-yard dart from Caden Greer that moved the ball from one 35-yard line to the other.
Reed-Jones then hauled in a 50-yard strike from Greer on Northeast’s next possession that eventually led to Lopez’s first field goal. He is one of four Tigers with double-digit
receptions through five outings.
“Overall, he had a wonderful night. We needed that,” Davis said. “This is really good for him. When he gets that confidence about him, he just goes out and plays well. I’m really proud of him and the way his effort has been.”
Washington made a difference for Northeast both defensively and on special teams. He blocked a field goal and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half to give the Tigers their inaugural lead against the Trojans at 10-7.
The Center Hill High School alumnus forced a fumble and recovered it as Mississippi Delta marched deep into Northeast territory in the fourth. He registered a season-best six tackles, including five solo stops.
Washington also had a leaping interception that was negated by a penalty on the Tigers. He added a pass break up during his initial collegiate start at cornerback.
“The thing about JD is he’s getting better with experience as time goes on,” said Davis. “He’s becoming more-and-more accustomed to the game at our level. He’s coming into his own.”
