FULTON, Miss - The ICC football team defeated Northeast, 37-31 in double overtime, in one of the most bizarre games in the storied history between the rivals.
The Indians (3-2, 2-1 MACJC North) blocked three field goals and made a game-saving tackle after the Tigers (1-4, 1-2 MACJC North) retuned their second blocked field goal of the game inside the 15-yard line to end the first overtime before Austin Watkins (Tupelo) won a battle for the ball with the Northeast defensive back on a 13-yard pass from Clark Mills (Ecru).
Trailing 31-17 deep into the fourth quarter, Jamel Thomas (Caledonia) made a 42-yard leaping catch between a pair of defenders to set up De'Sean Dinkins (Warren Robins, Ga.) for a 3-yard touchdown run to make it a 31-24 contest with 7:23 left to play.
Thomas hauled in five catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Mills found Cedric Bradford (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) on a 29-yard pass to tie the game with 1:35 left in regulation.
The Indians defense appeared to hold and force a Northeast punt, but a strong run by Ole Miss commit Sam Williams on the fake moved the chains to give the Tigers new life with 34.3 seconds remaining. The Tigers lined up for a potential game-winning field goal but the 41-yard attempt bounced off the upright, allowing the Indians to take over on downs and kneel the final 2.1 seconds off the clock.
Northeast won the toss and elected to go on defense in the first overtime. The Tigers' defense held and forced the Indians into a 29-yard field goal attempt. The kick was blocked and scooped up by the Tigers and looked to be primed to escape Fulton with the victory on the return. Instead, Dinkins raced from one side of Eaton Field to the other to make a diving tackle to save the game for the Indians.
The Tigers took over at the 25-yard line and eventually set up for a chip shot field goal for the win. The Indians blocked the kick but an offside call negated the play and gave the Tigers another chance at victory. Instead, an improbable second-straight blocked kick saved the day for the Indians.
Northeast tried a fake field goal but the pass was deflected by a trio of Indian defenders.
ICC took over and went to the air with a 13-yard pass by Mills. Watkins made a leaping catch and was tied up on the reception by a Tiger defender with both players coming down with the ball with momentum carrying both players to the ground and out of the end zone. After confirmation on both players having their feet in bounds, the referee signaled a touchdown sending the Indians and the rest of the ICC Family into a frenzy with the exciting, come-from-behind victory.
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Mills finished the night with 256 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions on 20-41 passing. The Tigers totaled 594 yards on 101 plays from scrimmage. The Indians managed 366 yards on only 76 plays.
Cortez Davis (Flowery Branch, Ga.) had 12 tackles (9 solo; 3 assists) with Nick Smith (Cleveland) adding 11 (8 solo; 3 assists). Chris Shannon (Tupelo) had an interception while Smith, A'Tarius Moore (Calhoun City), Kenneth Martin (Columbus) each blocked a field goal.
The Indians will be back in action against nationally-ranked Holmes at Goodman on Thursday. The Bulldogs fell to No. 3 Northwest, 27-14, last week to move to 3-2 and 1-1 inside conference play. The First American National Bank Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 with the Davis Ford Pregame Show starting at 6:00 on ESPN 95.1 FM and LetsGoICCTV.com/red.
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