BOONEVILLE – Chase Carpenter tied a single-game school record with four made field goals and Randolph Williams picked up the game-saving interception as 6th-ranked Northwest escaped Booneville Thursday night with a 19-13 win to stay unbeaten. 

Northwest improved to 3-0 overall and is tied atop the north standings with Holmes at 2-0 in the division. Northeast dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the north.

What looked to be a shootout early, turned into a defensive battle.

Northwest was held to a season-low 194 yards of total offense while Northeast managed just 167.

Carpenter and Northeast's Chris Cooper combined to go 6-for-6 on field goals against just a pair of touchdowns for each team – both coming on their opening drives of the night.

Northwest received the opening kick and marched 60 yards on 14 plays to take the early 7-0 lead. Domonique Harris went 5-for-6 on the drive and hit three different targets before Teshadi Talton plunged it in from 1-yard out.

Northeast immediately responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive and used Pascal Desir's 5-yard touchdown run to knot the game at 7-7 with 3:30 left in the opening quarter.

From there both defenses went to work and neither team saw the endzone the final three quarters.

Carpenter connected on three of his career-high four field goals in the second quarter from 22, 33 and 37 yards and the Rangers took a 16-7 lead into the half.

The only score of the third quarter came off Cooper's 38-yard field goal before Carpenter's 28-yarder to start the fourth gave Northwest a 19-10 lead with just over 11 minutes remaining.

Northeast punter Jonathan Harrison, who had a great night for the Tigers, pinned Northwest deep in its own territory on their first possession in the fourth and used a short field that allowed Cooper to bring the game within a touchdown at 19-13.

The Tigers then recovered the ensuing on-side kick attempt with 2:44 remaining that setup a thrilling finish.

Nolan Genovese hit the first three completions on the drive, including a 41-yard strike to Demarrion Haynes, that put Northeast in the red zone at the Rangers' 20-yard line.

After a short gain, incomplete pass and a delay of game penalty, Williams would intercept Genovese on 3rd-and-11 from the 21-yard line to preserve the win. Desmond LaVelle and Jayson Saffold provided the pressure and batted the ball up in the air that allowed Williams to grab it and return it 27 yards.

The Ranger defense applied pressure all night long, closing the game with six sacks, 15 tackles-for-loss and a pair of interceptions. Demarcus Pegues led the way with nine tackles and a forced fumble, while Byron Scott, Devin Clark, LaVelle, Williams and Saffold all had sacks. Nick Thomason and Martice Buckley had 12 and 10 tackles to lead Northeast.

Offensively, Harris closed the night 14-of-21 for 135 yards, connecting with Josh Hamilton five times for 59 yards before he left the game with an injury. Damian Baker led the rushing attack with 15 carries for 60 yards. Genovese finished 20-for-25 with 143 yards and two picks, also completing a short pass to himself.

Northwest will return home next Thursday, hosting 12th-ranked Itawamba at 6:30 p.m. 

The two teams will combine for a canned food drive benefitting Hope Ministries, Inc., prior to the gridiron matchup and ask fans to please bring goods for the cause.