COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For the first time since the 2012 season, second-year head coach Jack Wright and the Northwest Rangers will open the season ranked in the NJCAA Football Top 20 Preseason Poll.

Northwest is ranked 16th and is one of five schools from the MACJC in the poll. Reigning back-to-back national champions East Mississippi come in as the top-ranked team, while two-time south division champion Copiah-Lincoln enters at No. 7, followed by Gulf Coast at No. 9 and Jones County at No. 19.

Earlier in the week, the Rangers were picked to finish fourth in the conference standings by a vote of MACJC representatives behind EMCC, Co-Lin and Gulf Coast.

Northwest has made the playoffs 25 out of the last 33 seasons and ended 2014 (4-6, 4-2) with a second place finish in the north division, followed by a narrow loss to Copiah-Lincoln in the first round of the state playoffs.

Northwest will kick off the 2015 campaign at No. 19 Jones County on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. Live video, audio and stats will be provided all season long at www.nwccrangers.com.