SENATOBIA – After claiming the program's 13th north division championship, Northwest has clinched homefield advantage in the 2017 MACJC Football Playoffs and will open postseason play on Saturday, Nov. 4 against Hinds.
Northwest (7-1, 5-1 north) and Hinds (6-2, 5-1 south), both NJCAA nationally-ranked teams, will kickoff their MACJC Semifinal matchup at 2 p.m. at Bobby Franklin Field.
Tickets are $5 for general admission and $3 for other community college students. Northwest faculty, staff and students admitted free with school ID, while children six-and-under are also admitted free.
The Rangers are making their 28th trip to the conference playoffs in the last 36 years, while Hinds is postseason bound for the first time since 2011. Northwest leads the all-time series 28-18-3 and has won eight of the last 10 meetings.
Northwest boasts the MACJC's second-best and nation's sixth-ranked offense at 486.8 yards-per-game, an impressive balance of 249 passing and 237.8 rushing. Hinds is 22nd in the nation with just under 400 yards and 34.0 points per game.
Kevin Perkins (589 yards, 7 TD), Quarderman Sloan (530 yards, 9 TD) and Monta Thomas (402 yards, 7 TD) provide a true three-headed rushing attack for the Rangers and all average over five yards per carry behind the MACJC's top offensive line.
Under center, redshirt freshman Jack Abraham is closing in on 2,000 yards passing, completing 66 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Cole Rotenberry leads the Rangers in receiving with 38 catches for 561 yards and a score, followed by JaVonta Payton (32-375-7) and Jerrick Orr (26-369-4).
Hinds is led by freshman signal-caller Tylan Morton, who's thrown for 1,251 yards and 13 touchdowns against four picks. His favorite targets are Ra'Meik Wallace (39-346-7 TD) and Stephen Guidry (19-296-4).
The Eagles average just under 200 yards rushing/game and 5.3 yards per carry, led by DeVante Scott's 670 yards and seven touchdowns.
Defensively, Northwest is allowing an MACJC-best 12.4 points/game against 25.8/game for Hinds. The Rangers have also posted four shutouts, their most since the 1992 national championship season.
Sophomore defensive back Byron Dewayne Galvin leads the Eagles with 61 tackles and five interceptions, while former Ranger Ivin White Jr. has added 49 tackles, team-high 12.5 sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss.
Northwest has been very balanced defensively all season, rotating nearly two dozen players. Keith Brown Jr. has a team-high 56 tackles, followed by Joshua Norwood (43), Turner Rotenberry (40) and Brandon Pierre (39).
The winner of Saturday's game will play the winner of Jones County/East Mississippi on Saturday, Nov. 11.
MACJC SEMIFINAL INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, Nov. 4
Time: 2 p.m. local time (3 EST)
Location: Senatobia, Mississippi (Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field)
Broadcast:
www.nwccrangers.com/watch
Radio: WHKL 106.9 FM (Country Legends) available on Country 101 app
Live Stats:
bit.ly/2fK32EM
Rosters:
Northwest |
Hinds
Schedules:
Northwest |
Hinds
Stats:
Northwest |
Hinds
