SENATOBIA – Northwest's defense once again set the tone in a 27-13 MACJC Semifinal win over Hinds on Saturday, picking off three passes and adding 11 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, six breakups and a forced fumble to advance to a third straight conference championship game.

Northwest won its seventh straight game – all by two touchdowns or more – and 16th consecutive at Bobby Franklin Field to improve to 8-1 overall. Hinds' season came to a close at 6-3.

Turner Rotenberry got the game started off with a bang, picking off his sixth career pass and returning it 41 yards for a touchdown on the second play from scrimmage to give the Rangers an early 7-0 lead. It was the sophomore's third career pick six. 

Neither team could find much of an offensive rhythm the remainder of the first half, with several long drives resulting in punts.

Northwest strung together a game-changing, eight-play, 73-yard drive right before halftime, capped off by Kevin Perkins' 1-yard touchdown run, to take momentum into the half with a 13-0 lead. 

Receiving the second half kickoff, the Rangers got a big 35-yard return from Brandin Echols and added a 15-yard facemask penalty to take over at midfield. Five plays later, Jack Abraham hit Jerrick Orr for a 14-yard touchdown to extend the Northwest lead to 20-0.

Two lengthy Hinds drives in the third quarter both resulted in Spencer Cole field goals from 34 and 24 yards as the Eagles closed the gap to 20-6 after three quarters.

Hinds' fifth unsportsmanlike conduct penalty helped setup the Rangers' fourth touchdown seconds into the fourth quarter, with Perkins' 1-yard run capping a nine-play, 72-yard drive to make it 27-6.

A quarterback switch for the Eagles resulted in the best drive of the day for Hinds, with Eric Clark leading an eight-play, 88-yard touchdown drive to make it 27-13 with 8:46 to play.

Northwest was then able to salt away most of the game down the stretch with just two pass attempts and a heavy dose of Perkins, Quarderman Sloan and Monta Thomas.

Perkins finished with a game-high 72 yards and two scores, a fourth straight game with multiple touchdown runs. Abraham was 16-of-27 for 255 yards, a touchdown and interception to go over 2,200 yards for the season.

Cole Rotenberry was one of seven Rangers to catch a pass, finishing with five grabs for 94 yards. 

Hinds' quarterback duo of Tylan Morton and Clark finished a combined 15-of-30 for 215 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns and were sacked three times.

Keith Brown Jr., T. Rotenberry and Brandon Pierre set the tone for the Ranger defense, with Brown finishing with a career-high 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks, Rotenberry adding 10 tackles, two picks, three breakups and forced fumble and Pierre chipping in eight tackles and a sack.

Northwest will face East Mississippi in a rematch of the MACJC Championship game from a year ago in Scooba, but this time on its home turf next Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. in Senatobia.

Live video, audio and stats will be available at nwccrangers.com. Fans can also follow Twitter updates @NWCC_Rangers.