SENATOBIA – Adversity has plagued the Northwest men's soccer program over the past couple of seasons.

After fielding its best record in program history in 2015 and returning to the MACJC Playoffs in 2016, the Rangers have only won four matches since then, suffering through back-to-back two-win seasons in 2017 and 2018.

Now entering his second year in command, head coach Mark Hogan is looking for this year's group to begin changing the course.

"Everything is faster at this level with more advanced competition," Hogan said. "If you come in unprepared and not ready to play, you will get beat. We;re bringing back some core guys that know what it takes to win at this level, so I think that will help us out. We also have some new guys coming in that have grown up playing competitively so they also know what it takes to battle and compete against this level of competition."

Included in the group of returning assets are midfielders Joseph Hayes, Jose Orduna and Adrian Suarez, forward Cam Donaldson, defender Daniel Suarez and goalkeeper Tim Spencer. Hayes finished last season as the team's leading scorer, collecting seven goals and All-MACJC recognition. Spencer served as the Rangers' primary option at goalkeeper, finishing just shy of 100 saves (96) while collecting double-digit saves in five matches, including a career-best of 12 in a loss to Hinds.

As the only returning forward from last season, Donaldson will play the role of leader up front among a slew of new faces. Some of those new faces include Tanner, Ala. native David Pizano, DeSoto Central High School product Ronnie Akinsehinwa and Lewisburg High School standout Brendon Galbraith. Pizano finished with a team record of 54 goals during his senior season, in which he helped Tanner HS to a 13-9-3 overall record. Akinsehinwa and Galbraith helped guide their respective teams to multiple playoff appearances over their varsity careers.

Along with Hayes, the Ranger midfield has more depth as a whole than in years past. Freshmen and Lewisburg teammates Peyton Coker and Jake Heinze are expected to be major contributors in that unit. While at LHS, both players were responsible for guiding the Patriots to an 18-1-1 overall record and the 2018-19 Class 5A state championship.

Even with Spencer's return, Hogan still has depth between the posts with returning sophomore Logan Barham and freshman Dustin Brown. Barham saw limited action last season with 24 saves in five matches, while Brown collected a team-high 105 saves and nine shutouts last season, helping Center Hill HS to a 15-2-1 overall record and the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs.

With a solid core of newcomers and veterans, Northwest is hoping to stand out among a crowded MACJC North Division. The Rangers' lone division victory came in a 7-1 home rout of Holmes with both teams tying in the regular season finale. Northwest had other chances to gain some ground in the division, falling in a pair of one-goal losses to East Central and Itawamba.

Aside from division competition, Northwest will also mix things up more than usual on this year's non-division slate, hosting South Division powerhouses Mississippi Gulf Coast and Jones College. Additionally, the Rangers are scheduled to embark on some long road trips this season with stops at St. Charles (Mo.) Community College and Milledgeville, Ga. against 10th-ranked Georgia Military and Wake Tech (N.C.).

"Gulf Coast is a big name in Mississippi and we have them early," Hogan said. "ICC ran the table in the North Division last year, so they're going to be tough once again. Hinds and Holmes are both tough as well, so you really don't have an easy game anywhere. Every match is going to be tough, so we're going to have to grind every one out and hope that we can bring back some wins."

Hogan's main goal for this year's team is improvement and he believes that doing the little things right can lead to the Rangers accomplishing that goal.

"Every team's goal should be to win championships and we are no different," Hogan said. "We have to do the little things right every day, whether that's making our shots and passes or just communicating better. I want us to get better every day and if we can do that, then we're going to put results on the field that everyone can be happy with."

Northwest is set to open the 2019 season at St. Charles Community College on Saturday, August 24 at 2 p.m. The Rangers will then quickly jump into North Division competition on Saturday, August 30 at Hinds before hosting Meridian in the home opener on Tuesday, September 3.

Live stats will be available for all matches through nwccrangers.com, excluding Saturday's season opener.