SENATOBIA - Last season saw two important streaks come to an end for the Northwest football program.

Despite an 8-2 overall record and the Rangers' fourth consecutive winning season, Northwest failed to advance to the MACJC Championship game for the first time since the 2014 season. The early playoff exit also signaled the end of a three-year active bowl streak.

Even so, the Rangers still accomplished a lot both on and off the gridiron. A total of 24 players signed or walked-on to the four-year level, 21 of those to FBS or FCS programs. The team also finished with a 3.01 GPA, one of only two NJCAA institutions to achieve a 3.0 or higher, with 18 players earning Academic All-MACJC recognition.

Losing another large group  of student-athletes to the next level means that once again the Rangers will have plenty of talent to replace for 2019, but given fourth-year head coach Benjy Parker's 25-8 combined record and an energtic group of newcomers on this year's squad, the Rangers will once again be a heavy favorite to challenge East Mississippi for both MACJC North Division and conference championship crowns.

One of the biggest losses comes under center in replacing Jacob Free (Troy). A former Vanderbilt transfer, Free finished as the MACJC's leading passer last season with 161 completions, 14 touchdowns and joined a growing list of recent Northwest signal-callers to throw for over 2,000 yards in a season.

Another big loss comes in the receiving corps after the departure of JaVonta Payton to Mississippi State. Payton ended his two-year Northwest career with 67 catches for 840 yards and 11 touchdowns and stood out among a crop of talented receivers that included Monterio Hunt (Rutgers), Keshunn Abram (Kent State) and Demarcus Jones (Southern Miss).

Northwest will have three options under center this season, highlighted by two Division I transfers, Jack Walker (Georgia State) and Jack Strouse (Jackson State). Despite only seeing limited action in three games last season for the Panthers, Walker is a familiar name in recruiting circles and in the Mississippi prep football scene. While at Madison Central High School, Walker helped guide the Jaguars to back-to-back Class 6A semifinal appearances while completing 179 passes for 2,058 yards and 16 TDs in his senior season, coupled with nine rushing touchdowns.
     
Strouse also has some impressive credentials on his resume as well. Hailing from Yorba Linda, Calif., the former Jackson State signee was recruited by the likes of SMU, Florida Atlantic, Arkansas and Charleston Southern after a senior season that yielded 1,761 passing yards and nine touchdowns.

Former Clinton High School standout Hunter Hulsey is the third name in the crowded but talented quarterback battle. Hulsey threw for over 5,000 yards and completed 58% of his passes over his career, earning the chance to play in the annual Bernard Blackwell All-Star Game while also receiving offers from North Carolina, Kent State, Richmond and Western Illinois.

While the quarterback battle remains uncertain, the receiving unit will have a solid returner in Braden Smith. Currently rated as a three-star by Rivals and 247sports, the Louisville commit emerged as the leading receiver for the Rangers last year and finished sixth in the MACJC with 45 catches for 537 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 11.9 yards a catch.

Smith and the Ranger receivers should get an added boost from newcomer Jacoby Jones. In his senior season at Rosa Fort, Jones reeled in 57 catches for 1,030 yards and 16 touchdowns and is one of the more impressive standouts in this year's signing class. 

Others expected to contribute in the receiving corps include the sophomore Johnson twins, Zachary and Zackariah, along with Palmetto, Fla. native Keyon Fordham and Houston High athlete Jalen May.

In the backfield, sophomore Chris Calvert will provide some much-needed experience. The West Point High School product finished the 2018 campaign within the top 10 of the MACJC in rushing, scoring 10 touchdowns with 610 yards on 104 carries. 

While Calvert is expected to be the workhorse in the backfield, the Rangers also bring in a pair of talented backs in Jaquerrious Williams (Tupelo) and Jamie Shaw (Lafayette). Known as "J-Rock" to those in the Tupelo area, Williams put the region on notice during his senior season, rushing for 1,813 yards and 23 total scores to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors from the Daily Journal and interest from programs such as Southern Miss, Arkansas State and UAB.

On the flip side, Shaw has also made strides to compete for an active role in the Rangers' rushing attack. At 5-11, 205 lbs. Shaw amassed 1,266 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on 189 carries last year and was highly coveted by nearly every MACJC program.

Northwest will also be heavily stacked on the offensive line this season, returning several key contributors from last year. Jamaul Lofton, Shyron Rodgers, Ashton Gist, Cameron Watson and Ramble Johnson are the leaders from left to right on the front line, with Lofton earning a nod to JCGridiron.com's Preseason Offensive Tackle Watch List.

Even with the amount of returning veterans up front, don't be surprised to see some freshmen get their shot as well. Two in particular that have stood out over the fall are right tackle and Oxford High product Ryan Lipscomb and former Magnolia Heights center Vance Van Every. 

Defensively, Northwest will need to replace its top three tacklers from last season in Jonathan Jones (Southern Miss), Brandon Pierre (Ole Miss) and Jerrick Reed II (New Mexico). The Rangers will also need to replace Brandin Echols (Kentucky) in the secondary, after the Southaven product and NJCAA Second Team All-American reeled in six interceptions (2nd in NJCAA) along with 49 tackles and 18 passes defended as a sophomore.

Fortunately, Northwest still has arsenal of weapons on defense for the upcoming season, especially up front. Defensive ends Justin Jackson (Center Hill),  Robert Hentz II (South Panola) and Tyren Irby (Lake Cormorant) all received selections to JCGridiron.com's Preseason Defensive End watch lists, with redshirt sophomore Quay Mays also joining them on the Defensive Tackle Watch List. All four have already caught the eyes of coaches and recruiters on the Division I level, with all four committing or receiving offers to programs such as West Virginia, Auburn, Colorado, Houston and Memphis, to name a few.

Filling out the starting linebacker rotation may be the most challenging aspect of the Rangers' defense this season, with just two veterans (Quentin Wilfawn, Dee Rule) returning to the unit. Several freshmen are peppered throughout the depth chart there, including Clinton High signee Desmyn Baker, Horn Lake product Micheal Campbell and Levi Walker III (Laurel HS).

In the secondary, corner Jayce Rogers will help fill the void left behind by Echols and Reed. The Valdosta, Ga. native finished second on the team in passes defended (8) and breakups (7), while also compiling 37 total tackles and 4.5 tackles-for-loss. Another solid season will provide Rogers with more Division I interest, similar to the offers he received in high school from Iowa, Iowa State, South Florida and Marshall.

Joining Rogers in patrolling the secondary will be returning sophomores Cam White, Christian Cain and Walt Hopson, along with Ball State transfer Verenzo Holmes, Jr. and redshirt sophomore De Mays. White started all 10 contests for Northwest in 2018, nabbing three interceptions for 70 yards, 27 total tackles and six passes defended.

Prior to redshirting his sophomore season at Ball State, Holmes played in 11 games as a freshman in 2017 and provided 10 total tackles, notching half of those against Buffalo. The Grovetown, Ga. native also tallied his only sack and forced fumble in the fourth quarter of a road contest at Western Kentucky.

Former kicker/punter Chris Taylor (Columbus) is gone after just one stint in Senatobia, meaning that the Rangers will be looking for its third kicker in as many seasons.

Although both positions remain up in the air, the Rangers do have a couple options to work with. Freshmen Josh Nabors (Tupelo) and Cole Catalano (Oxford) are expected to split kicking duties to start the season, with tight end Drew Dabney handling punting duties. At Tupelo, Nabors averaged 38.5 yards per punt on 48 total, to go along with a 50-yard average on 13 kickoffs in his senior season. Catalano received limited experience as a reserve kicker at Oxford but finished 4-for-4 in last spring's Northeast Mississippi Football Coaches Association All-Star Game.

Dabney garnered All-Region 1-5A honors as both tight end and punter at Lafayette, averaging over 40 yards per punt during his career and was selected to the MaxPreps Preseason Junior All-American team in 2017.

Aside from his impressive stats in the secondary, Rogers also proved to be a lethal force as a return specialist, returning 14 kicks for 383 yards while giving the Rangers their only kickoff return touchdown of the season, an 83-yarder in a win at Mississippi Delta.

Ranked No. 9 by the NJCAA to open the season, Northwest faces off against East Central in Decatur on Aug. 29 before hosting Southwest Mississippi on Sept. 6. The schedule will be challenging as usual, with other trips to top-ranked East Mississippi, Holmes and Northeast.