DECATUR – A pair of first quarter touchdowns helped set the tone for No. 9 Northwest on Thursday night, as the Rangers opened the 2019 season on the right note with a 26-13 victory at East Central.

Northwest improved to 1-0 as the host Warriors fell to 0-1. The win also marked the fifth straight season-opening victory, moving the Rangers to 41-27-2 all-time in season openers.

Sophomore defensive ends Tyren Irby and Justin Jackson teamed up to pump the brakes on East Central's opening drive of the game, as Irby's sack forced a Warrior fumble that was recovered by Jackson, setting the Rangers up with a short field inside the ECCC 31-yard line. 

Four plays and 1:15 later, Northwest delivered the first blow with Jack Walker's 16-yard pass to Braden Smith. Cole Catalano followed with the ensuing point-after kick to solidify an early 7-0 advantage.

After the Northwest defense buckled down to force another East Central punt, Walker and Smith connected again for the Rangers' second score of the game, a 9-yard touchdown pass that capped off a six play, 76-yard drive.

East Central began to move the ball downfield late in the first quarter, starting the second on a 23-yard field goal from Robens Beauplan that put the Warriors within 10.

Later in the second, Beauplan's next field goal was trumped by a 95-yard kick return from Keyon Fordham that allowed the Rangers to extend the lead to 20-6, a score that would remain in place until halftime.

Northwest once again made its presence felt on defense in the second half, as another Irby sack resulted in a fumble, this time recovered by Robert Hentz II. Five plays and 56 yards later, Walker and Mack Martin III followed up a 55-yard connection with a short 5-yard touchdown pass to give the Rangers a 26-6 advantage late in the third quarter.

East Central refused to go away quietly on its home turf however, adding a nine play, 56-yard scoring drive that ended with a six-yard carry by Marq Qualls, closing the gap to 26-13.

With the Warriors driving deep into Northwest territory with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, Hentz II and Levi Walker III teamed up on a huge 4th down sack that allowed the Rangers to take over from their own 26-yard line, ending East Central's last chance at a major scoring threat.

Walker shined in his Northwest debut, finishing 9-for-18 with 143 yards and three touchdowns, while ECCC's Holman Edwards completed 22 of his 32 passes with 126 yards.

Amid a crowded backfield, freshman Jaquerrious Williams led the way with 43 rushing yards on six carries, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the Rangers' 113 total yards on the ground. On the other side, the trio of Qualls, Deonte Yarbrough and J.D. Martin compiled 112 of the Warriors' 128 rushing yards.

Martin III emerged as the leading receiver on the evening for Northwest, hauling in four receptions for 94 yards against seven catches and 46 yards for ECCC's Martin.

Sophomore Quentin Wilfawn led the charge on defense with 14 total tackles and a forced fumble on the evening. Irby finished with both of the Rangers' sacks for 14 yards lost.

Drew Dabney also stood out on special teams with 200-plus yards on five punts, including his longest of 50 just before halftime.

Northwest will open a three-game homestand next Thursday evening at Bobby Franklin Field against Southwest Mississippi. Kickoff is slated for a 7 p.m. start with live video and stats available through nwccrangers.com.