CHARLOTTE – Despite suffering an upset loss on the road at Holmes last Thursday, the Northwest football program remains in the Top 10 of the NJCAA's latest national rankings, checking in at No. 7 overall.

Now 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the MACJC North Division, the Rangers are ranked for the 58th consecutive poll dating back to 2015, with 55 weeks spent ranked within the Top 10.

Hutchinson (Kan.) is this week's top-ranked program nationally after defeating then-No. 2 Butler (Kan.) last Saturday. Mississippi Gulf Coast is the nation's new No. 2 team after a 5-0 start to the season.

Thursday's opponent, East Mississippi (4-1, 2-0 MACJC North) comes in at No. 3 nationally, making this week's matchup the seventh consecutive Top 10 matchup between the two teams. Northwest leads the all-time series 41-25-1.

Other MACJC programs ranked include Hinds (11th), Jones College (14th) and Copiah-Lincoln (15th). East Central (3-2) and Holmes (2-3) also received votes for this week's poll.

Kickoff for Thursday's showdown with EMCC is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Sullivan-Windham Field in Scooba. Fans can watch the matchup live in HD at nwccrangers.com/watch.