JACKSON – Following a 40-13 victory against Mississippi Gulf Coast in the MACCC and National Community College Football Championship game last Saturday, a trio of Northwest student-athletes have swept the final installment of MACCC Player of the Week awards.

Sophomore tailback Jaquerrious Williams earned MACCC Offensive Player of the Week honors, while freshman defensive back Byron "Tank" Pearson earned Defensive POTW accolades and kicker Tucker Barefoot nabbed Special Teams POTW recognition.

This is the first time that Northwest has posted a clean sweep of conference player of the week awards and the third time that Northwest has had a player receive Offensive POTW honors this season, as quarterback Michael Hiers earned the award twice after wins against Northeast and Holmes.

Williams earned the offensive award after posting 109 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in the win at Mississippi Gulf Coast. Although it wasn't a career-high effort, the Tupelo native's most notable stats came at the right times for the Rangers.

Williams' longest carry of 39 yards in the second quarter helped move Northwest across midfield and down to the 16-yard line of Mississippi Gulf Coast, setting up the Rangers' first touchdown of the evening, a pass from Hiers to E. Jai Mason that solidified a 16-0 halftime advantage.

Williams also found his way into the Rangers' record books in the second half, as his 21-yard touchdown run tied him with Kevin Perkins (2017-18) and James Puckett (1990-91) for fifth all-time with 20 rushing touchdowns.

Although nearly everyone on the Northwest defense made big plays at various points of the contest, it was Pearson that found himself scattered across multiple stat categories. Though the All-MACCC defensive back only made four tackles, he did force a touchdown-saving fumble in the end zone as the first half expired, helping the Rangers take their 16-0 lead into the locker room.

Later in the contest, Pearson delivered the dagger with his fourth quarter interception that resulted in a 70-yard pick six and a 40-13 lead. The Oxford native also finished with a pass breakup.

Northwest also did a majority of damage on special teams, as Tanner Gillis punted for 256 yards on seven punts, including four that landed inside the 20-yard line. However, it was Tucker Barefoot's 4-for-4 night on field goals that ultimately earned him MACCC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Barefoot, a native of Clinton, was responsible for the Rangers' first nine points of the evening on three first half field goals, including a career-long of 43 yards. He also finished 4-for-4 on PATs and racked up 559 yards on nine kickoff attempts.

Northwest finished the season at 6-0 and claimed its fourth national title program history (1982, 1992, 2015, 2020), along with its 10th conference championship and the first since 2015.