CLINTON – Five former Northwest football standouts were selected as part of the All-Decade Football Team at Mississippi College, which was revealed on Friday afternoon.

Receiver and return specialist Marcel Newson, receiver Cole Rotenberry and defensive back Turner Rotenberry were each labeled as first team honorees, while former kicker/punter Drake McCarter and current linebacker Jonathan Jones each earned Honorable Mention consideration.

Newson and Cole Rotenberry both received similar honors last month after being honored as members of the Gulf South Conference's All-Decade Team. Newson, a native of Coldwater, was named a Division II All-American in 2016 by the American Football Coaches Association and was a two-time nominee for the C-Spire Conerly Trophy. He was also a first team All-GSC selection as a wide receiver and returner in 2016.

Newson remains MC's all-time leader in career receptions per game (5.11) and single-season receptions per game (6.33 - 2016). He also went down as the top Choctaw in career all-purpose yards per game (146.2) and single-season all-purpose yards per game (180.6-2016). Newson finished his career with 97 catches for 1509 yards and 13 touchdowns in just two seasons, also returning a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in his career.

Despite his success as a receiver in Clinton, Newson actually played defensive back at Northwest from 2013-14, collecting 31 career tackles with an interception and a forced fumble. He remained best known for his skills on special teams however, tallying a program record 1,343 career yards on 56 kick returns. His 32 returns for 747 yards in 2014 are also the most in a single season.

Rotenberry earned first team All-GSC honors last season after leading the league in kickoff return average (28.5 ypr). He also returned a kickoff 92 yards for a score in a victory against Shorter in 2019. He was also the leading receiver for Mississippi College during the 2018-19 seasons, piling up 33 catches for 664 yards and six touchdowns. He caught all three of his touchdown passes in 2019 in a victory against Florida Tech.

Rotenberry spent two seasons with Northwest from 2016-17. As a freshman, Rotenberry was sparingly as a receiver but did rack up 19 punt returns for 204 yards, including a career-best 54-yard return against East Central. The Batesville native broke free during his sophomore campaign in 2017, hauling in 55 receptions for 786 yards and a touchdown, while returning 13 punts for 105 yards, earning first team All-MACJC accolades.

Also joining Rotenberry at both Northwest and MIssissippi College was his twin brother, Turner, who started all 20 games of his Choctaw career in the defensive backfield, netting 95 total tackles with six interceptions. He picked off four passes and led the GSC with 182 return yards in 2018 and returned an interception for a score in 2018 and 2019.

Turner was also remembered as a defensive force for the Rangers during his two seasons in Senatobia, seeing action in all 23 games played from 2016-17 and collecting 110 career tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, seven interceptions, six breakups and three forced fumbles. He was also a threat on special teams as a freshman, returning 11 kicks for 219 total yards.

McCarter, a Saltillo native, finished 10-of-17 on field goals in two seasons with the Choctaws and pinned 24 punts inside the 20-yard line, including a pair of 61-yard punts, his career long.

At Northwest, McCarter was a preseason contender for the Fred Mitchell Award ahead of the 2017 season and made 22 field goals in a span of two seasons, including a 47-yarder against Holmes in 2016. He also handled the punting duties for the Rangers, averaging 60 yards per punt as a freshman and 49 as a sophomore.

A native of Charleston, Jones arrived at Mississippi College in 2019 after a brief stint at Southern Miss and made an immediate impact on the Choctaws, tallying 55 total tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss for 24 yards and two fumbles forced. His best performance came against North Greenville in September 2019, where he totaled a season-best 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss, two hurries and a pass breakup.

At Northwest, Jones tallied 111 career tackles, 4.5 TFLs and three fumble recoveries, earning recognition to JCGridiron.com's Linebacker Watch List. He capped off his Ranger career with a bang, posting 10 or more tackles in his final three games in a Northwest uniform, led by a 16-tackle effort against Itawamba on Oct. 25, 2018.