CHARLOTTE - After dropping from the NJCAA rankings last week for the first time since 2014*, Northwest has returned to the polls with a new No. 12 national slot, the organization announced on Monday afternoon.

Northwest (4-2) is coming off last week's 42-12 victory against then-No. 14 Coahoma, which dropped a spot to No. 15 in this week's round of rankings.

Jones College tops the rankings at No. 1, following Snow College's loss over the weekend. Snow tumbled out of the top five to No. 8 nationally, while Iowa Western, Independence (Kan.), Trinity Valley (Texas) and East Mississippi round out slots 2-5, respectively.

Other MACCC programs ranked include Hinds at No. 13 and this week's foe, Mississippi Gulf Coast, at No. 9. The Bulldogs improved to 5-1 overall after a 31-13 victory against East Central last Thursday.

This will be the 43rd meeting all-time between the Rangers and the Bulldogs, and a rematch of last year's MACCC and National Community College Football championship games. Northwest took that meeting by a 40-13 final in Perkinston, earning both championship titles.

Northwest and Mississippi Gulf Coast haven't met in the regular season since September 3, 2015, when the Rangers came away with a 26-10 victory in Senatobia. The all-time series is knotted up at 20-20-2.

Kickoff from A.L. May Memorial Stadium in Perkinston is slated for 7 P.M. on Thursday. Jeremy Kennedy and John Luke McCord will have the call on Ranger TV (nwccrangers.com/watch), Facebook Live and WHCQ Channel 8, for viewers in the Mississippi Delta. 

Tickets for Thursday's contest can be purchased at the gate or online here.

(*NJCAA did not rank Mississippi teams during the fall 2020 season, as the MACCC was the only conference to participate in a fall season.)