CHARLOTTE - With a full focus set on the postseason, Northwest has risen two spots to No. 5 overall in the latest NJCAA Division I rankings, released Monday afternoon.

Northwest (7-2) has won four straight, finishing unbeaten in the month of October. The Rangers most recently defeated Mississippi Delta, 44-25, in last week's regular season finale.

East Mississippi tops the rankings at 9-0 overall, as the Lions prepare to host 10th-ranked Hinds (7-2) in one of the two MACCC semifinal matchups on Saturday. The Rangers will face third-ranked Jones College (8-1), which wrapped up the South Division title with a win at Copiah-Lincoln last Thursday.

Iowa Western and Snow College (Utah) make up the final two slots in this week's top five, checking in at No. 2 and No. 4 overall. Despite missing out on the MACCC playoffs, Mississippi Gulf Coast remains in the national rankings at No. 12 with a 7-2 final record.

Saturday's contest will mark the second time the Rangers and Bobcats have squared off this season, with Jones College earning a 31-9 victory over Northwest on September 9. However, Northwest won the last postseason meeting between the two clubs back on November 2, 2019, as the Rangers took a 24-17 victory in the MACJC Semifinals.

Jones College holds a 32-18 series record all-time against the Rangers.

Kickoff for Saturday's matchup is slated for 2 P.M. in Ellisville, with the winner advancing to the MACCC Championship the following week against the winner of the East Mississippi-Hinds matchup. Tickets for the game are $10 and can be purchased here.

Live coverage of the matchup can be seen on Facebook Live and Ranger TV (nwccrangers.com/watch), with pregame coverage beginning at 1:30 P.M.