JACKSON - Following three solid performances in last weekend's MACCC Championship victory, Northwest has swept the weekly Player of the Week awards, the conference announced Tuesday morning.

Receiver D.T. Sheffield, defensive back Jarvis Townsend and kicker/punter Tanner Gillis all earned the MACCC POTW accolades for the week after playing pivotal roles in the Rangers' 56-21 victory against Hinds.

Sheffield, arguably the top target for Hiers all season long, raked in 171 receiving yards and two touchdowns on four catches. One of those scores occurred on the Rangers' first play from scrimmage, a 72-yard reception that quickly put Northwest up 7-0. The Corinth native would later score on a 46-yard connection, pushing the Rangers to a 21-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Defensively, Townsend compiled five tackles but put together one of the most important plays of the contest. After Hinds opened the second half with a touchdown and some newfound momentum off a pair of turnovers, the Pearl native intercepted Eagles' quarterback BeSean McCray and returned the pick 36 yards the other way for the Rangers' only defensive score of the contest.

This marks the second week in a row that Townsend earned conference POTW honors, following his performance against Jones College the week before, in which he intercepted two passes at crucial moments of that contest. For the season, Townsend has 57 total tackles and five interceptions with 105 return yards.

As for Gillis, the second-year starter only had to punt once in the victory against Hinds, but delivered a booming 52-yarder for his fifth punt of 50 yards or more for the season. The Olive Branch native was all over the field for the Rangers, earning a special teams tackle and completing an 11-yard pass on a fake field goal attempt, which set up Northwest for a quick touchdown before the end of the first half.

For Northwest (9-2), the win helped the Rangers claim back-to-back MACCC titles for the first time since 1991-92, while also moving the team up one spot in the latest NJCAA rankings. The now-third-ranked Rangers will await the results of next week's final regular season poll to determine the next steps ahead of the inaugural four-team playoff.