ELLISVILLE - Behind almost 450 yards of total offense, 15th-ranked Jones College got the better of Northwest on Thursday evening, as the Bobcats handed the second-ranked Rangers a rare regular season loss.

Northwest fell behind on the first drive of the game and trailed the rest of the way, as Quaterius Hawkins hit Bud Tolbert on a 17-yard touchdown with 11:07 left in the first quarter, capping off a quick seven-play, 67-yard drive.

After a couple close calls where the Bobcats had touchdowns wiped away by penalties, Jones College struck again early in the second quarter on a 57-yard, five-play drive, pushing the Rangers into a 14-0 deficit.

Northwest locked down on defense for the remainder of the first half, but the Rangers were unable to fully click on offense and trailed 14-0 at halftime.

Things seemed to finally fall into place for the Rangers in the third quarter, as Michael Hiers hit Keyon Fordham for a 55-yard pass that kicked off a 69-yard scoring drive. Although the Bobcats kept Northwest out of the end zone, freshman kicker Eli Hamlin hit a 23-yard field goal to give the Rangers three points on the board.

Jones responded on its next possession as four straight completions from Hawkins sent the Bobcats into Northwest territory. The Rangers' defense would halt the march at the 13-yard line, but Brody Pierce knocked in a 30-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 17-3 with 2:41 remaining in the quarter.

Northwest would open the fourth quarter on its most electrifying drive of the night, capped off by a 66-yard touchdown pass to Fordham that pulled the Rangers within a touchdown with 12:52 left in regulation.

Northwest seemed to catch a major momentum swing on the ensuing kickoff, as Kendall Coleman bobbled the return twice, forcing the Bobcats to begin from their own four-yard line. However, Jones slowly marched the length of the field on a clock-burning, seven-minute drive, scoring on a Qua Sanders 10-yard reception that pushed the Bobcats to a 24-9 advantage.

With just five minutes and change left on the clock, the Rangers kept their next possession going on a 15-yard keeper from Hiers on a third down play. Northwest crossed midfield and advanced to the Bobcats' 39-yard line, but turned the ball over on a failed on a fourth down attempt.

Just one play later, the Bobcats delivered the dagger on a 61-yard rush from La'Damian Webb and the Bobcats took over one last time after a fumble with less than three minutes to go, setting up victory formation for the home team.

For Northwest, it marked the first regular season loss since a 22-21 decision on October 24, 2019 against Itawamba. The loss also extended the Bobcats' all-time series lead to 32-18 over the Rangers.

Hiers completed 17 of his 33 pass attempts for 219 yards and a touchdown, with Fordham getting 124 on three receptions. The Rangers were limited to just 57 yards on the ground, with Jaquerrious Williams accounting for 40 yards on 12 carries.

Defensively, Sam Brumfield was all over the place for the second consecutive week, earning 15 tackles and a quarterback hurry. Rontavious Person accounted for seven total tackles and led the Rangers in tackles-for-loss, ending up with two on the evening.

For the opposition, Hawkins finished 20-for-28 with 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sanders ended up as his leading receiver, earning 94 yards on five catches and a touchdown, while Tolbert accounted for 82 yards on seven receptions.

Webb led the Bobcats' rushing attack with 161 yards on 27 carries. Mike Cockream and Lardarius Webb combined for 13 tackles and three tackles-for-loss.

Now 1-1 on the season, Northwest will look to bounce back in next Thursday's MACCC North Division opener at Holmes, marking the third year in a row the Rangers have faced Holmes on the road. The Bulldogs fell to 0-2 after a pair of season-opening losses to No. 6 Mississippi Gulf Coast and Hinds.

Kickoff from Ras Branch Stadium in Goodman is slated for 6:30 P.M. Coverage begins with the pregame show at 6 P.M. on Ranger TV, Facebook and WHCQ-LD 8. Live stats will also be available to follow on nwccrangers.com.