JACKSON - After posting a 7-3 overall record and earning the program's 10th straight playoff berth, a total of 11 Northwest football student-athletes have been chosen for All-North Division accolades, the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference announced on Monday morning.

Seven players were selected for First Team All-MACCC North Division honors, led by defensive lineman D.J. Burgess, who was also named as the division's Defensive Player of the Year. A native of Oxford, Burgess finished third on the team in total tackles (46), but led the team with seven quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Burgess, the son of NFL veteran Derrick Burgess, also tallied the Rangers' second-most tackles-for-loss, earning 9.5 TFLs for 34 negative yards. He also totaled 2.5 sacks for 19 yards and added one pass breakup.

Joining Burgess for first team honors was fellow defensive lineman Rod Daniels, tailback D'mariun Perteet, offensive linemen Melvin Collins, Jr. and Dylan Spencer, defensive back Charles Thomas and linebacker JyKeon Cunningham. Quarterback Keegan Patterson, offensive lineman Cameron Pascal and linebacker Dyllon Bullard earned Second Team All-MACCC North Division recognition, while defensive back Ja'Marlin Green received Honorable Mention accolades.

Daniels, who returned to Northwest following a one-year stint at Alabama State, helped anchor a young, but talented defensive front. The Horn Lake native racked up 26 tackles, including four tackles-for-loss and two sacks, as well as a quarterback hurry. He logged a season-best six tackles and 1.5 TFLs in a thrilling late season victory against Northeast on November 2.

Offensively, Perteet shook off a slow start to the season to become the Rangers' leading rusher, totaling 631 yards and six touchdowns on 99 carries. The Courtland native averaged 6.4 yards per carry and collected two 100-yard rushing efforts against Coahoma and Holmes in October, including a season-best 145 yards and two touchdowns in the road win at Holmes.

Much like the defensive front, the offensive line was also young this season, but Collins and Spencer helped anchor the unit. Collins, a returning sophomore, and the transfer Spencer, helped pave the way for the Rangers to net over 1,600 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 10 total games played. 

Defensively, Thomas once again proved to a pivotal piece of the Northwest secondary, leading the team in both interceptions and pass breakups. The Horn Lake native tied freshman Fredd Adams with six breakups and stood alone with three interceptions, adding to his season total of 36 tackles and a fumble recovery. Two of Thomas' interceptions came in the season-opener at Mississippi Gulf Coast and he also earned a season-high two pass breakups in the MACCC semifinal loss at Copiah-Lincoln.

Cunningham made a strong leap from his 2022 freshman season, leading the Rangers with 62 total tackles this year. The West Point native also finished third in quarterback hurries, earning five on the season, while adding 3.5 tackles-for-loss, an interception and a pass breakup. Cunningham's best performance of the season came in a road win at Mississippi Delta, where he logged nine total tackles.

A former USC walk-on, Patterson completed 162 of his 312 pass attempts for 15 touchdowns. The Longmont, Colo. native passed for 2,153 yards, adding his name to the long list of Northwest quarterbacks with over 2,000 passing yards. Patterson completed a season-best 27 passes against East Mississippi and threw for four touchdowns in the Rangers' Homecoming victory against Coahoma, while also logging a season-best 346 passing yards in the regular season finale against Northeast.

Pascal was also a solid veteran presence on the Rangers' offensive line, joining fellow sophomores Collins and Spencer. The Union native played in all 10 games this season.

Bullard's sophomore season was a strong one for the Horn Lake native, as he finished second on the team behind Cunningham in total tackles. Bullard compiled 60 total tackles, with six tackles-for-loss, four quarterback hurries, a sack and a pass breakup. His best performance came in a road win at Mississippi Delta, where he tallied 11 total tackles and a pass breakup, while also finishing with 10 tackles and two TFLs the week prior against East Mississippi.

Green, the Rangers' lone Honorable Mention selection, totaled 43 tackles, two pass breakups, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and an interception in his sophomore campaign. The Union Church native posted a career-high eight tackles in the MACCC semifinal loss at Copiah-Lincoln, while notching his one interception in the regular season finale against Northeast.