FULTON - Despite falling behind 10-0 early in the second quarter, fourth-ranked Northwest stormed back for 40-point effort in the second half, defeating Itawamba 43-10 on Friday evening.

Northwest eclipsed the 400-yard mark of total offense for the second consecutive week, as the Rangers improved to 8-1 on the season and finished 6-0 in the MACCC North Division. With the win, coach Benjy Parker's squad captured his sixth division title and the program's 20th division championship. Northwest also punched its ticket to the MACCC Playoffs for the 11th straight season, a streak that dates back to 2014.

Although there was much jubilation following the win, things did not start off well for the Rangers in the first quarter. After stopping Itawamba's offense on the 37-yard line, Northwest fell victim to an interception from Dylan Rowsey, which set up the Indians at the 42-yard line. That turnover would set up a 37-yard touchdown pass from Ty Davis to Tyran Mosley, which put Itawamba ahead 7-0 with 5:30 left in the first quarter.

Northwest was unable to answer back on its next possession, but the Rangers caught a break when Keshawn Davila picked off Davis, setting Northwest up at the Indians' 25-yard line. However, the short field position didn't help the Rangers earn points on the scoreboard, as Hayden Wolfe missed a 42-yard field goal attempt with 20 seconds left in the opening quarter.

ICC started the second quarter with possession and ended with points, as Eli Burciaga's 36-yard field goal capped off an eight-play, 56-yard drive. The kick made it a 10-0 lead for the Indians with 11:39 remaining until halftime.

A response finally arrived for Northwest on its next possession, as the Rangers went 72 yards downfield in eight plays, with Jackson Uselton hitting a 20-yard field goal. The kick brought Northwest within a 10-3 deficit with 7:16 left in the second quarter.

Itawamba was forced to punt on the following offensive possession, but the Rangers ran into trouble as Zach Wilcke's pass was picked off by Alex Dawkins, setting the Indians up at their own 28-yard line. Fortunately, ICC went nowhere on offense, as the Northwest defense once again forced a punt.

After Wilcke was once again intercepted by Zech Pratt and Itawamba, the Indians marched inside the Rangers' red zone, advancing all the way to the 12-yard line. With 26 seconds remaining until halftime, Fredd Adams kept the opponents off the scoreboard with his interception of Davis, sending Northwest to the locker room down 10-3.

Northwest's first half struggles quickly became a thing of the past, as the Rangers pulled off 40 unanswered points in the second half. The Rangers started the second half with the ball and great field position, thanks to a 31-yard kickoff return from M.J. Johnson. The eight-play, 24-yard drive ended in a 41-yard field goal from Hayden Wolfe, which brought Northwest within a 10-6 margin.

After the Rangers' defense forced another ICC punt, Northwest marched 84 yards downfield on seven plays, taking a 13-10 lead on D'mariun Perteet's 32-yard scamper to the end zone. Ja Keyes followed with a nine-yard score on the Rangers' next possession, pushing Northwest to a 20-10 advantage with 3:02 left in the third quarter.

Things went from bad to worse for Itawamba on its next offensive chance, as Davis was sacked for a safety by Chris Thomas, further extending the Northwest lead to 22-10. The Rangers then carried over a six-play, 67-yard drive into the fourth quarter, which ended in a 26-yard rushing touchdown from Roman Gregory, widening the gap to 29-10.

Itawamba went three-and-out on its next possession, but this time the Indians forced a three-and-out of their own against Northwest. Facing second down near midfield, Davis was picked off by Dre Riley, setting Northwest up for another score inside the Indians' 30-yard line with less than 10 minutes to go.

Six plays later, Gregory recorded his second touchdown, a five-yard carry to the end zone. The score made it a 36-10 advantage for Northwest with 5:53 remaining.

Davis was once again picked off two plays later, this time by Nate Walker, who returned it for a short 18-yard pick-six. That would result in the final score for Northwest, as the Rangers kept Itawamba off the board the rest of the way, sealing the 43-10 victory.

Northwest finished with 415 yards of total offense, led by 242 on the ground. Perteet led the way, finishing with 128 yards and a touchdown, his sixth game this season with 100-plus rushing yards. Gregory accounted for a pair of touchdowns and 35 yards on six carries, while Keyes finished with 33 yards and a touchdown on seven rushes.

Wilcke completed 10 of his 21 passes for 173 yards, with K.D. Gibson hauling in five receptions for 80 yards. Rashard Daniels also hauled in a pair of catches for 45 yards.

As for Itawamba, the Indians finished with just 252 yards of total offense, highlighted by 221 through the air. Davis finished 20-for-39 with a touchdown and four interceptions, with Zae Davis emerging as his top target with nine catches for 70 yards. Mosley and Chris Reed also combined for nine receptions and 136 yards.

Northwest had six players finish with four or more tackles to lead the Rangers' defensive efforts. Elijah Ruffin, D.J. Burgess and Caulen Dunn each finished with five tackles, while Fredd Adams, Kamp Shepherd and Jerry Wall III logged four apiece.

Rowsey paced Itawamba defensively with seven total tackles, followed by six from Alex Larry. 

Northwest went 2-for-3 on field goal attempts, with Uselton and Wolfe each hitting attempts from 20 and 41 yards, respectively. Uselton also finished 5-for-5 on extra point kicks, while Wolfe tallied 100 punting yards on two attempts, including a 54-yarder.

Burciaga hit the lone field goal for Itawamba from 36 yards out and Carson Langford finished with seven punts for 235 yards. Langford's longest punt went for 41 yards, while three of his attempts landed inside the 20-yard line.

Johnson returned three kickoffs for Northwest, logging 53 yards. Tre Gunn was the Indians' leader with six kick returns for 132 yards.

Northwest stretches the all-time series lead to 45-26-1 against Itawamba, as the Rangers have now taken five straight wins against the Indians. 

Northwest now turns its attention to the upcoming MACCC Playoffs, as the Rangers will face Mississippi Gulf Coast, the No. 2 seed from the MACCC South Division. The Bulldogs are ranked fifth in the latest NJCAA rankings and possess an 8-1 overall record. MGCCC recently closed out the season with a 56-14 win against Hinds.

East Central, the MACCC South Division champion, will host Holmes for the other semifinal matchup. The winner of these two games will meet in the conference title game on Saturday, November 16. 

Game times will be revealed on Monday for both games. Read Full Article