JACKSON - Although the season isn't over yet for the Northwest football program, several Rangers have already been chosen for All-MACCC North Division honors, the conference announced on Wednesday morning.

A total of 17 Northwest players earned first team, second team or honorable mention accolades, just two shy of the program's record of 19 selections set back in 2022. Among those selected, 14 Rangers earned First Team All-MACCC North Division honors, while sophomore tailback D'mariun Perteet garnered Offensive Player of the Year recognition for the division.

A native of Courtland, Perteet has undeniably been the driving force behind the Northwest offense this season, racking up eight games with 100-plus rushing yards. For the season, he has totaled 1,241 yards and 16 touchdowns on 241 total carries, moving him into the single-season record books for two of those categories. Perteet's 241 rushing attempts rank second-most in a single season, just eight away from setting the record. Meanwhile, his 16 rushing touchdowns are tied for fifth-most in a single season.

Perteet's impact has been felt on the national level as well, as he currently ranks as the NJCAA's second leading rusher in terms of yards per game (112.9) and third in rushing touchdowns.

For his career, Perteet has logged 1,872 yards on 340 rushing attempts. Though he has yet to crack the top five in the career records for both statistics, his 22 career touchdowns are tied for fourth all-time with Ricky Blake (1987), Rontae Bass (1991-92) and Jamarien Bracey (2021-22).

Additionally, Perteet also moved into the record books for most rushing attempts in a game and longest rush. His 33 carries at East Central on September 5 were the fifth-most by any Northwest running back, while his 89-yard rush against Northeast on Sept. 26 was the fourth-longest rush in program history and the longest since October 17, 1996, when Willie Gardner broke free on a 90-yard rush against Southwest Mississippi.

Quarterback Zach Wilcke, tight end Joshua Humes, receiver K.D. Gibson, offensive linemen Jakheem Shumpert and LaParka Langston, defensive lineman trio D.J. Burgess, Tyeland Coleman and Jaylon Johnson, defensive back duo Fredd Adams and Keshawn Davila, linebacker Kamp Shepherd, punter Hayden Wolfe and kicker Jackson Uselton were the other 13 Northwest student-athletes to earn First Team All-MACCC North Division accolades.

Wilcke, who played and started in all 11 games this season, completed 150 of his 259 passing attempts for 12 touchdowns and a completion rate of 58 percent. The Hernando native and Southern Miss transfer averaged 174 passing yards per game, but also made great use of his speed, rushing for 189 yards and a touchdown.

Wilcke progressed as the season continued, recording his first 200-yard passing game in the Rangers' Sept. 26 victory against Northeast. In that contest, he completed 23 of his 24 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown, recording the best single-game completion percentage (95.8%) by any Northwest quarterback since the hiring of offensive coordinator Stan Hill in 2016. 

Since then, Wilcke has had three more games with 200 or more passing yards, including a career-best 287-yard effort with four touchdowns in the Rangers' 33-31 MACCC Semifinal victory against fifth-ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast. On the ground, he rushed eight times for 55 yards in a 33-14 victory against No. 8 East Mississippi on Sept. 14.

Humes quietly blossomed into the conference's best tight end over the course of the season. Though he only finished with six receptions on the season, the Hernando native has been more than effective as an extra blocker, providing added protection for an offense that ranks seventh in total rushing yards, 12th in rushing yards per game and 16th in total passing yards.

Gibson has emerged as Wilcke's top receiving target this season, hauling in 45 catches for 566 yards and five touchdowns. The Tupelo product averages 51.5 receiving yards per game and posted a career-best 114-yard effort with two touchdowns in the Rangers' postseason victory against Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Offensive linemen Langston and Shumpert have caught the eyes of numerous Division I programs and other four-year schools throughout the season, as the two have helped anchor a Northwest offensive line that has paved the way for 2,000-plus rushing yards and nearly 2,000 receiving yards as well. Both players have played in 10 of the team's 11 games this season.

Defense has been a major factor in the Rangers' success this season and the trio of Burgess, Coleman and Johnson are a huge reason why. Burgess, last season's All-MACCC Defensive Player of the Year, ranks eighth on the team in total tackles (33), but second in sacks (4.5) and fourth in tackles-for-loss (6.5). Additionally, the Oxford native and son of NFL veteran Derrick Burgess, ranks second on the team with seven quarterback hurries.

For his part, Burgess has also finished with a season-high five tackles in two games this season, the first coming in a win against East Mississippi and the other occurring in the regular season finale at Itawamba on November 1.

Meanwhile, Coleman is ninth on the team with 30 total tackles, but seventh in TFLs (3.5) and sixth in sacks (1.5). The sophomore from Terry is also currently tied for third with three quarterback hurries. Coleman's season high of six tackles came in ther Rangers' MACCC Semifinal victory against Mississippi Gulf Coast.

As for Johnson, the Antioch, Tenn. native has racked up 42 total tackles, ranking fourth on the team. His 11 quarterback hurries, 10 TFLs and six sacks lead the Rangers' defense, a figure that includes his four TFLs and three sacks in an October 10 win at Southwest Mississippi.

Adams took the conference by storm this season, recording seven interceptions, including one apiece in each of the last three games. The Tupelo native had an interception returned 84 yards for a touchdown in the Rangers' MACCC Championship victory at East Central and also nabbed four picks in the Sept. 14 victory against East Mississippi earlier this season.

His four interceptions against EMCC tied a program record, joining Vandell Grigsby and Johnathan Shaw as the only other Northwest players to pick off four passes in the same game. For his efforts in that game, Adams was awarded the MACCC Defensive Player of the Week.

Additionally, Adams has totaled 178 interception return yards this season, good for third-most in a single season. The record of 198 yards is held by Grigsby (1992), while Malikia Griffin tallied 190 in 1995. He also has two interceptions returned for touchdowns this season, joining a slew of Rangers for second-most in a single season and eight current and former Northwest players for third-highest in a career. 

Adams also has 34 total tackles, ranking seventh on the team, while his 13 pass breakups lead the team.

Davila, another defensive back, has also made his presence felt during his two seasons at Northwest. The Tampa, Fla. native has locked down opposing receivers all season long, earning six pass breakups and three interceptions. In his career, he has returned two interceptions for touchdowns, joining the aforementioned group of Rangers ranking third in the career record books.

Davila has been highly coveted by over half the nation's FBS and FCS programs, raking in nearly 75 Division I offers. He also has 23 tackles to his credit, including a tackle-for-loss.

Shepherd, a native of Flora, has totaled 61 tackles this season, currently ranking second on the team. His 6.5 TFLs are tied with Burgess for fourth and he also has one sack to his credit. Shepherd has also forced a team-high two fumbles, while tallying three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries and an interception.

Wolfe and Uselton have been the Rangers' 1-2 punch in the special teams unit this season. Wolfe, a freshman kicker/punter from Clinton, has notched 50 punts for 2,021 yards and an average of 40 yards per attempt. He has had 21 of his punts land inside the 20-yard line, with seven of those going for 50-plus yards.

Wolfe's 21 punts inside the 20-yard line are the second-most by any Northwest punter in a single season, trailing only record-holder Drake McCarter (25; 2016). Meanwhile, his 51 punts are tied for ninth-most in a single season, joining the same mark from the 1996 and 2007 seasons.

Wolfe has garnered MACCC Special Teams Player of the Week twice this season, partially due to his kicking abilities as well. In the Rangers' season-opener against Pearl River, he nailed a 52-yard field goal, setting a new program record in his collegiate debut. To his credit, Wolfe is 12-for-14 in field goals attempted.

Meanwhile, Uselton has also shined in his sophomore season, converting five of his nine field goal attempts. His longest field goal of the season came from 42 yards out, while the Hernando native has also made all 39 of his point-after kicks. Recently, Uselton was also awarded MACCC Special Teams Player of the Week following the Rangers' season finale at Itawamba.

Together, the duo of Uselton and Wolfe have combined for 17 made field goals, tying a team record from 2015. Their 23 field goal attempts are good for third all-time, with the record being 27 attempts in 2016.

Only one Northwest player was chosen for Second Team All-MACCC North Division honors, with that distinction going to redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Stratton Smith. A native of Oxford, Smith has played and started in all 11 contests this season, spending most of his time as the Rangers' center.

After sitting out the entire 2022 campaign with an injury, Smith has since played and started in every game for the Rangers over the past two seasons.

Rounding out the all-conference accolades for Northwest is Honorable Mention All-MACCC North Division selections, Jacorey Jones and Caulen Dunn. The starting linebacker duo has combined for 136 total tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries.

Recently, Dunn, who leads the team with 95 total tackles, was voted for back-to-back MACCC Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Olive Branch native first posted 23 tackles against Mississippi Gulf Coast, the most in a single game since 1995. Dunn followed up that effort with a handful of tackles and a 59-yard fumble recovery touchdown in the Rangers' MACCC title victory at East Central.

Meanwhile, Jones has 41 tackles on the season and three quarterback hurries. The Cleveland native recorded nine tackles in the Rangers' Week 3 victory against East Mississippi, and later earned seven tackles in a pair of games against Northeast and Mississippi Delta.

Ranked No. 4 in the latest NJCAA polls with a 10-1 overall record, Northwest will officially learn its postseason destination next week for the NJCAA Division I Football Playoffs. This is the third time in the last four years that the Rangers have made the national playoffs, the most of any MACCC program.