CHARLOTTE – Fresh off winning the program's third MACCC championship in the last five years, the Northwest Rangers have been rewarded with a spot in the NJCAA Division I Football Playoff. 
 
The Rangers (10-1), voted No. 4 in the final NJCAA poll on Monday, will travel to No. 1 Iowa Western Community College to face the Reivers (10-1), the champions of the ICCAC.  The game will be played at Titan Stadium, on the campus of Lewis Central High School, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with a kickoff scheduled for 7:00 PM CST on Friday, December 6^th.
 
Northwest's D'mariun Perteet, the MACCC North Division Offensive Player of the Year, paces the Ranger offense with 1241 yards gained, 112.8 ypg, and 16 touchdowns, all good for second nationally.  Perteet runs behind an offensive line that boasts two First Team  All-MACCC North Division performers in Jakheem Shumpert and LaParka Langston, and one second teamer in center Stratton Smith.
 
Quarterback Zach Wilcke's continued improvement throughout the season has also been a major key to the Ranger attack.  Wilcke completed 150 of his 259 attempts for a 58% completion rate and 1916 yards with 12 touchdowns.  He reserved one of his best performances of the year for the MACCC semifinal victory over Gulf Coast when he completed 15 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns in the Rangers' 33-31 victory.
 
Wilcke's top targets in 2024 have been K.D. Gibson and M.J. Johnson.  Gibson led the Rangers with 45 catches for 566 yards and five touchdowns.  Johnson finished second in all three categories with 23 catches for 421 yards and four touchdowns. In all, 13 different receivers caught Wilcke's passes this year, with Kyler Hutton, Rashard Daniels, and JaBrysten Abram all tallying over 100 receiving yards on the season.
 
The Ranger defense is led by a front with three First Team All-MACCC North Division performers.  Jaylon Johnson, fifth on the team with 42 total tackles, leads the squad with 11 quarterback hurries and six sacks.  D.J. Burgess follows closely behind with a 33/7/4.5 line.  Tyeland Coleman anchors the middle for the Rangers with 30 tackles and three hurries.
 
Northwest's defensive depth extends to the linebacking corps and defensive backs.  Led by First Team selections Kamp Shepherd, Keshawn Davila, and Fredd Adams and Honorable Mention selections Jacorey Jones and Caulen Dunn.  The versatile Shepherd is second on the team with 61 tackles, while Adams leads the team in interceptions with seven. Dunn is the Rangers' leading tackler with 95 on the season.
 
Iowa Western boasts one of the most potent offenses in the NJCAA.  Quarterback Hunter Dekkers leads the nation in nearly every statistical category, completing 242 of his 368 attempts for 3239 yards and 27 touchdowns.  Nine of his targets have over 100 yards receiving on the season, led by Fresh Walters with 745 yards and seven touchdowns and Titus Myers with 809 yards and seven scores.
 
The Reivers' rushing attack ranks 21st in the NJCAA with 1529 yards and 28 touchdowns gained on the ground.  Iowa Western boasts three running backs with 300 yards or more on the ground in 2024, led by Daniel Swinney's 654 yards and 10 touchdowns.
 
On defense, the Reivers' leading tacklers are defensive back Lucas Struck with 62, and linebacker Ahmad Johnson with 44.  Defensive lineman Walt Gray paces the team with nine sacks, while four different players have tallied an interception this year.
 
This semifinal marks the third all-time meeting between the two programs.  Iowa Western has won both previous meetings, the 2017 Graphic Edge Bowl in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and a 2022 NJCAA Semifinal meeting at Bobby Franklin Field in Senatobia.
 
Northwest has been a participant in three of the four NJCAA playoffs since 2021.  Iowa Western has competed in all four iterations, finishing as the NJCAA Division I Football Champions in 2022 and 2023.
 
The winner of this semifinal matchup will face the winner of No. 2 Georgia Military College (10-1) and No. 3 Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College (9-1) in the NJCAA Division I Football Championship on Wednesday, December 18, 7:00 PM CST.  That game will be broadcast live on ESPNU from Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium on the campus of West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas.
 
Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased in advance through the NJCAA ticketing link at https://www.njcaa.org/tickets for $15.  Tickets purchased on the day of the game at Titan Stadium will be $18.
 
Broadcast:
The game will be broadcast live on the ESPN+ platform for fans who are unable to attend.
 
Live Stats:
NJCAA Live Stats