COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - Although fourth-ranked Northwest had its chances throughout Friday's playoff matchup at No. 1 Iowa Western, the Rangers were unable to score in the second half in a 42-21 loss against the Reivers.

Iowa Western will return to the NJCAA Division I Football Championship for the fourth straight season, as Northwest ends the year with a 10-2 overall mark. The Rangers' loss comes after earning a bid to the NJCAA Playoffs for the third time in the last four years.

Momentum was on the side of Northwest to start the game, as the Reivers' first possession ended in a failed punt, which was recovered by Carlando Crump. Three plays later, quarterback Zach Wilcke connected with tight end Joshua Humes on a 17-yard touchdown pass, followed by Jackson Uselton's point-after kick. Northwest led 7-0 with 12:01 remaining in the opening quarter.

After Iowa Western fumbled the ensuing kickoff return, it seemed that the Rangers were primed for another quick scoring opportunity. However, Northwest was forced to settle for a field goal attempt that never left the hands of the holder, as the Reivers' defense swarmed in for the stop.

From there, Iowa Western came alive, marching 67 yards downfield in eight plays to make it a 7-7 game. The Reivers' drive was capped off by a four-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Dekkers to Trevor Burnett.

Northwest went three-and-out on its next possession, and Iowa Western promptly responded with an eight-play, 60-yard drive. Dekkers' five-yard touchdown pass to Titus Myers made it a 14-7 lead with 1:29 left in the opening quarter.

However, Northwest was not going to go away without a fight. After D'mariun Perteet ripped off a long 50-yard dash, Wilcke connected with Humes for the tight end's second touchdown reception from 18 yards out, tying the game at 14-14 with less than a minute to go in the first quarter.

Iowa Western marched to the Rangers' 37-yard line early in the second quarter, only to be stopped on fourth and short by the Northwest defense. From there, the Rangers marched inside the Reivers' 30-yard line in seven plays, but another field goal attempt came up empty for NWCC.

Both teams traded punts on the next two drives, but a costly special teams turnover set up Iowa Western inside the Rangers' red zone with less than five minutes left in the first half. Three plays later, Daniel Swinney scored from five yards out, putting the Reivers back ahead, 21-14.

With 3:36 remaining in the second quarter, Northwest embarked on a seven-play, 63-yard drive that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Wilcke to K.D. Gibson in the back corner of the end zone. The score would tie the contest at 21-21, only for Iowa Western to score the go-ahead touchdown with five seconds left in the first half.

Northwest received the ball to open the second half, but the Reivers forced a three-and-out. Iowa Western moved the ball on its first offensive series of the third quarter, but the Rangers' defense came up with a stop on fourth down at the 38-yard line.

From there, both offenses struggled to move the ball for a good chunk of the third quarter. Following back-to-back punts, a fumble from M.J. Johnson set up the Reivers inside the red zone. Two plays later though, Fredd Adams picked off Dekkers in the end zone, giving the ball back to Northwest.

After the Rangers squandered an opportunity off the interception, Iowa Western finally got the break it wanted with 3:05 left in the third quarter. A 26-yard rushing score from Fresh Walters pushed the Reivers' lead to 35-21, capping off a short four-play, 49-yard possession.

In desperate need of an answer, Northwest began its final series of the quarter with an 11-yard completion from Wilcke to Qua Middlebrooks. The Rangers would then get a 15-yard reception from Kyler Hutton, setting up Northwest near midfield as the fourth quarter began. 

Though Wilcke connected with Middlebrooks one more time on a 17-yard catch, the Rangers' offense was stymied at the Reivers' 36-yard line. Facing fourth and long, Wilcke was sacked for a loss of five yards, giving the ball back to Iowa Western near midfield.

Ahead by two touchdowns, the Reivers chewed up some clock on the next possession, taking nearly six minutes off the clock on a nine-play, 59-yard drive. Eight of the nine plays were rush attempts, including a 10-yard score from Swinney that gave Iowa Western a 42-21 lead with 7:56 remaining.

Northwest had two more offensive possessions, but were unable to reach the end zone. Iowa Western was also held scoreless on its final true offensive series of the quarter, as the Reivers entered victory formation with 1:07 left in the contest.

Iowa Western finished the game with 27 first downs, compared to just 12 from the Rangers. The Reivers also totaled 420 yards of offense, compared to just 247 from Northwest, with 246 of IWCC's yards coming in the rushing attack.

Wilcke finished 14-of-24 for three touchdowns and 135 yards, with Humes accounting for 49 yards and a pair of touchdowns on three catches. Roman Gregory also caught a pair of receptions for 36 yards.

Perteet also concluded his Northwest career with his eighth 100-yard rushing performance, racking up 119 yards on 16 carries.

For Iowa Western, Dekkers completed 17 of his 30 pass attempts for 174 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. His top target, Walters, collected 66 yards on five catches. However, Swinney was the driving force of the Reivers' offense, rushing for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 33 attempts. 

Kamp Shepherd and Caulen Dunn each collected 10 tackles for Northwest, followed by six from Jacorey Jones. Lucas Struck and Jerome Baker led Iowa Western with six tackles each, while Ahmad Johnson finished with five total tackles.

De'Veion McLilley-Bulo also totaled five tackles for the Reivers, including three tackles-for-loss. Cameron Done finished with two TFLs to round out Iowa Western's top defensive performers.

Hayden Wolfe punted seven times for 219 yards, including one inside the 20-yard line. Jonah Dupont had 149 yards on four punt attempts for the Reivers.

With nine seasons in the books, Northwest head coach Benjy Parker has amassed a 75-21 overall record, dating back to the 2016 season. Read Full Article