WESSON – Heart pounding doesn't begin to describe the win that the #4 Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers (9-1, 6-1) picked up on Saturday afternoon at H.L. Stone Stadium, rallying from down twice in the second half on a last minute touchdown to take down #5 Copiah-Lincoln Community College 28-27 and punch a ticket into the MACCC title game next Saturday.

The game featured three ties and two lead changes and an interception to seal the win for NWCC in a win-or-go-home environment that was every bit as advertised between two squads that were wrestling for a spot in the national tournament field with a win.

"That's a heck of a team," Head Coach Benji Parker said afterwards. "Co-Lin is really good, and Coach Davis has a good background, raised in coaching and has a lot of good players and they do a great job. I was proud of our guys, they showed a lot of character tonight."

Northwest kicked off the game with a long drive to begin the scoring, taking the ball from their own 20-yard line and marching 80 yards on 15 plays, including going five-for-five on third down conversions, capping it off on a 14-yard pass to M.J. Johnson in the corner of the endzone to go up 7-0.

The Wolves (8-2, 6-1) opened their first drive at their own 11-yard line after a holding penalty on the kickoff set them back and penalties would stall them out at their own 32 and they were forced to punt the ball away, but a 50-yard punt from Ty Jones would flip the field and Northwest took over at their own 12.

A big run from Julius Pope seemed to spark the offense but a pair of incomplete passes forced a Northwest punt to follow, and the Rangers sent it back to Co-Lin with the first quarter winding down.

Despite another drive that saw them take over inside of their own 20, the Wolves marched down the field on their own time-consuming drive that left them at the 10-yard line. Eli Viniard, who had entered the game for Jaylen Pettway after he was hurt on a scramble, took a broken play and ran through the Ranger defense to tie the game at seven with 12:03 left in the game.

A kickoff out of bounds set Northwest in prime position to go on a drive, and they did just that, marching down the field on a mix of passing and rushing, and it seemed like they took the ball into the endzone on a second score by Johnson when the red-shirt sophomore looked like the crossed the goal line, but the officials ruled that he fumbled the ball at the one-yard line and after it rolled out of the endzone, it was ruled a touchback for the Wolves.

Northwest challenged the play, but it was upheld after a lengthy review. Parker said he was frustrated with the call, but the team didn't let it affect them.

"The team kept battling and stayed the course and overcame, so kudos to those guys."

The defense held and after the touchback despite a 32-yard run out of the gate and forced another Co-Lin punt, and that is when the Rangers went deep into the play book to get back at the Wolves. A halfback pass from Pope to Johnson shook the Wolves defense, going 84 yards on one play to bring the lead back to seven and recapture any lost momentum after the previous drive.

"MJ can make a play," Parker said. "I knew we had to stay with him because he is that guy that wants the ball to make a play in that situation. He knew it and everybody knew it."

Johnson said the creativity is something that comes along with the hard work and trusting that the chances will work out.

"We are just competing every day and every game and opportunities come and when you are working hard the ball with find you," the transfer from Troy University said.

Unfortunately for Northwest, the Wolves had some answers and on their next drive went 67-yards on just six plays after a 47-yard pass from Pettway to Matt Mayfield set them up for a Boswell touchdown to tie it at 14 going into the half.

Co-Lin received the opening kickoff of the second half with a chance to continue to stack momentum on their side and once again marched down the field behind a balance sequence of runs and passes to take their first lead with 10:45 to go in the third quarter after Pettway found Jermarj Bell for a touchdown from two yards out.

As championship caliber teams are prone to do, it didn't take long for Northwest to answer back. The Rangers began their next drive at the 27-yard line and ground their way to the Co-Lin 35 where they were faced with a fourth-and-three. Outside of field goal range but to close to punt, Northwest went to the air, and their swiss army knife went to work.

Pope took in a pass from Fann and after making a defender miss, had the sideline to himself as he outraced the Co-Lin safety to the endzone for a 35-yard touchdown, tying the game at 35 all.

Both teams had three-and-outs on their next drives, but after being pinned at their own six, Northwest couldn't help but give the ball back to Co-Lin in plus territory after punting it away, and a 15-yard return by Bell set up the Wolves at the Ranger 34. Two plays later, Bell struck again on a 35-yard reception for a go-ahead score. Co-Lin missed the extra point though, and the game went to the fourth quarter with the Wolves only ahead 27-21.

More three-and-outs for Northwest on their next two drives made it seem like the clock was running out on their chances, and a third drive foundered at the Co-Lin 37-yard line with just under six minutes to go in the game and as the Rangers punted the ball away, all hope rested on the defense getting the ball back, but this has been a roster that has trusted in both sides of the ball all season long.

"That offense means the world," Sophomore linebacker Elliott Helps said. "We never gave up on that sideline. Not once. We had guys saying we got this, let's go, let's turn it up, let's do everything we can do."

The Ranger defense forced another three-and-out of their own to give the ball back to NWCC with 4:01 remaining and this time the Rangers were able to move the ball, once again going to the top target of the afternoon in Johnson, first on a fourth-and-seven where he drew a pass interference penalty to keep the drive going, and again on the ten-yard line where the made some magic with his third touchdown of the game on a bubble screen.

"At that point it was just me and doing what God made me to do and just be great," Johnson said.

It gave the Rangers a late 28-27 lead after the PAT from Hayden Wolfe, who was 4-4 on the day.

"We preach it day in and day out. It's kind of written in our heads at this point to never give up until the clock hits zero," Johnson said. "We just needed to stay positive. When you are going against a top competitor, the game is going to go back and forth. Just do your job, do your assignment and it will end up good."

There was still time for the Wolfpack to make a move of their own with 1:10 left in the game. The kickoff left them at their own 27-yard line and despite massive pressure from the Rangers defensive front, Pettway was able to make two wild plays to move the ball into striking distance, including a deep ball to Jordan Richardson with 11 seconds left to the seven-yard line where after an injury, the Co-Lin was forced to use their last timeout.

Instead of attempting the field goal, the Wolves decided to run a play on first-and-goal, opting for the pass with no timeouts. A lob to the back corner of the endzone was picked off by Helps and Northwest was able to walk off the field victors in a classic.

"Elliot is a heck of a player and he's really, really smart," Parker said after the game about the play. "He's got that ability to make a play at a certain time and some guys have that. He has a knack for making a play in a big moment."

"We had a great play call and I just got lucky and made a play," Helps said. "I knew my teammates needed me, and they were pouring into me, so I was pouring into them. It's a great team win."

The Rangers had a great day throwing the ball, getting 319 yards through the air, with 84 of it coming from Pope on his lone passing attempt. Fann went 30-43 in the game for 235 yards and three touchdowns.

Pope was his top target, pulling in 14 passes for a career best 121 yards and a score while also stacking up 65 yards on the ground through 12 carries to lead the rushing attack that had 103 yards on 21 carries as a team.

Johnson also had a career day, picking up 163 yards on nine receptions and a career best three touchdowns, which gives him six on the season. He joined Keon Hutchins in the feat of three scores in one game.

On the defensive side of the ball, Northwest compiled three sacks in the game and five tackles for a loss. The interception by Helps was the only turnover of the game forced by the Rangers defense.

Dre Riley led the defense in tackles with eight in the game, including four solo tackles and Marion Keyes had five solos on his way to seven tackles in the game. Jerry Wall III, Rase Jones, and Nate Walked all had five.

The win moves the Rangers into the MACCC and Region 23 championship game which they will host after #7 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College ran away from #9 East Mississippi Community College in the second half of the other semifinal on the way to a 45-24 win.

"It's going to be awesome," Helps said of having the chance to take home a title at Bobby Franklin Field. "We have some great fans. I know they want one and we want one, and to get it on the home field would be sweet."

While the Rangers have been in this position before and as recently as last season where they picked up a win over East Central Community College 34-7, Parker doesn't look at that as something that carries over.

"We've been in it a few times but that's in the past. We are back in it this year with this team and this team, they've never been in it, me or the team," he said. "So that's the way we are going to approach it. It'll be a good game, they'll come in ready to play with good coaches and good players, but we are going to enjoy this one tonight and worry about that one tomorrow."

Kickoff time has not been announced yet, but the game will be streamed on nwccrangers.com/watch with Tyler Springs and Russell Copeland on the call. Pregame will begin 30 minutes before kickoff.

You can keep up with the rest of the action for Northwest football and all NWCC athletics at nwccrangers.com or by following along with Ranger social media accounts.