SENATOBIA – It's hard to believe it's been a decade since Benjy Parker was elevated from defensive coordinator to the top position as Northwest Mississippi Community College's head football coach.  Parker and his staff are now preparing the 2026 squad for his eleventh season at the helm, the second-longest tenure in program history, making this a good time to review the program's accomplishments of the last 10 years.

Parker's squad has posted an 85-23 record during his tenure.  The wins place him second all-time at Northwest behind Bobby Ray Franklin, who spent 24 years at the helm for the Rangers.  Parker's .787 winning percentage stands as the best all-time, just ahead of Franklin at .772 and Ricky Woods at .729.

Northwest, the only team in the MACCC to qualify for the conference playoffs every year during this decade-long run, has appeared in the conference finals in eight out of the ten.  In 2025, the Rangers went 10-2 and claimed the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference title for the second season in a row.  In all, Northwest has claimed half of the MACCC/Region 23 titles in the decade.  Additionally, the Rangers qualified for the NJCAA playoffs for the fourth time in the five years since the format began in 2021.

The team has also excelled in the classroom during this span.  As a squad, the Rangers captured both the MACCC and National Junior College Athletic Association Academic Team of the Year awards following the 2021, '23, and '24 seasons.  Northwest also claimed the MACCC Academic Team of the Year award in 2016 and 2020.

The team's success relies on the individual efforts of many.  Northwest boasts 28 NJCAA All-Americans during this 10-year span.  The Rangers added five honorees to that list following the 2025 season.

The on-field excellence of the student-athletes has been matched by excellence in the classroom during this time.  110 Rangers have been recognized as NJCAA All-Academic selections, with each of those maintaining a 3.6+ grade point average.

Seven Rangers have been recognized as CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-Americans – the highest academic award a college or university student-athlete can receive.  Out of the 20 male honorees nationwide in the 2025-26 college division, only five football players were recognized.  Northwest had four of those.

The athletic and academic success at Northwest translates directly into success at the next level.  226 Rangers have moved on to the four-year college or university level during this ten-year stretch.  Most recently, a record 33 members of the 2025 squad moved on to four-year schools, with nine of those signing with "Power 4" programs.  In total, Northwest has 51 "Power 4" signees in ten years, including 23 to Southeastern Conference schools.

Seventeen Rangers have progressed to the highest level of football, the National Football League, during this stretch.  Nine of those players are active on NFL rosters going into 2026 fall camps.

Northwest kicks off the 2026 season August 27 at Jones College.  The Rangers host Mississippi Gulf Coast the following Thursday, September 3, at Bobby Franklin Field. The home opener marks a rematch of the 2025 MACCC championship game, won by Northwest 16 - 13. Kickoff for those games is set for 7:00 P.M.

Tickets are available for all Ranger home games here.

You can follow the Rangers all year on social media or at nwccrangers.com.  A full 2026 season preview will be released in August.