Northwest Mississippi Falls to Copiah-Lincoln 17-16 in Heartbreaker

Wesson, Miss. — The sixth-ranked Northwest Mississippi Community College football team suffered a 17-16 loss Thursday night to Copiah-Lincoln Community College at H.L. Stone Stadium. The Rangers dropped to 1-2 after a game characterized by missed opportunities despite dominating offensively and defensively, according to sources.

Northwest opened the scoring with a safety after a punt snap sailed over the punter’s head, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the first quarter. They then drove 52 yards to score on a three-yard run by Macaleb Taylor, extending their lead to 9-0 after a successful point-after attempt. However, the team missed two field goals in the first half and committed a costly fumble that led to Co-Lin’s first touchdown, trimming the lead to 9-7 at halftime.

In the second half, Co-Lin took their first lead with a 45-yard field goal. Northwest responded with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dagarrious Fann to Philip Swann, putting the Rangers ahead 16-10. The Wolves quickly regained the lead on a flea-flicker that resulted in a 33-yard touchdown pass, making it 17-16 with just over 13 minutes remaining.

Northwest drove into Co-Lin territory late in the game but was unable to convert on fourth down. The Wolves then ran out the clock on a third-down completion that sealed the victory. Despite the loss, the Rangers outgained Co-Lin 389 to 186 and held possession for more than 36 minutes, but struggled with field goal accuracy, missing three attempts.

Fann completed 28 of 35 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Clydarrien Peters led with four catches for 77 yards, while Zavion Carman added 72 yards on seven receptions. On the ground, Damon Sisa and Taylor each carried 10 times, with Sisa rushing for 54 yards and Taylor scoring a touchdown. Defensively, Jack Ridgway led with six tackles, and Jamarcus Flowers added 1.5 tackles-for-loss.

The Rangers will return home next week to face Mississippi Delta Community College. The game is scheduled for Thursday, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Ranger TV. Fans can follow updates on nwccrangers.com and social media channels.

Source: Original Article