SENATOBIA — Northwest Mississippi Community College’s men’s soccer team staged an impressive comeback Friday night at the Ranger Soccer Field. The Rangers (2-3-2) rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit after a nearly four-hour lightning delay to secure a 2-2 draw against National Park College (2-2-1).
The game’s opening half was challenging for Northwest, which allowed two goals. The first came on a rebound after a save by TJay Gibb in the 28th minute, and the second was a breakaway that slipped past the goalkeeper in the 37th minute, giving the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead at halftime.
The game resumed after the delay around 9 p.m., with Northwest facing an aggressive National Park squad. In the 66th minute, the Rangers scored their first goal when Wesley Kilpatrick crossed to Vaughn Stackhouse, who scored from the far post. Just 21 seconds later, freshman Jairo Mendez chipped a ball over the goalkeeper after a giveaway by the visitors, tying the game.
Northwest controlled much of the remaining play, despite increased physicality resulting in five yellow cards and one red card in the final 25 minutes. A red card to Bolu Owoyemi forced the Rangers to play a man down for the last 12 minutes. The team held strong defensively, preventing any clear scoring chances from National Park and earning the valuable point, according to coach Windham Whatley.
Whatley credited recent team efforts and a positive shift in energy for the rally. “We are so close, and earning points against quality teams is huge in this league,” he said. Wesley Kilpatrick expressed optimism about the team’s momentum going into their next game, which is set for Tuesday against No. 20 Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
The match saw Northwest outshot 15-4 and 12 corner kicks from the visitors, but the defense, led by Gibb’s eight saves, kept the game level. The team will host Copiah-Lincoln at 7 p.m., with the game streamed on Ranger TV following the women’s game at 5 p.m.
