Northwest rallies past Hinds for third straight MACCC title
Northwest Mississippi Community College scored with 1:19 remaining to regain the lead and beat Hinds Community College 33-29 in the MACCC championship Saturday at Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field. The victory gave Northwest its third straight MACCC and Region 23 championships.
Hinds had rallied from a 26-7 deficit, scoring 22 unanswered points to take a 27-26 lead in the fourth quarter. Northwest answered with a drive that included a long completion to TyAnthony Elmore and a pass interference penalty. Freshman Clydarrien Peters then caught a 24-yard touchdown pass to put the Rangers ahead, 33-29.
Hinds drove to the Northwest 16-yard line on its final possession, but quarterback Jaylon Ruffin stumbled on fourth down, ending the threat. Northwest coach Anders said the Rangers used Linkin Sanders as a quarterback spy on the play.
Northwest took control early with a forced fumble on Hinds’ opening drive, then scored on a Noah Gillon run. Gillon was injured on the play but returned. Will Uselton kicked a 25-yard field goal, and Macaleb Taylor added a 5-yard touchdown run. Avery Jackson intercepted a pass before halftime, and Sanders recovered a fumble in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. Peters scored on a reverse on the ensuing drive to make it 26-7.
Gillon completed 26 of 40 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Elmore caught 10 passes for 135 yards and set Northwest’s single-season receptions record with 70, surpassing Eric Smith’s 68 in 1992. Elmore also had 1,082 receiving yards for the season, becoming the program’s first 1,000-yard receiver since DT Sheffield in 2021.
Sanders led Northwest with 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Clytravus Lewis had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. The Rangers forced five turnovers, including four fumbles, and recovered all four. Uselton made both field-goal attempts, from 25 and 24 yards.
Northwest improved to 9-2 and extended its winning streak to eight games. The win gave the Rangers an opportunity to qualify for the NJCAA Division I national playoffs. The source said the playoff field was expected to include Hutchinson, Iowa Western and Trinity Valley, with semifinal games scheduled for Nov. 20 and 22.
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