Ranger Football

Seven Rangers earn post-season honors

Seven Northwest Mississippi Community College Ranger football players have been recognized for their outstanding play during the 2009 season by earning post-season awards.

Northwest ended the season with a record of 6-3 and placed third in the MACJC north division with a 4-2 mark.

Two Rangers were chosen All-Region XXIII— receiver Michael Lindsey and safety Bud Barksdale.

Sophomore Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla., took the league by storm in his only season at Northwest with 52 catches for a state-leading 1,060 yards and 13 touchdowns. Lindsey's totals ranked him among the top three in the nation.

Sophomore Barksdale of Batesville was one of Northwest's most consistent players on defense this season. Barksdale collected 51 tackles, recovered two fumbles, and intercepted two passes.

Lindsey and Barksdale were also selected first team MACJC All-State. Joining them on that list is freshman punter/placekicker Kevin Buford.

Buford nailed six-of-seven field goals this season for the Rangers and converted 19 of 30 extra points. Buford also provided the game-winning field goal in two of Northwest's six victories this season.

Four Ranger sophomores were picked second team All-State. They are safety V.J. Street of Senatobia, offensive linemen Cameron Wagner of Batesville and Willie Oliver of Courtland, and quarterback Casey Weston of Prattville, Ala.

Street led Northwest with five interceptions in 2009. He also collected 42 tackles and broke up four passes.

The blocking of Wagner and Oliver were two reasons the Rangers had one of the most explosive offenses in the state this season. Northwest averaged 414.6 yards per game.

Weston enjoyed one of the best seasons ever by a Ranger quarterback. Weston led the state and nation in every passing category by completing 190 of 341 passes for 2,871 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Northwest closes season with Homecoming win against Northeast

Placekicker Kevin Buford made sure the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers finished the 2009 season the same way they started it— with a victory.

Buford, of Greenville, nailed a 35-yard field goal with 10:03 remaining that turned out to be the difference in Northwest's 17-14 Homecoming win against the Northeast Tigers Oct. 24 at Bobby Franklin Field in Senatobia.

The Rangers closed the season 6-3 overall and placed third in the MACJC north division with a 4-2 mark. Northwest actually finished tied for second in the north standings with Coahoma, but a loss to the Tigers a couple of weeks ago cost the Rangers their fourth consecutive trip to post-season play. Northeast dropped to 2-7 and 2-4 in the division.

"I thought we played better on defense today than we have all year," said Northwest Head Coach Ricky Woods. "We hate that we missed the playoffs, but we'll regroup and try again next year."

Ranger quarterback Casey Weston of Prattville, Ala., got off to a slow start against Northeast by completing just three of his first nine attempts. Weston, the nation's leading passer averaging 323 yards per game, threw for 287 yards and a pair of first half touchdowns.

Weston, who is Northwest's career leader with 394 completions and 695 attempts, ended his two-year stint at Northwest with 4,943 passing yards and 42 touchdowns. Against Northeast, Weston moved ahead of Bryan Sparacino for third place on the school's career passing list. His 42 touchdown passes place him fourth in the school record books, one shy of former Ranger greats Sparacino and Bobby Robison who are tied with 43.

The Tigers grabbed a 7-0 advantage midway through the first half, but Weston connected with receiver Michael Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla., on Northwest's third play from scrimmage. Lindsey caught a short pass from Weston and raced past the Northeast secondary to complete a 70-yard score for his NJCAA-leading 13th touchdown reception.

Lindsey finished with seven catches for 121 yards to become just the eighth player in school history with 1,000 or more receiving yards in a season. Lindsey ended the season with 52 receptions for 1,060 yards.

Northeast pulled ahead in the second quarter 14-7, but Weston directed the Rangers on a six-play, 67-yard drive and capped it with a 21-yard touchdown toss to receiver Marquise Green of Byhalia to tie the score at halftime.

Northwest's defense clamped down on the Tigers in the second half by limiting Northeast to only 52 total yards and two first downs.

The Rangers registered six quarterback sacks in the contest, while Northwest safety V.J. Street of Senatobia intercepted two passes.

Weston's huge night keeps Rangers in playoff hunt

To just say that Northwest Mississippi Community College Ranger quarterback Casey Weston is having a good season would be a severe understatement.

Weston (pictured left), a sophomore from Prattville, Ala., threw for 335 yards and three touchdowns to lead Northwest to a 26-19 victory against the Holmes Bulldogs Oct. 17 in Goodman.

The Rangers moved to 5-3 overall and ensured Northwest of its 27th winning season in the last 28 years. More importantly, the Rangers kept their playoff hopes alive by improving to 3-2 in the MACJC north division.

Northwest is tied for second place in the division with Coahoma. The only way the Rangers can qualify for post-season play is to beat Northeast and hope that Itawamba knocks off Coahoma Oct. 22 in Clarksdale.

Weston, who completed 27 of 37 passes against Holmes, is making his mark in the Northwest record books. Weston is already the school's all-time leader in career pass completions with 346. He needs seven more pass attempts to break the school record of 663 set by Russell Evans in 1991 and 1992. Weston has thrown for 4,656 yards and 40 touchdowns in his career at Northwest. Both of those numbers rank him fifth in the school record books.

He leads the nation in passing by completing 169 of 303 throws for 2584 yards and 25 touchdowns. Weston's 335-yard performance against Holmes was his sixth 300-yard passing game of the season. He has also thrown three or more touchdown passes in six of the Rangers eight contests.

"We played together as a team tonight and that almost always helps you win," said Northwest Head Coach Ricky Woods. "This is the first time in three or four weeks that we have gotten better, especially in the second half."

Woods was referring to the play of the Ranger defense that buckled down in the third and fourth quarters and limited Holmes to just 83 yards, three first downs, and zero points.

Northwest's defense scored the team's first points of the evening to tie the contest at 7-7 in the first period. Free safety V.J. Street of Senatobia intercepted a Bulldog pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown.

The game belonged to Weston the rest of the way.

Weston carved up Holmes' secondary with a variety of short and medium range passes in the first half and hooked up with receiver Michael Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla., on a 28-yard touchdown toss in the first quarter to put the Rangers ahead 14-13. Lindsey added to his NJCAA-leading reception totals by catching nine passes for 118 yards.

The Bulldogs countered with a touchdown of their own to re-claim the lead at 19-13, but Weston directed Northwest on an eight play, 77-yard drive and capped it with a 16-yard scoring strike to receiver Marquise Green of Byhalia to put the Rangers in front at halftime 20-19.

Weston kept his hot hand on Northwest's first possession of the second half by throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to receiver Darryl Kinkle of Holly Springs.

That turned out to be the only points the Rangers needed. Northwest's defense rose to the occasion several times in the second half by registering four quarterback sacks and denying Holmes on three fourth down conversions.

Mistakes prove costly for Rangers in upset loss to Coahoma

Calvin Malone's (pictured left) career night couldn't save the Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers.

Malone, a freshman tailback from Southaven, rushed for a season-high 171 yards and two touchdowns, but a flat and error-prone Northwest squad fell to the Coahoma Tigers 41-36 Oct. 8 at Bobby Franklin Field in Senatobia.

The Rangers' playoff hopes took a severe hit. Northwest, 4-2 overall, must win the last two games on its schedule and hope for some help to have a shot at post-season play. Northwest is now tied with Coahoma for second place in the MACJC north division with both teams holding 2-2 records.

"We came out flat and they just out-played us," said Ranger Head Coach Ricky Woods. "When you score 36 points, you are supposed to win. We didn't tackle and just made too many mistakes to win tonight."

Coahoma's win was just the second in 35 games against Northwest since the two schools began playing in 1975.

It looked as though Northwest would pull off a great fourth-quarter comeback to earn the victory.

The Rangers trailed 35-23 headed into the final period, but scored a pair of touchdowns in a four-minute span to grab a 36-35 lead with 8:21 remaining. Northwest used a 14-yard scoring run by Malone and an 11-yard touchdown run from tailback Aubrey Shelton of Grenada to gain the advantage.

Coahoma answered with the game-winning score with 3:50 left to play on a seven-yard run by tailback Devacus Ireland who rushed for four touchdowns against the Rangers.

Northwest had one last chance on offense, but quarterback Casey Weston of Prattville, Ala., threw his third interception of the night which sealed the victory for Coahoma.

The Rangers hurt themselves all night with missed tackles, penalties, and dropped passes.

"Our guys learned tonight that you can't just show up and win,"added Woods. "We need to come together and play better if we want to make the playoffs."

The two teams exchanged score after score in the first two quarters, but Northwest was able to take a 23-21 lead at halftime.

Weston hooked up with receiver Michael Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla., on a pair of touchdowns in the first half. Lindsey added to his NJCAA-leading touchdown reception total of 11 by catching scoring tosses of five and 11 yards.

Malone, who rushed for 76 yards in the first half, added a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, while Ranger kicker Kevin Buford of Greenville booted a 28-yard field goal.

Northwest, which entered the contest leading the nation in passing offense averaging 347.8 yards, managed just 204 yards through the air against Coahoma, including only 80 in the second half.

The Tigers grabbed a 35-23 lead by out-scoring the Rangers 14-0 in the third quarter.

Northwest's Buford named Player of the Week by NJCAA

Northwest Mississippi Community College punter/ placekicker Kevin Buford has been selected Special Teams Player of the Week by the NJCAA for his performance in the Rangers' 25-22 overtime victory against the Mississippi Delta Trojans Oct. 1 in Moorhead.

Buford, a freshman from Greenville, kicked a game-winning 43-yard field goal in the overtime period to push Northwest's record to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the MACJC north division.

Buford also booted a career-long 50-yard field goal in the first quarter of that contest and averaged 43.8 yards on eight punts.

For the season, Buford has hit all four of his field goal tries and has converted 12 extra-point attempts. Buford ranks fifth in the state in scoring by a kicker with 24 points.

Buford's 43-yard kick lifts NWCC to overtime victory at Mississippi Delta

Going home is always a special event, but it meant a little something extra for Northwest Mississippi Community College freshman placekicker Kevin Buford.

Buford's 43-yard field goal in overtime lifted Northwest to a 25-22 victory over the Mississippi Delta Trojans Oct. 1 at Jim Randall Stadium in Moorhead.

Buford, who grew up 35 miles down the road in Greenville and graduated from Washington High School, kept the Rangers' playoff hopes alive in front of several family members who made the short drive to witness his heroics firsthand.

"I knew I hit it pretty good," said Buford of his game-winning kick. "I am just glad my teammates gave me a chance and my coaches believed in me."

Buford also nailed a career-long 50-yard field goal in the first quarter and averaged 43.8 yards on eight punts.

Northwest, which is ranked No. 20 in this week's NJCAA poll, is still in the hunt for a berth in the post-season. The Rangers improved to 4-2 overall and are remain tied for second place in the MACJC north division with a 2-1 mark.

Buford almost didn't get the chance to be the hero. Mississippi Delta got the initial possession in overtime, but on the Trojans' first play, Northwest cornerback Bud Barksdale of Batesville intercepted a pass in the back of the end zone and returned it 98 yards to the Mississippi Delta two-yard line before running out of gas.

The Rangers failed to move the ball on three consecutive plays on the their overtime possession, but Buford saved the day with his clutch kick.

Mississippi Delta had an opportunity to grab the lead with just over a minute left in regulation, but Northwest blocked the Trojans' 39-yard field goal attempt.

"It was a sloppy win, but we will take it," said Northwest Head Coach Ricky Woods. "We have to do a better job of protecting the football. There's no excuse for not taking care of the ball the way we did tonight."

Woods was talking about the Rangers' seven turnovers that Mississippi Delta used to keep the game close. Northwest, which entered the contest with just 10 turnovers, lost five fumbles and tossed two interceptions against the Trojans.

All those miscues didn't take the shine off the performance of Ranger sophomore receiver Michael Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla. Lindsey tortured the Trojan secondary with nine receptions for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Lindsey's 234 yards were the second-most ever by a Northwest receiver. Eric Smith had 269 for the Rangers in 1992.

Buford's 50-yard goal and the first of Lindsey's three touchdown catches, a 73-yarder from quarterback Casey Weston of Prattville, Ala., gave Northwest a 9-0 lead after the first quarter.

Mississippi Delta responded with a pair of touchdowns passes from quarterback Jacob Land. Land hooked up with Labrodrick Barnett on a 26-yarder and tossed a 41-yard strike to Michael Tanner to put the Trojans ahead 14-9.

The Rangers countered just before the half with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Weston to Lindsey to claim a 15-14 advantage.

The last of Lindsey's trio of touchdown catches was perhaps his finest. Lindsey got behind a Mississippi Delta defensive back and made a one-handed catch with his fingertips while running full speed on a pass that almost everyone thought was surely beyond his reach.

Lindsey hauled in the catch and sprinted 46 yards for the score.

it seemed as though every time Northwest got some momentum, a turnover would take it away. The Rangers fumbled the ball on their next possession and Trojan defensive end Charles Ramsey scooped up the loose ball and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown with 13:09 left. Mississippi Delta tied the game at 22-22 with a two-point conversion.

"Our defense kept us in the ball game tonight," added Woods. "Last week (against East Mississippi) it was the offense that kept us in it. If we can put it all together in one game, we have a chance to be a great football team."

Rangers lose wild one to No. 13 East Mississippi

It's very uncommon for a team to score 42 points, rack up 450 yards of total offense, and force three turnovers and still lose.

That's exactly what happened to the No. 18 Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers in their 49-42 loss to the No. 13 East Mississippi Lions Sept. 24 at Bobby Franklin Field in Senatobia. Northwest dropped to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the MACJC north division, while East Mississippi improved to 4-1 and 2-0.

There were several oddities and weird happenings in the wild shootout that wasn't settled until the Lions held the Rangers on a fourth down play at the East Mississippi 27-yard line with less than 10 seconds left.

Both teams combined for 61 first downs, 1,099 yards of total offense, and 163 offensive plays.

One of the weirdest happenings was an incomplete pass by Northwest that was changed to a fumble after a timeout in the second quarter. The Lions capitalized on that odd play to score a touchdown and claim a 29-13 lead.

"We battled all night, but just couldn't stop them when we had to," said Ranger Head Coach Ricky Woods. "When you score 42 points, you are supposed to win. Our goal now is to win out and get back to the playoffs."

Northwest sophomore quarterback Casey Weston of Prattville, Ala., continued his assault on the school record books by completing 26 of 52 passes for 353 yards and career-high five touchdowns. Through the Rangers' five contests, Weston leads the nation with 1,738 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.

Faced with the daunting task of stopping the nation's leading offense which averages 517 yards per game, Northwest added to their state-leading takeaway total by picking off Lion All-American quarterback Randall Mackey three times. V.J. Street of Senatobia, Stacey Lake and Timothy Kirk, both of Charleston, intercepted passes for the Rangers.

Northwest trailed 29-13 in the second period, but Weston tossed his third touchdown pass of the night by hooking up with Otis Mays of Independence on a 28-yard scoring play. The Rangers added a two-point conversion to cut their deficit to 29-21 at halftime.

The two teams exchanged scores in the opening two periods. Weston got Northwest on the board by throwing a 43-yard touchdown pass to Michael Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla., in the first quarter. Weston followed that up with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Colton Barnett of Horn Lake less than two minutes later.

The Rangers tied the contest at 29-29 on their opening possession of the second half when Weston found Xavier Lee of Pope in the end zone on a six-yard pass.

Northwest added another score to claim a 35-29 advantage after Kirk returned his interception 46 yards to the Lion 27. Two plays later, Ranger tailback Calvin Malone of Southaven scored on a 23-yard run. Malone finished the night with 14 carries for a season-high 123 yards.

East Mississippi bounced back and reeled off the next 13 points to take a 42-35 lead, but Northwest answered with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Weston to Lindsey to tie the game at 42-42 with 8:45 remaining. Lindsey had seven receptions for 126 yards.

The Lions scored the game-winning touchdown with 2:23 left when tailback Pat Shed scored on a five-yard run.

Northwest got the ball back one last time and moved from their own 32-yard line to the East Mississippi 27, but the Lions stopped the Ranger drive on fourth down.Northwest travels to Moorhead Thursday, Oct. 1 to face Mississippi Delta. The game starts at 6 p.m.

Rangers blast Itawamba in MACJC north division opener

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers didn't just set the tone early in their division opener– they turned the volume up full blast.

Northwest scored on the first play from scrimmage and never looked back en route to shutting out the Itawamba Indians 35-0 Sept. 17 in Fulton.

The Rangers, ranked No. 19 by the NJCAA, improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the MACJC north division, while Itawamba dropped to 1-3 and 0-2. Northwest has won 17 of of its last 19 division contests over the last four seasons.

Ranger quarterback Casey Weston of Prattville, Ala., wasted little time getting Northwest on the scoreboard by hooking up with receiver Michael Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla. Lindsey caught a short pass and raced through the Indian defense for a 55-yard touchdown just 22 seconds into the game.

"I thought this was our best game so far this year as far as playing together," said Ranger Head Coach Ricky Woods. "We had some breakdowns here and there, but it's always good to open the division with a victory."

Weston, the nation's leading passer averaging 378.7 yards per game, finished the night by completing 14 of 23 attempts for 249 yards and four touchdowns. Through Northwest's first four games, Weston has thrown for 1,385 yards and 12 scores.

"Casey's a great player," added Woods. "He really took command and helped us stretch the lead in the second half."

The Weston to Lindsey combination worked again in the second quarter to give the Rangers a 14-0 lead at halftime. Lindsey, who caught three passes for 107 yards, also snagged a 14-yard touchdown reception.

Itawamba used ball control in the first half to keep Northwest's offense off the field. The Rangers ran just 18 offensive plays in the opening two quarters and tallied just 114 yards.

The second half was a different story. Northwest was able to settle in and put together some sustained drives behind the passing of Weston and the running of freshman tailback Calvin Malone of Southaven. who racked up a season-high 71 yards on 12 carries.

The Rangers put the game away by scoring 21 points in the third quarter.

Weston threw two touchdown passes to receiver Colton Barnett of Horn Lake covering 33 and four yards. Malone scored his first touchdown of the season with a five-yard run.

Northwest's defense was solid all night. The Rangers stopped the Indians twice with goal line stands on fourth down plays inside the Northwest five-yard line.

The Rangers, who lead the state in takeaways with 18, forced six Itawamba turnovers. Northwest registered four interceptions and limited the Indians to 177 total yards. Itawamba managed just 32 yards and two first downs in the second half.

Northwest rallies with big second half, but falls to Pearl River

Fans who attended the showdown between the Northwest Community College Rangers and the Pearl River Wildcats expected to see three things– plenty of offense, a lot of passes, and a terrific game.

They got all three.

Northwest overcame a 24-0 halftime deficit and rallied in the remaining two quarters, but fell 38-35 Sept. 10 at Bobby Franklin Field in Senatobia. The No. 15 Rangers dropped to 2-1 overall, while No. 5 Pearl River moved to 3-0.

In a clash between the top two passing offenses in the country, the Rangers and Wildcats combined to complete 48 of 91 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns. Northwest and Pearl River each racked up 478 total yards.

"This was a great game tonight," said Ranger Head Coach Ricky Woods. "If you didn't get your money's worth, you don't like football. We played hard tonight against a real good football team. Our guys have nothing to be ashamed of."

Northwest won their first two games of the season by committing just two turnovers. The Rangers lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions in the first half alone against Pearl River which led to Northwest's 24-0 hole.

Ranger sophomore quarterback Casey Weston of Prattville, Ala., who completed 24 of 50 attempts for 421 yards and three touchdowns, hooked up with sophomore receiver Michael Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla., on a 78-yard pass play to cut Northwest's deficit to 31-28 with 11:06 remaining in the game.

Pearl River countered with a one-yard run by quarterback Jones to push the lead to 38-28 with 8:10 left, but the Rangers answered right back with a four-yard run by JoJo Cox of Macon, Ga., with 4:36 on the clock. Cox was Northwest's leading rusher with 50 yard on 10 carries and also caught six passes for 77 yards.

The Wildcats were able to use up the remaining minutes on their next possession to preserve the victory.

"We would have loved to had the ball one more time, but it didn't work out for us," added Woods. "Both defense were worn out and it showed, especially in the fourth quarter."

Weston's 50 pass attempts were the second most in Northwest football history and his 421 passing yards rank fourth on the school's all-time list.

Pearl River capitalized on the Rangers' four turnovers in the first half and turned them into 21 points.

The Wildcats scored after one of Weston's interceptions in the first quarter when quarterback Emil Jones hooked up with receiver Willie Downs on a nine-yard touchdown. That duo hooked up again in the second period on a 24-yard scoring play.

Pearl River also returned a fumble by Northwest tailback Germichael Sanford of Courtland 44 yards for a touchdown, and used a 22-yard field goal by Travis Bradley to build its 24-0 lead at halftime.

The Rangers went to work in the third period and got on the board when Weston tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to receiver Xavier Lee of Pope.

Northwest added another score on the Wildcats' ensuing possession when cornerback Stacey Lake of Charleston returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown to trim the margin to 24-14 with 5:19 left in the third.

Pearl River answered when Jones threw a 31-yard scoring strike to Desmond Ratliff.

Weston, who completed 16 of 29 passes for 270 yards in the second half, rallied the Rangers with a pair of touchdown passes in a four-minute span. First, Weston hit receiver Devon Wilson of Oxford with a 25-yard scoring toss, then threw a 78-yarder to Lindsey. Lindsey finished with three catches for 120 yards.

The touchdown to Lindsey came after Northwest linebacker John Knox of Statesboro, Ga., recovered a fumble to stop a Wildcat drive at the Ranger 10-yard line.

"Good teams cause turnovers and turn them into points" said Woods. "Pearl River did it in the first half and we did it in the second."

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers rallied behind a suffocating defensive effort to blank the Hinds Eagles 23-0 in their home opener Sept. 3 at Bobby Franklin Field in Senatobia.

Northwest limited Hinds to a measly 120 total yards, including just three passing yards, to improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2004.

Hinds, which dropped to 1-1, could never sustain any offensive consistency against a tough Ranger defense that forced five turnovers and allowed the Eagles to complete only one of nine pass attempts. It marked the first time Northwest has shut out an opponent since the 2007 campaign when they blanked East Mississippi 14-0 in Senatobia.

Ranger sophomore quarterback Casey Weston of Prattville, Ala., added to his NJCAA-leading passing totals by completing 30 of 42 attempts for 337 yards and three touchdowns. Weston started the game with a hot hand with 11 consecutive completions. Ten different Northwest receivers caught at least one pass led by sophomore Michael Lindsey of St. Petersburg, Fla., who had five catches for 72 yards, including a beautiful one-handed 32-yard grab on a third down play.

The Ranger victory was marred by 14 penalties for 125 yards. Some of those penalties proved to be costly to Northwest on the scoreboard.

Northwest had the ball inside the Hinds 15-yard line on four occasions, but came away with just six points in the first half due to penalties that moved the Rangers away from the end zone. Northwest also missed a 26-yard field goal in the first half.

"We were really sloppy in the first and second quarters," said Ranger Head Coach Ricky Woods. "Our minds weren't where they were supposed to be. The team that we need the rest of the season showed up in the third and fourth quarters."

Northwest's defense wreaked havoc all night long by intercepting three passes. Linebacker Timothy Kirk (pictured left) of Charleston, and cornerbacks Aubrey Shelton of Grenada and Keshun Cowan of Olive Branch all had one pick each. Defensive tackles Chris Little of Macon, Ga., and Renaldo Buck of Sarah both recovered fumbles to stop Eagle possessions.

The Rangers led 6-0 at halftime after Weston hooked up with receiver Xavier Lee of Pope on a seven-yard touchdown.

Weston tossed a couple more touchdown passes in the third period by hooking up with receiver Otis Mays of Independence on an eight-yard pass, then connecting with receiver Marquise Green (pictured right) of Byhalia on a four-yard score. Mays also caught a pass from Weston for a two-point conversion.

Northwest added a 37-yard field goal by kicker Kevin Buford of Greenville in the fourth quarter.

"We had some people play well for us tonight," added Woods. "Despite the mistakes, I thought we played hard, but the most important thing is that we won."

Northwest stuns No. 2 Gulf Coast in season-opener

The Northwest Mississippi Community College Rangers haven't been very successful against the Gulf Coast Bulldogs the last few seasons.

Northwest, ranked pre-season No. 19, played its trump card in the form of receiver Michael Lindsey (pictured right) to end that run of bad luck and upset Gulf Coast 30-25 Aug. 27 in Perkinston in the season opener for both teams.

Gulf Coast, which entered the contest ranked No. 1 in the country in one pre-season poll and No. 2 in another, couldn't stop Lindsey who broke a 23-23 tie by catching a 70-yard touchdown pass from Casey Weston with 5:48 remaining in the contest to give the Rangers the victory.

Lindsay, a transfer from the University of Memphis and native of St. Petersburg, Fla., hauled in six passes for 141 yards in his debut in a Northwest uniform to help the Rangers stop their five-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.

"This is a great win for our program, our administration, the community and everyone involved with Northwest," said second-year Ranger Head Coach Ricky Woods. "We felt like we needed to come in and establish ourselves and come up with some big plays. We did that tonight."

Northwest's formula for success was winning the turnover battle. The Rangers turned it over just once, while Gulf Coast had three fumbles and an interception.

The last of those three fumbles was the most damaging for the Bulldogs.

Down 30-23, Gulf Coast moved the ball inside the Rangers' 10-yard line. The Bulldogs tried a toss sweep on third down, Ranger linebacker Desley Brown of Holly Springs and cornerback Keshun Cowan of Olive Branch nailed Gulf Coast tailback Mark Seymour and caused a fumble which was recovered by Northwest safety Bud Barksdale of Batesville.

Weston ran out of the end zone for a safety as time expired to preserve the win.

Weston, a sophomore from Prattville, Ala., completed 15 of 28 passes for a career-high 378 yards.

Weston got the Rangers going early by hooking up with freshman receiver Darryl Kinkle of Holly Springs on an 86-yard touchdown pass on Northwest's second play from scrimmage.

Gulf Coast tied the contest 24 seconds later when tailback Vick Ballard scored on an 85-yard run.

Northwest countered with a seven-yard touchdown run by freshman tailback JoJo Cox of Macon, Ga., and a 25-yard field goal by freshman kicker Kevin Buford of Greenville to claim a 16-7 lead in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs closed the half with a safety and a 29-yard field goal by Bo Bryan to trim their deficit to 16-12 at halftime.

In the second half, it looked as though Gulf Coast would continue its magic against the Rangers. The Bulldogs reeled off 11 consecutive points to take a 23-16 advantage with 13:33 remaining in the game.

But unlike recent games against Gulf Coast, Northwest didn't fold. The Rangers tied the game at 23-23 on a one-yard run by tailback Cox. The score was set up by a 62-yard pass from Weston to receiver Lynn Williams of Southaven which moved the ball to the Bulldog four-yard line.

"When we needed a crucial play tonight, somebody always made it for us," said Woods. "It seemed like it was a different person every time and that is what makes a team."