Senatobia, Miss. - The Northeast Mississippi Community College football program will open the conference portion of its schedule away from the City of Hospitality for the first time in three years.
The Tigers visit rival Northwest Mississippi Community College on Thursday, September 10 for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division opener for both squads. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Bobby Franklin Field.
Those that cannot attend the matchup can watch it live on NEMCCTV, which is the broadcast home of all nine Northeast intercollegiate athletic programs. Join Jeremy Kennedy and Bryan Fenley at 6 p.m. for the pregame show by visiting www.nemcctv.com on any computer, smartphone or tablet.
Fans can also keep up with all the action using live in-game updates on Twitter by searching and following @NEMCCTigers. Interact during the contest by using the hashtag #TigerPower across all social media platforms.
The Tigers have rebounded nicely during practice this week according to head coach Greg Davis after falling to two consecutive nationally ranked opponents during non-division tune-ups.
"They're focused and putting forth the effort there's no doubt about that," said Davis. "The biggest thing for us is to just continue the course. There's no pressure on us and at the end of the day I think we're going to be fine."
Northeast looks to get its offense in motion with Tiberias Lampkin at running back. The West Oktibbeha High School graduate is currently sixth in the Magnolia State with 174 total yards on 34 touches.
Amory's Jaylon Fair and Joe Horn, Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., top the Tigers (0-2) with a team-best seven catches apiece. Horn, Jr., is listed at ninth in the entire country with 21.9 yards per catch.
Tupelo High School alumnus Demarcus Rogers remains one of the defensive leaders with 14 tackles overall. Nicky Martin of Pontotoc and Grenada native Brandon Tillman are tied with Rogers for a team-high eight solo stops.
Raleigh, N.C., product Anthony Rush and East Oktibbeha High School's Justin Williams have made a habit of getting into the backfield of their opposition. The linemen have combined for 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in two games so far this season.
Donta Armstrong has been nothing short of phenomenal on special teams for Northeast. The kickoff returner from Bruce has 146 yards on only six attempts, which ranks third in the MACJC and 10th nationwide.
The Rangers are the only remaining unbeaten group among the members of the MACJC North Division. Northwest appears at No. 10 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) poll.
Gardner Minshew guides the Rangers from the quarterback position. He was selected as the MACJC Offensive Player of the Week following Northwest's opening win over Jones County Junior College with 332 passing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Reigning NJCAA All-American Justin Crawford remains a threat for the Rangers. He has a pair of 100-plus yard rushing performances in as many outings this year and 50 carries already.
Northwest (2-0) boasts five double-digit tacklers at this point in the campaign. Steven Bradley has a team-best 14 takedowns and is followed closely by Quondarius Qualls at 13.
"We've got to execute our job and that's the number one thing," Davis said. "As coaches and players we understand that role. We've just got to out there and continue doing what we need to do."
The Tigers have won three of the last four meetings between the two institutions on the gridiron. The last time that Northeast matched this mark was during a stretch from 1977-80 with NJCAA Hall of Fame inductee W.B. "Bill" Ward on the sidelines.
Current University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) student-athlete Jeremy Liggins lifted the Tigers to a 34-21 win over Northwest during the most recent matchup in Senatobia. Liggins came off the bench and had 154 yards on only six completions with three touchdowns.
Northeast claimed its inaugural overtime victory in program history last season in a come-from-behind 25-19 decision over the Rangers. LaVontis Smith, who is now at North Carolina Central University, caught the winning touchdown after the Tigers held the visitors scoreless during their possession.
Northwest is ahead in the all-time series 34-19-2. The two sides initially met in 1949 with the Tigers capturing a shutout 34-0 triumph over the Rangers during the first game in program history.