Northwest, Hinds set for MACCC title game after dramatic football finales

Northwest Mississippi Community College clinched the MACCC North Division football title Thursday, while Hinds reached the league championship game despite a one-point loss to Jones College. Those results set up the clearest statewide sports storyline from the 24 hours ending at 4:45 p.m. Central on Friday, October 30. The day also brought an in-state SWAC matchup, college basketball openers and a junior college volleyball semifinal. The original reports linked below were published by sister site Sports Mississippi within that fixed window.

Illustrative football file photo from the MS News Group library. It does not show the Northwest, Jones or Hinds games reported here. The library lists no photographer credit or caption.

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Northwest takes the MACCC North title

Northwest defeated East Mississippi 38-28 to finish 6-0 in the division and claim the MACCC North crown. The Rangers led 28-7 at halftime, then withstood two East Mississippi touchdowns early in the third quarter. A missed Lions field goal and a Northwest fumble recovery helped preserve the lead before the Rangers stretched it to 38-21. DJ Woods ran for a career-high 157 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, according to the Northwest-East Mississippi report.

Northwest, ranked fifth in the report, improved to 8-2. It is set to host Hinds for the MACCC and Region 23 championship. The source listed two possible dates for that game and said final details were still to come, so readers should check the teams’ updated schedules before making plans.

Jones edges Hinds, but Hinds reaches the final

Jones College erased an early 14-point deficit and survived a late Hinds rally to win 43-42 in Raymond. Hinds scored with three seconds left, but the extra-point attempt that would have tied the game went wide right. Jevarion Glover passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns for Jones, which finished 5-5. The game account says Jones scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter and led 28-20 at halftime.

Hinds finished 7-3 and still secured the South Division’s place in the MACCC championship against Northwest. The two results mean the title matchup is settled even though Hinds’ regular season ended in defeat. Jones and Hinds combined for 968 yards and 54 first downs in the finale.

Ole Miss prepares for an early Auburn kickoff

No. 12 Ole Miss is scheduled to host Auburn at 11:45 a.m. Saturday in Oxford. Stadium gates are set to open at 9:45 a.m., and campus parking operations begin at 7 a.m., according to the game-day guide reported by Sports Mississippi. Fans are urged to put mobile tickets in their wallets before arriving; screenshots and forwarded tickets will not work at the gate.

Construction at Jones Hall will also close parts of Grove Loop to through traffic. The university has designated a short-stop pickup and drop-off route from Jackson Avenue via Sorority Row. Those logistics matter for an unusually early start and a busy Saturday on campus.

Southern Miss seeks a second straight win

Southern Miss is scheduled to visit ULM at 2:30 p.m. Saturday after a 35-31 homecoming victory over Louisiana. Jamarice Wilder scored the winner with 58 seconds left in that game and ran for 154 yards; Steven Robinson added 145 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The ULM preview says the Golden Eagles, 2-5 overall and 1-2 in Sun Belt play, are seeking consecutive wins for the first time this season.

ULM enters at 1-6 after a late comeback against Troy. Southern Miss’ recent ground production gives the team a concrete route to building on last week’s result, though the matchup remains ahead.

Alcorn and Mississippi Valley State meet in Itta Bena

Alcorn State is scheduled to visit Mississippi Valley State at 2 p.m. Saturday. Both teams are 2-2 in SWAC play; Alcorn is 4-4 overall and Valley is 3-5, according to the in-state game preview. Alcorn quarterback Jaylon Tolbert has thrown for 2,361 yards, which the team says ranks second in the FCS. The Braves have won 12 straight meetings with Valley, including last season’s game.

The conference records make the matchup consequential for both Mississippi programs. The source lists Rice-Totten Stadium at Chuck Prophet Field as the venue and SWAC TV as the stream.

Valley women open with a comeback win

Mississippi Valley State began its women’s basketball season with an 81-67 victory over Tougaloo. Valley trailed 14-8 after the first quarter, then used a 23-7 second period, including a 15-0 run, to take control. Sydnei Marshall scored a game-high 18 points and added four assists, three steals and three blocks, according to the season-opener report.

Mariah Reed-Jones added 17 points and Ja’la Douglas scored 14. Valley shot 49.2% from the floor and outrebounded Tougaloo 46-33. Its next listed game is a road trip to Marquette on Tuesday.

Mississippi State tests its response before the opener

Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Chris Jans says the Bulldogs found several areas to fix in their exhibition against Memphis before Monday’s opener against Tennessee Tech. He was particularly concerned with the team’s second-half response and wants players to bring their practice effort into games, according to the account of his remarks. Jans said guard Josh Hubbard’s injury interrupted his practice rhythm, while praising Hubbard’s leadership.

The coach described the exhibition as useful film for a roster with only two players remaining from last season. His assessment frames the opener as an early measure of execution, without assuming how the team will perform.

Jones volleyball advances to Region 23 semifinal

Jones swept Gulf Coast 25-15, 25-7 and 25-17 in the NJCAA Region 23 quarterfinals. The Bobcats hit .292 as a team and recorded 11 aces, with Claire Wicker supplying seven of them. Izzi Barnes and Doise had 12 kills apiece, according to the match report. Jones improved to 24-7 and is scheduled to face top-seeded Northwest in Saturday’s semifinal in Senatobia.

The semifinal puts Jones against the top-seeded Northwest team. The quarterfinal sweep gives the Bobcats a decisive result heading into that tougher match.

Northwest basketball begins a new coaching era

Justin Mann enters his first season leading Northwest Mississippi’s men’s basketball team with plans for a more physical defense and a more traditional offense. The Rangers averaged more than 100 points per game last season but finished eighth in the conference; they were picked 12th in the new preseason poll, according to the team preview.

Sophomores Demetrius Duffy and Chancellor Terry return after averaging 15.7 and 13.3 points, respectively, last season. Mann says the shift in style should also help prepare players for four-year programs. Northwest’s first home game is scheduled for November 13 against Southeast Arkansas Community College.