No. 4 Northwest shutout by No. 1 Hutchinson in NJCAA semifinal

Photo: The Northwest defense played strong against Hutchinson but an early hole was too much for the Rangers in the NJCAA Semifinal at Gowans Stadium. (Credit Caleb Burggraaf/nwccrangers.com)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The No. 4 Northwest Mississippi Community College football season came to a quiet end Saturday night as the Rangers fell 27-0 to top-ranked Hutchinson Community College in the NJCAA Division I Football Playoff semifinals at Gowans Stadium.

The loss marks the first time the Rangers (10-2) have been shutout in 109 games, a streak dating back to Oct. 16, 2014.

While the Northwest defense posted strong individual performances, the offense struggled to find rhythm against the Blue Dragons (11-0). Northwest was held to 218 total yards of offense, including just 38 yards on the ground. Hutchinson controlled the tempo throughout the contest, dominating the time of possession with 38 minutes and 33 seconds.

Hutchinson took a 7-0 lead on their opening drive and capitalized on Ranger miscues, including a muffed punt recovery that led to a quick score, extending the lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter. The Blue Dragons added a rushing touchdown by quarterback Christian Johnson and a 44-yard field goal to take a commanding 24-0 lead into halftime.

Ranger quarterback Neko Fann threw for 180 yards but faced constant pressure, suffering three sacks and multiple hurries. M.J. Johnson led the receiving corps with 55 yards.

Defensively, Jerry Wall III delivered a standout performance for Northwest, recording 10 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a sack.

Hutchinson added a final field goal in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring at 27-0, advancing to the NJCAA National Championship.