SENATOBIA, Miss. – The Hinds Community College football team came up just short in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) Championship on Saturday afternoon, falling 33-29 to Northwest Mississippi Community College at Bobby Franklin Field. Despite the setback, the Eagles capped off an impressive 2026 campaign with a 7-4 overall record, marking the program's most wins in a season since 2021.
The Eagles battled throughout the contest and put together a strong fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 22 points in the final period to make things interesting down the stretch.
Northwest took a 10-0 lead in the opening quarter before Hinds got on the scoreboard with 1:06 remaining. Quarterback Jaylon Ruffin connected with De'Traun Brown on a nine-yard touchdown pass, with Braylenn Spann adding the extra point to cut the deficit to 10-7.The Rangers extended their advantage to 17-7 before halftime and added a third-quarter field goal to take a 20-7 lead into the final period.
Northwest pushed its lead to 26-7 early in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles refused to go away. Hinds responded with three consecutive touchdown drives to take its first lead of the afternoon. Ruffin found Brown for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 13:08 remaining, cutting the deficit to 26-14. The Eagles continued to build momentum as Ruffin connected with Kelton Young on a 14-yard scoring strike at the 8:32 mark, making it a 26-21 contest.
After the Hinds defense came up with a key interception by Elijah Hunter, the Eagles capitalized on the opportunity. Ruffin connected with DJ Miller on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 2:14 remaining. Hinds converted the two-point attempt when Kiandre Terry hauled in a pass from Ruffin, giving the Eagles a 29-26 advantage.
However, Northwest answered with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Noah Gillon to Clydarrien Peters with just 1:19 remaining to regain the lead at 33-29. Hinds had one final opportunity to move down the field, but the Rangers defense held on fourth down to secure the championship victory.
Ruffin led the Eagles offensively, completing 29-of-39 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed nine times for 19 yards, finishing with 321 yards of total offense. Brown had a standout performance through the air, hauling in eight receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Miller finished with six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Young added three receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown. Kiandre Terry contributed four receptions for 56 yards and convered the two-point conversion, while Demar Gardner recorded seven catches for five yards. On the ground, C.J. Martin led the Eagles with 36 rushing yards on nine carries.
Defensively, Hinds recorded 60 total tackles, including five tackles for loss and two sacks. Brandon Brooks and Jermiah Campbell led the way with nine total tackles apiece. Campbell also recorded 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. Narco Dunn added eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack, while Floyd Harris finished with seven tackles and one tackle for loss.
The Eagles also forced two interceptions, with Elijah Hunter recording one interception for eight yards and Raymon Mckneely adding another.
Although the Eagles fell short of their ultimate goal, the 2026 season was a significant step forward for the Hinds football program. Finishing with a 7-4 record, the Eagles recorded their most victories since the 2021 season and earned a spot in the MACCC Championship game.
The season featured several memorable performances, record-breaking accomplishments and important victories as Hinds continued to establish itself as a contender in the conference. The Eagles will look to build on the success of the 2026 campaign as they prepare for the future.
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