Northeast holds off Southwest 18-15 for first football win

Northeast Mississippi Community College earned its first football victory of 2026 by holding off Southwest Mississippi 18-15 on September 3. The Tigers improved to 1-1 after surviving a late comeback and a final throw toward the end zone.

Jeb Bolen returned an interception 64 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, extending Northeast’s lead to 18-7 with 6:34 remaining. After Southwest closed the gap, Raiyen Oatis stopped a last-second completion at the 11-yard line, and Miles Foster broke up the final pass.

Freshman quarterback Xae Mayes scored on a 12-yard run and connected with Micah Pledger for a 22-yard touchdown. Mayes completed 17 of 29 passes for 215 yards.

Torell Henderson led the defense with 12 tackles, while Jerone Baskin added 11. Daniel Sherman averaged 47 yards per punt and placed five of his six punts inside the 20. Northeast forced three turnovers in the win.

Source: NEMCC Athletics release, September 08, 2026. Summarized from the college’s announcement. Photo: NEMCC Athletics.