When two Mississippi football teams meet on Thursday night in Senatobia, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) just might be hosting its best game of the year.

East Mississippi Community College has reigned supreme over the NJCAA for years, capturing four national titles, consistently owning a No. 1 national ranking and entering 2018 with a 98-13 record under coach Buddy Stephens, who once helped current Denver Broncos quarterback Chad Kelly ascend to Ole Miss. But its opponent this week is none other than Northwest Mississippi Community College, the same team that upset Stephens and Co. in a stunning 61-38 victory in 2017, then rematched EMCC in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) state title game.

East Mississippi and Northwest Mississippi have a dated rivalry, with Stephens' Lions victorious in 10 of the two sides' last 12 meetings. But as The Dispatch notes, a lot has changed in the last half-decade since EMCC famously stomped over Northwest in a 79-7 win on the road. While EMCC returned to No. 1 in the national rankings by topping Northwest in the state championship, both squads are formidable this season, and Thursday night's clash will pit the NJCAA's two top-ranked teams against each other again.

East Mississippi is 5-0 while averaging more than 480 total yards per game, and the Lions have outscored opponents 243-70, but they also faced stiff competition just a week ago in a 24-21 win over East Central Community College. The Northwest Rangers, meanwhile, are also 5-0 through five weeks. They've scored more than 50 points half as many times as the Lions, but they also beat No. 14 Holmes by more than two scores in their last outing.

Here's how to tune in when the two sides meet on Thursday night:

How to watch

Date: Thursday, Oct. 4
Time: 6:30 p.m. Central
Location: Ranger Stadium at Bobby Franklin Field (Senatobia, Mississippi)
Stream: SportsLive