Lindsey Wilson
Coach: Chris Oliver (5-6 in one season at Lindsey Wilson)
Last season: 5-6 overall; 4-2 and third in the Mid-South Conference East
Outlook: Fresh off its first football season in 75 years, Lindsey Wilson was picked to finish this season where it did last season — third in the seven-team Mid-South Conference East.
"I'm obviously pleased that we are trending in the right direction in this poll from year one to year two of our program," Coach Chris Oliver said. "It's nice to have our progress recognized by other coaches in the conference.
"However, pre-season polls don't mean a whole lot once the pads go on."
The Blue Raiders are picked No. 51 in a pre-season poll of all 85 NAIA teams.
Key players: RB DeMichael Wallace; WR receiver Matt Powers; OL Jon Smith; OL Ryan Locker; OL Billy Roberts; LB Sam Wilson; LB Jake Lawrence; DL Aaron White; DB Keith Couch; DB Romell Freeman; DB Kevin Couch
Cole Claybourn
blue raiders' schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 3 CUMBERLAND 7 p.m.
Sept. 10 at Southern Virginia Noon
Sept. 17 BELHAVEN 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 24 CAMPBELLSVILLE 7 p.m.
Oct. 8 at Pikeville 12:30 p.m.
Oct. 15 at Union 11 a.m.
Oct. 22 KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 29 at West Virginia Tech 12:30 p.m.
Nov. 5 at Georgetown 12:30 p.m.
Nov. 12 VIRGINIA-WISE 1:30 p.m.Morehead State
Coach: Matt Ballard (95-89 in 17 years at MSU; 130-114-1 in 22 years overall)
Last season: 5-6 overall; 4-4 and fifth place in the Pioneer Football League
Returning starters: 17 (eight offense, eight defense, one special teams)
Outlook: The Eagles are sixth in the pre-season conference poll, but Ballard thinks the Eagles are capable of much more. The team's assets include "the ability to make plays. I think we can be pretty explosive offensively," he said. "Even though we will probably give up some things defensively at times, we just have the kind of guys that when it's the big moment, the big-time 'You've got to stop a drive down in the red zone,' ... we just have some guys that have a knack of stepping up and making big plays."
Question marks: Youth and depth in the interior lines are the biggest concerns. And, of course, health. "The folks that have won this (league) have been the folks that have had lady luck on their side and kept folks healthy, in the lineup," Ballard said. "They've stayed away from injuries and they've found a way to finish off games. If we can keep our big guns, our studs, in the lineup I think we can play with anybody."
Five players to watch
FB Desmond Cox: The team's leading rusher last season with 120 carries for 448 yards and two touchdowns, he also caught 19 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. A sports management major with a 3.4 GPA, Cox also is as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar, a team captain and, according to Ballard, "a threat to go the distance any time."
K/P Rainer Duzan: A first-team All-Pioneer selection as a sophomore last season, Duzan was 26-for-26 on PATs and led the league in field-goal percentage by nailing 11 of 13 kicks. He also averaged 38.4 yards per punt and landed 18 inside the 20-yard line.
DE Jerome Raymond: Second-team all-PFL last season, "he is a force to be reckoned with," Ballard said. He led the Eagles with 191/2 tackles for loss for 188 yards last season. He posted a team-best 11 sacks and led the defense with three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a TD, and had 59 total tackles.
QB Zach Lewis: A team captain and honorable-mention pre-season All-American, Lewis started all 11 games last season, completing 260 of 423 attempts (61.5 percent). He passed for 2,898 yards and 15 touchdowns. Said Ballard: "He finished second in the league last year in passing and he's not getting a whole lot of respect because he's a short, little guy from Kentucky."
DE Mark Hall: On the College Football Performance Awards pre-season watch list and also a team captain, Hall is coming off a season in which he totaled 55 tackles, including 16½ for loss, and three sacks. Hall also posted four pass break-ups, blocked a kick and created MSU's lone defensive safety.
Mark Maloney
Eagles' schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 1 KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN 7 p.m.
Sept. 10 at Illinois State 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 17 at St. Francis 1 p.m.
Sept. 24 SAN DIEGO 12:30 p.m.
Oct. 1 at Valparaiso 2 p.m.
Oct. 8 DRAKE 1 p.m.
Oct. 15 at Jacksonville 1 p.m.
Oct. 22 DAYTON 1 p.m.
Nov. 5 at Campbell 1 p.m.
Nov. 12 at Davidson 1 p.m.
Nov. 19 BUTLER 1 p.m.
Murray State
Coach: Chris Hatcher (6-5 in one year at MSU; 100-32 in 11 years overall)
Last season: 6-5 overall; 5-3 and tied for fourth place in the Ohio Valley Conference
Returning starters: 21 (10 offense, nine defense, two special teams)
Outlook: The Racers are picked second in a pre-season vote of OVC coaches and sports information directors, behind Jacksonville State. With so many starters back and a three-time all-conference kicker returning, MSU seems primed for a big season. QB Casey Brockman and RB Mike Harris each are among the top 10 FCS players at their respective positions, according to The Sports Network. Harris and Duane Brady are a daunting 1-2 running tandem. Arthur Brackett leads the receiving corps. All five starters return on an offensive line that allowed just 16 sacks in 515 pass attempts last season. On defense, Murray returns eight linemen who were in last year's rotation, including Jamal Crook, a four-year starter at end. The Racers also are deep in the defensive backfield, led by CB Dontrell Johnson.
Question marks: Will the Racers be able to absorb the loss of MSU's all-time leading receiver, Marcus Harris? With the loss of three players who started six or more games at linebacker last season, several moves have been made. Among them, Brandon Wicks goes from SS to OLB and Darrell Davis moves from nickel back to OLB.
Five players to watch
QB Casey Brockman: The OVC pre-season Offensive Player of the Year and honorable mention All-American is on numerous award watch lists, including the Walter Payton, an honor that goes to the top offensive player in the FCS. Brockman is a former walk-on who started the final six games of the 2010 season, setting single-game records for passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. He finished his sophomore season 213-for-320 for 2,442 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed 79 times for 292 yards and seven TDs.
PR/DB Dontrell Johnson: Named by several publications as a pre-season All-American, Johnson led the nation in 2010 with a 21.88 yard per punt return average. He returned two punts for touchdowns, a school season record. Johnson is a pre-season all-OVC pick both as a defensive back and return specialist.
RB Mike Harris: Despite missing all or parts of four games last season, Harris still rushed for 904 yards and 10 touchdowns. He rushed for more than 100 yards in four games, and became the third Racer ever to rush for more than 200 yards twice in a season.
WR Arthur Brackett: Brackett set a school freshman record by catching 62 passes for 617 yards and three touchdowns last season. He ranked second in the conference in receptions.
P/K Kienan Cullen: A three-time all-OVC pick and the pre-season place-kicker of the year, Cullen connected on a career-high 15 field goals last season and kicked 11 touchbacks. He also averaged 40.8 yards over 48 punts, with 10 downed inside the 20-yard line.
Mark Maloney
Racers' schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 1 at Louisville 5 p.m.
Sept. 10 at Mississippi Valley State 4 p.m.
Sept. 17 TENNESSEE STATE 6 p.m.
Sept. 22 at Tennessee-Martin 6 p.m.
Oct. 1 JACKSONVILLE STATE 6 p.m.
Oct. 8 at Georgia State Noon
Oct. 15 EASTERN ILLINOIS 3 p.m.
Oct. 29 EASTERN KENTUCKY 1 p.m.
Nov. 5 Tennessee Tech 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 12 AUSTIN PEAY 1 p.m.
Nov. 19 at Southeast Missouri 1 p.m.
Pikeville
Coach: Dudley Hilton (first year)
Last season: 2-8 overall; 2-4 and fifth in Mid-South Conference East
Outlook: Hilton, who enjoyed record success in Kentucky's high school football ranks, will look to build on that at Pikeville with the help of several local products.
"They're thrilled to be here and we're really excited to finally get them here and get started," said Hilton, who left Bell County High after last season tied for the record for most wins — 345 — for a Kentucky high school coach.
The Bears were picked to finish fourth in the Mid-South Conference East Division.
Returning will be quarterback Trevor Hoskins, who set single-season school records for completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns as a sophomore last season.
Hoskins, who Hilton considers one of the top quarterbacks in the country, is ready to improve on those numbers.
"Several of us have been here working hard this summer and it looks like the newcomers and the returning guys are ready to roll," he said. "There's a lot of enthusiasm here right now thanks to Coach Hilton, who I've known for a long time. It's great to see."
Hilton said his biggest challenge will be "getting control of a bunch of young men from different areas and getting them to play together as a team.
"We want to be known as a complete football team."
Hilton will be helped in that regard by a big-time transfer. Tight end Brett Slasher went to Auburn for a year, but transferred to Tennessee after Tommy Tuberville left. He left Tennessee and is now reunited with Hilton, who was his high school coach.
Key players: QB Trevor Hoskins; DL Eric Mobley; WR Jordan Amos; RB Jay Iverson; TE Brett Slasher; QB Reese Browning (transfer from UT-Chattanooga); WR Tanner Napier; FS Rodney Dontes; SS Jay Haddix; CB Larry West; LB John Dudley Hilton; LB Tanner Gilbert; DL Duke Morrison.
Cole Claybourn
bears' schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 3 SOUTHERN VIRGINIA 6 p.m.
Sept. 10 KENTUCKY WESLEYAN 6 p.m.
Sept. 17 at Shorter 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 24 FAULKNER 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 1 at Campbellsville 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 8 LINDSEY WILSON 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 15 GEORGETOWN 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 22 at Virginia-Wise 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 5 at West Virginia Tech 2:30 p.m.
Nov. 12 KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN 1:30 p.m.
Thomas More
Coach: Jim Hilvert (34-11 in four seasons at Thomas More)
Last season: 11-1 overall; 7-0 and first in the Presidents' Athletic Conference
Outlook: The Saints return 19 starters and 42 lettermen from last year's squad, which turned in the school's fifth undefeated regular season and second straight.
The Saints have won the Presidents' Athletic Conference for the past three years, so it's no surprise they were picked in a pre-season poll to make it four in a row.
"It is an honor to be picked first again this year," Hilvert said. "This pick recognizes past and present players. But, last year is last year. We have a lot of hard work to do this year."
Hilvert said his team must play with an edge and not get complacent to accomplish what the players set out to do this off-season.
Many of those players were named to the pre-season all-conference team or were an honorable mention.
"We have a good core of guys coming back from last year," Hilvert said. "We need guys to keep stepping up and being great leaders for us to be successful. The guys worked hard this past off-season and were humbled in the second round of the playoffs."
Nine starters will be back on offense, including all four linemen.
"Defensively, we have to fill in some spots, but we feel good about the perimeter guys coming," he said.
Key players: QB Rob Kues; RB Domonique Hayden; RB Kendall Owens; WR Austin Studer; WR Tony Bell; DB Zach Autenrieb; LB Nick Gramke; OL Jeremy Hoop; C Kevin Nalter; DL Jay Volker; DL John French; DL Jake Smith
Cole Claybourn
saints' schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 10 HANOVER 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 17 GENEVA 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 24 at Washington & Jefferson 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 1 at Thiel 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 8 GROVE CITY 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 15 at St. Vincent 1 p.m.
Oct. 22 BETHANY 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 29 at Westminster 2:30 p.m.
Nov. 5 WAYNESBURG 1 p.m.
Nov. 12 at Mount St. Joseph 1 p.m.
Union
Coach: Tommy Reid (35-56 in nine seasons at Union)
Last season: 7-4 overall; 4-2 in Mid-South Conference West
Outlook: After tying for second-place in the division last season, the Bulldogs are projected by conference coaches to finish fifth this year. Union lost several of its stars to graduation, including tailback Armond Smith. Smith was the West's offensive player of the year after scoring 16 touchdowns and averaging 125 yards per game. Offensive lineman Quintin Borders, a Bryan Station graduate, and defensive lineman Elisee Pompilus also depart after being named to West's all-conference first team. Linebacker Zach Eagler, a junior from Florence, has earned pre-season NAIA All-American honors. He led Union with 86 tackles last season. Mike Brinkley, who threw for 2,186 yards and 22 touchdowns, returns after being named the West's first-team quarterback last season.
bulldogs' schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 1 at Campbellsville 7
Sept. 10 KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN Noon
Sept. 15 at Tenn.-Martin 7 p.m.
Sept. 24 at Virginia-Wise 6 p.m.
Oct. 1 CUMBERLANDS Noon
Oct. 8 at Bethel 5 p.m.
Oct. 15 LINDSEY WILSON Noon
Oct. 22 at Belhaven 2:30 p.m.
Oct. 29 CUMBERLAND Noon
Nov. 5 SHORTER Noon
Nov. 12 at Faulkner 2:30 p.m.
