Simon Fraser ranked last in pre-season GNAC poll

SPOKANE, Wash. – A year ago Central Washington may have been just a blocked extra point away from winning a NCAA Division II football national championship.

However, most of the key players off of that team that lost 21-20 to eventual national champion Northwest Missouri State in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals are gone.

Just seven of 22 starters and three of 18 players who received Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-star recognition return.

Among the losses were first team All-American linebacker Buddy Wood who had 111 tackles including 17 for losses, and wide receiver Johnny Spevak who ended his career as the second leading receiver in NCAA Division II history with 318 catches for 4,426 yards.

Graduation losses also cost the Wildcats the services of Prince Hall who had 104 tackles, 16 of them for losses, running back Randall Eldridge who led the GNAC in rushing with 935 yards and 12 touchdowns and kicker Garrett Rolsma who made 20 of 25 field goals and 40 of 42 extra points including 99 in a row at one point in his career.

Third-year coach Blaine Bennett, however, reloaded adding 14 Division I transfers perhaps the biggest one-year influx of talent from major college programs in school and conference history.

The Wildcats are thus once again a solid favorite to win the GNAC title, receiving all five first-place votes in the annual coaches pre-season poll.

Among the newcomers who could start is a quarterback from Oklahoma State (Alex Cate), an offensive lineman from the University of Richmond (Brian Agnis), linebackers from Nevada (Jared Silva-Purcell) and Illinois State (Paul Wright) and a defensive back from the University of Idaho (Eric Hunter).

CWU has won five GNAC titles in the seven-year history of the football conference, compiling a conference record of 31-4.

They are a perfect 14-0 in GNAC games in Bennett’s two seasons, losing just two playoff games and a 38-35 regular-season road decision to the University of Montana during that time.

Western Oregon once again appears to be the No. 1 threat to end the Wildcat title run.

WOU returns a league-best 51 letter winners. However, the Wolves will have a new starting quarterback and running back and also graduated their top receiver from a year ago.

Dixie State, which finished third in the coaches’ poll, also will be taking the field with a new starting quarterback and running back.

The Red Storm, do, however, have the top two tacklers in the GNAC from a year ago (linebackers Nick Cragin and Keauntea Bankhead) – and the nation’s seventh ranked punter (Mike Langston).

Humboldt State, which is coming off its first .500 season since 2006, is the only team in the conference returning its No. 1 QB (Mike Proulx) though CWU’s Ryan Robertson did make eight starts as a freshman before being replaced late in the year by senior Cole Morgan.

The Lumberjacks also return a league-best 16 starters – nine on offense and seven on defense – and the GNAC’s top returning receiver (Matt Devlin) from the 2009 season.

Simon Fraser is a new addition to the conference after going 3-5 in the Canada West Conference a year ago.

The Clan, which finished fifth in the pre-season poll, is the first Canadian school to be granted NCAA membership.

Central Washington and Dixie State will be the first GNAC teams to open their seasons as they had signed contracts for August games prior to the NCAA voting to move the official opening date back a week to the first week of September.

The Wildcats face Minnesota Duluth next Saturday (Aug. 28) in a regionally-televised game (SWX-TV, Spokane) with national playoff implications.

The Bulldogs are ranked fourth in the American Football Coaches Association pre-season national poll, while the Wildcats are ranked fifth.

Dixie State, meanwhile, will debut on the road against Adams State (Colo.) from the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Humboldt State opens its season on Sept. 4 against Division I Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, while Western Oregon travels to Canada for its opener against Simon Fraser. CWU and Dixie State will open their conference seasons against each other on that date.

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Great Northwest Coaches Pre-Season Poll 2009 Record Pts
1. Central Washington (5) 12-1 (6-0) 25
2. Western Oregon 5-5 (3-3) 19
3. Dixie State 4-7 (2-4) 14
4. Humboldt State 5-5 (1-5) 12
5. Simon Fraser 3-5 (3-5) 5
(Note: First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis).

2010 GNAC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

August: 28 – Minnesota-Duluth at Central Washington, 1 p.m.; Dixie State at Adams State, noon.

September: 4 – Central Washington at Dixie State, 7 p.m.; Humboldt State at Cal Poly SLO, 6 p.m.; Western Oregon at Simon Fraser, 4 p.m. 11 – Central Washington vs. Eastern Washington (at Qwest), 6 p.m.; Humboldt State at Dixie State, 7 p.m.; Southern Oregon at Simon Fraser, 3 p.m.; Western Oregon at Sac State, 6:05 p.m. 18 – Dixie State at Central Washington, 1 p.m.; Menlo at Humboldt State, 6 p.m.; Simon Fraser at Western Oregon, 1 p.m. 25 – Central Washington at Simon Fraser, 3 p.m.; Humboldt State at Western Oregon, 1 p.m.

October: 2 – Central Washington at Humboldt State, 6 p.m.; Dixie State at Simon Fraser, 3 p.m.; Western Oregon at Southern Oregon, 1 p.m. 8 – Simon Fraser at British Columbia, 7 p.m. 9 – Southern Oregon at Central Washington, 1 p.m.; Western Oregon at Dixie State, 1 p.m.; Humboldt State at Azusa Pacific, 6 p.m. 16 – Western Oregon vs. Central Washington (at Qwest), 6 p.m.; Dixie State at Humboldt State, 6 p.m. 23 – Humboldt State at Central Washington, 1 p.m.; Simon Fraser at Dixie State, 1 p.m.; Azusa Pacific at Western Oregon, 2 p.m. 30 – Dixie State at Western Oregon, 2 p.m.; Humboldt State at Simon Fraser, 3 p.m.

November: 6 – Simon Fraser at Central Washington, noon; Dixie State at Southern Utah, 1 p.m.; Western Oregon at Humboldt State,

TEAM-BY-TEAM PREVIEW

Central Washington (12-1, 6-0, 1st)

While the Wildcats were hit hard by graduation – their 26 returning lettermen are the fewest of the four returning conference teams – they have had strong recruiting classes in each of Bennett’s two seasons and had a solid nucleus available prior to adding the Division I transfers.

Among their returnees is Robertson (6-3, 200, So., Sammamish, WA – Eastlake), who passed for 1,275 yards and 13 touchdowns in his freshman season, and Bryson Kelly (6-2, 235, Sr., Mukilteo, WA – Kamiak), who is the top returning running back in the conference, netting 548 yards on 113 carries and earning second team GNAC all-star honors in a reserve role.

Robertson, who is currently listed No. 2 on CWU’s depth chart behind Cate, completed 125 of 218 passes in nine games last season.

Cate (6-1, 200, Sr., Salt Lake City, UT) was a backup at Oklahoma State for three seasons completing four of 14 passes, including 0 for 9 last season in his only start against the University of Colorado.

Among CWU’s seven returning starters are two 2009 all-stars – defensive tackle Eugene Germany (6-3, 276, Sr., Pomona, CA), who had 37 tackles, including 10 ½ for losses to earn first team all-star honors, and linebacker Adam Bighill (5-10, 222, Sr., Montesano, WA), who ranked third on the team in tackles (78) and tackles for losses (13 ½) to earn second team accolades.

The only other returning starters are Robertson, left tackle James Meeks (6-5, 294, Sr., Oakland, CA), center Joey Tivnan (6-2, 286, So., Centralia, WA) , wide receiver Jamal Weems (5-11, 180, Sr., Seattle, WA – Cleveland) and defensive end Andrew Oney (6-3, 258, Jr., Spanaway, WA – Spanaway Lake).

Meeks, who will likely miss the season with an injury, started 12 games and Tivnan started all 13 last season, while Weems was the team’s fourth leading receiver with 25 catches for 205 yards. Oney had 22 tackles, four of them for losses.

Other returning players who have made significant contributions in the past include wide receiver Justin Helwege (6-5, 215, Jr., Sammamish, WA – Eastlake), and defensive end Tyrell Nielsen (6-6, 250, Jr., Woodland, WA).

Helwege had 14 receptions for 171 yards and three touchdown last season and has career totals of 24 catches for 461 yards and four touchdowns. He has made five career starts, four as a freshman.

Nielsen sat out last season after making 23 starts as a freshman and sophomore and earning 78 tackles. He was a second team all-conference selection in 2008.

Among the newcomers is Agnis (Sr., San Diego, CA), who will give the offensive line a boost. The 6-5, 302 pounder played 25 games in three seasons at the University of Richmond.

On defense, the key additions include Silva-Purcell (5-10, 225, Sr., Honolulu, HI), Wright (5-10, Sr., Martinez, CA), Hunter (5-7, 162, Sr., Pasco, WA) and Tre Watson (5-10, 180, So., Seattle, WA – Kennedy) from West Hills College in California.

Silva-Purcell played 22 games at linebacker in two seasons at Nevada, while Wright played in 19 games in two seasons at Illinois State.

Wright started five games and ranked eighth on his team in tackles. He ranked third on the team in tackles as a sophomore with 62 and was selected to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Newcomer team.

Hunter played in 33 games in three seasons at Idaho, making two starts in his sophomore season.

Other additions this fall include wide receiver/punt returner Kollin Hancock (6-0, 188, Sr., Columbus, OH), who played two games at the University of Tulsa, nose guard Toby Turpin (6-4, 315, Sr., Los Alamitos, CA), who played in 26 games in three seasons at Washington State, defensive back Brandon Jones (5-9, 190, Sr., Seattle, WA) who started 11 games and had 37 tackles at WSU and Kyle Petersen (6-6, 248, Sr., Alta Loma, CA) who played three seasons and averaged 41.9 on 100 career punts at UTEP.

Western Oregon (7-4, 5-3, 2nd-T)

While the Wolves return nine all-stars among their 51 returning letter winners, they are missing many of the skilled position players from last year’s team.

Gone is quarterback Josh Riddell who threw for 2,430 yards and 16 touchdowns. Also unavailable is running back DJ Jackson, who rushed for 381 yards and wide receiver Sean Fullerton who caught 67 passes for 838 yards.

AJ Robinson (6-0, 200, Sr., Redmond, OR), who played in seven games but attempted just two passes, leads a deep group of quarterbacks in the competition for the starting position after running the first team in spring drills.

Also in contention are Idaho State transfer Evan Mozzochi (6-4, 230, Jr., Vancouver, WA – Columbia River) and letterman Cory Bean (6-5, 245, Jr., Hillsboro, OR).

Mozzochi completed six of 22 passes for 44 yards last season for the Bengals, while Bean appeared in just one game and did not throw a pass.

Likewise, the Wolves don’t have any real experience at the running back position after Jackson was ruled academically ineligible.

Of the returnees. Adryan Allen (6-0, 225, Sr., Salem, OR – North Salem) saw the most action a year ago netting four yards on six carries.

At the receiver position, six players caught 10 or more passes a year ago and only two return – Justin Ore (6-3, 200, Sr., Anchorage, AK) and Trevor Gates (5-9, 185, Jr., Hillsboro, OR).

Ore caught 27 for 513 yards and three touchdowns and was a second team all-conference selection. Gates caught 22 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns.

The return of Demario Ballard (6-6, 220, Sr., Thomson, GA), however, will give a boost to the receiving corps. Ballard sat out last season after catching 35 passes for 566 yards and seven touchdowns in earning second team all-conference honors in 2008.

Whomever does end up at quarterback will have two returning all-stars for protection. Among the returning offensive lineman are second team GNAC all-stars Chester Anonson (6-1, 270, Sr., Monroe, WA) and Jason Slowey (6-4, 310, Jr., Medford, OR – North Medford).

On defense, the Wolves return five all-stars including three on the line.

Defensive tackle Kalani Zoller (6-4, 300, Sr., Marysville, WA – Marysville-Pilchuck) had 26 tackles and was a first team GNAC all-conference selection, while defensive end Levi Smith (6-4, 275, Jr., Hermiston, OR) and tackle Sitani Tupou (6-3, 295, Sr., Sacramento, CA) were second team selections.

Smith had 22 tackles, including six for losses of 22 yards. Tupou had 12 tackles, 4 ½ for losses. He also broke up four passes.

Another returning all-star is defensive back Caleb Singleton (6-4, 210, Sr., Salem, OR – West Salem), who led WOU in tackles with 83, including 42 primary stops. Singleton also ranked second on the team in interceptions with three for 64 yards in earning first team all-star honors.

Linebacker J.T. Gilmore (6-3, 275, Sr., Lincoln City, OR – Taft) also returns after missing the 2009 season. He was a second team GNAC all-star in 2008 and has 253 career tackles in three previous seasons.

Other returning players who started at least four games a year ago include tight end Ben Heidenreich (6-5, 240, So., Twin Falls, ID), offensive lineman Alan Noble (6-3, 270, Sr., Eagle Creek, OR), defensive linemen Gavin Drake (6-3, 265, So., Portland, OR – Central Catholic) and Onest Robert (6-4, 310, Sr., Portland, OR) and linebacker Gerrit Vincent (5-9, 220, Sr., Hauula, HI).

Heidenreich made six starts and caught three passes for 44 yards. Noble started the final four games of the season.

Drake played 10 games, starting eight, and had 16 tackles, while Robert had 22 tackles in 10 games starting four including the final three games of the season.

Vincent played in all 10 games, starting four, and ranked fifth on the team in tackles with 32 and also had an interception and fumble recovery.

The Wolves also return both of their kickers from a year ago. Punter Scott Buche (6-5, 200, Jr., Myrtle Point, OR) averaged 35.4 yards, while Kelly Morgan (5-9, 170, So., Sherwood, OR) converted on seven of 15 field goals and 21 of 25 extra points.

Dixie State (4-7; 2-4, 3rd)

Scott Brumfield takes over head coaching duties this fall at Dixie State.

Brumfield has nine starters available from last year’s Red Storm team, but just three on defense.

The trio, however, were the “heart and soul” of the Dixie defensive group, finishing first, second and fifth on the team in tackles.

Linebacker Nick Cragin (5-10, 205, Sr., Issaquah, WA – Skyline) led the GNAC in stops with 107, two more than fellow linebacker Keauntea Bankhead (6-1, 255, Sr., Seattle, WA – Ballard) .

Both players earned first team GNAC all-conference honors.

In addition to his tackle total, Craig had 11 ½ stops for losses totaling 44 yards and two interceptions. Bankhead was credited with 8 ½ tackles for losses of 33 yards.

Also back on defense is end Nick Rocco (6-0, 225, Sr., Sammamish, WA – Skyline), who was among the conference leaders in tackles for losses, ranking fourth with 13 and was a second team all-conference selection.

Only four other players earned starts on defense – safety Jerrod Tennell (6-1, 225, Sr., Las Vegas, NV), cornerback Nick Porrazzo (6-1, 175, Jr., Rescue, CA – Ponderosa) and linebackers Sean Lindsay (6-1, 225, So., St. George, UT – Pineview) and Christian Case (6-0, 230, Jr., West Jordan, UT – West Jordan).

Tennell and Lindsay each started four games and had 42 and 28 tackles, respectively Porrazzo, who made three starts, had 10 tackles. Case had 14 tackles in 10 contests, starting one.

On offense, six players started four or more games and five others made at least one start.

Gone, however, is quarterback Judd Thompson, who threw for 2,784 yards and 19 touchdowns, running back Tauni Vakapuna who rushed for 511 yards and six touchdowns and wide receiver Skyler Ence who caught 51 passes for 569 yards. Vakupuna transferred to the University of Utah.

Nick Marinko (6-2, 195, So., Washington, UT – Pineview), who completed six of 21 passes in his freshman season, is the likely starter at QB.

Also available at QB are two transfers from Division I schools – Jake Lammers (6-2, 196, So., Jerome, ID) from Idaho State and Spencer Young (6-3, 200, Fr., Salt Lake City, UT) from Weber State. Neither, however, got into a game last season.

The leading returning rushers from a year ago are Jesse Ence (5-9, 200, Jr., St. George, UT – Pineview) and Adam Wells (5-9, 203, Sr., Kenmore, WA – Inglemoor), who each had 31 yards.

Wells did catch 38 passes for 389 yards and five touchdowns and earned second team all-conference honors at two positions – wide receiver and kick returner.

Also back from last year’s receiving corps is Nash Fowler (5-11, 190, Sr., Orem, UT – Timpanogas), who had 39 catches for 518 yards and three touchdowns. He made 10 starts.

Other returning starters include tight end Alex Nelsen (6-4, 230, Sr., Brigham City, UT – Box Elder), wide receiver Kyser Christensen (6-3, 215, Sr., Boise, ID – Centennial), center Braeden Dillon (6-1, 275, Sr., Lodi, CA), guard Tyler Harris (6-4, 280, Sr., Delta, UT) and tackle Braysen Deering (6-3, 260, Jr., Kent, WA – Kent-Meridian).

Nelsen caught 23 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown in his 10 starts, while Christensen had 24 catches for 450 yards. Christensen started the first four games of the season before missing the next five contests. He then returned to play in Dixie’s final two games.

Dillon is Dixie’s top returning lineman after starting all 10 games and earning first team all-conference honors. Harris and Deering started five and four games, respectively.

Also earning starts during the season were Wells (2 games), Ence (1 game), running back Sione Tapuosi (5-11, 235, Jr., East Palo Alto, CA), lineman Josh Ramage (6-4, 255, So., Lindon, UT – Pleasant Grove) and wide receiver Darren Carter (6-2, 190, Jr., Sandy, UT – Jordan).

Tapuosi and Ramage each made two starts and Carter, who caught four passes for 65 yards, made one.

Among the specialty team players returning from last year are punter/kicker Mike Langston (6-2, 200, Sr., Riverside, CA – Ramona), Fowler and Wells.

Langston ranked seventh nationally in punting averaging 41.6 yards and also made nine of 12 field goals and 21 of 27 extra points.

Fowler had 20 punt returns for 96 yards and Wells had 13 kick returns for 246 yards.

Humboldt State (5-5, 1-5, 4th)

With the most returning starters (16) and all-stars (8) and the conference’s only full-time returning starting quarterback among 40 returning lettermen, the Lumberjacks have high hopes of improving on last year’s fourth-place finish.

The ‘Jacks won just one conference game a year ago, but four of their five conference losses were by a combined margin of 15 points (1, 3, 4 and 7). Its other loss was a 38-7 blowout at Central Washington.

Back at quarterback are starter Mike Proulx (5-11, 203, Jr., Castro Valley, CA) and backup Chris Bolt (6-5, 242, Jr., Lynden, WA).

Proulx completed 147 of 248 passes for 2,020 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Bolt converted on 36 of 70 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns and also provided head coach Rob Smith versatility with his running ability, netting 143 yards on 34 rushes.

Proulx, who earned second team all-conference honors, is one of nine returning starters on offense.

Other returning offensive all-stars include tight end Matt Devlin (6-3, 240, Sr., Chugiak, AK), center Taylor Boggs (6-3, 303, Sr., Upland, CA), guard Riordan Gomez (6-2, 314, Sr., Petaluma, CA) and wide receiver Edwin Henry (5-7, 159, Sr., Stockton, CA – Franklin).

Devlin caught 40 passes for 576 yards and six touchdowns in earning first team accolades. Boggs, who is considered an All-American candidate, was also a first team selection while Gomez earned second team honors.

Henry, who started just two games, earned second team honors as a punt returner, netting 160 yards on 13 returns (12.3).

Other returning players who started four or more games on offense included wide receiver Dirk Dallas (6-3, 205, Jr., Lynden, WA) who had 33 receptions for 453 yards and three touchdowns, fullback Will Duka (5-9, 230, So., San Diego, CA), who made four starts when HSU opened with a two-back set; tackles Drew Shaw (6-3, 280, Jr., Encinitas, CA) and Brandon Hribar (6-7, 310, Sr., Encinitas, CA) and guard Daniel Rios (6-0, 304, Sr., San Diego, CA).

Joining Dallas in the receiving corps will be Kevin Miles (5-8, 172, Jr., Sacramento, CA – Del Campo), who missed the 2009 season after earning second team all-conference honors in 2008 when he caught a team-best 45 passes for 306 yards.

Among HSU’s returning running backs reserve Daniel Wyatt (5-8, 170, So., Vallejo, CA – St, Vincent) gained the most yards last season netting 146 yards on 31 carries.

Wyatt nearly matched that total last spring in one scrimmage, rushing for 143 yards.

Supplementing the HSU running attack this fall will be Lyndon Rowells (5-10, 200, Jr., Largo, FL), who earned JC All-American honors two years ago at the College of the Redwoods, rushing for 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns. He played in two games last season at Midwestern State.

On defense, the only two returning all-stars for the Lumberjacks are Guy Ricciardulli (5-10, 204, Sr., San Diego, CA) and Elzie Gatson (5-10, 167, Sr., San Diego, CA – San Diego Mesa).

Ricciardulli ranked second on the team in tackles with 61 and had three interceptions in earning first team all-star honors. Gatson, who had 35 tackles and tied for the conference lead in interceptions with five, was a second team pick.

Four other defensive stalwarts started six or more games including tackle Chris Holmes (6-1, 283, Sr., Anchorage, AK), defensive end Jacob Taylor (6-2, 242, Sr., Colton, CA) and linebackers Chris Peterson (5-11, 208, So., La Mesa, CA) and Michael Lynch (5-10, 225, Sr., Sacramento, CA).

Holmes had 37 tackles, including three for losses, while Taylor made 30 stops, 5 ½ for losses of 15.

Peterson ranked third on the team in tackles with 52 from his linebacker slot. Five came behind the line of scrimmage. Lynch had 47 tackles to rank fifth on the team and also intercepted two passes.

Also back on the defense is lineman Justin Hornsby (6-3, 238, Sr., Jamul, CA), who missed most of the 2009 season because of an injury. He had 26 tackles in 11 games two years.

Three transfers should also contribute defensively – linemen Andrew Iupati (6-1, 310, Jr., American Samoa) from the University of Oregon and Phillip Edwards (6-3, 235, Sr.) from Boise State and linebacker Seann Reed (6-0, 222, Sr., Crescent City, CA) from Nevada Reno.

Iupati did not play in any games at Oregon, however Edwards participated in 21 games in three seasons (2005-07) at Boise State, while Reed played in six games last year at Reno.

Simon Fraser (3-5)

Simon Fraser begins its first season in the GNAC this fall after competing in the Canada West Conference for the past decade.

The Clan last played American-rules football in 2001 when they finished with a 4-5 record.

SFU was a member of the Columbia Football Association between 1985 and 2000, a conference that also included Central Washington, Western Oregon and Humboldt State.

SFU’s best finish in the CFA were seconds in 1986, 1992 and 1996.

A year ago Simon Fraser finished fourth in the Canada West Conference with a record of 3-5. Seventeen players, including eight starters return off that team.

Among the returnees is defensive back Nigel Palma (5-9, 165, Sr., Vancouver, BC), who earned first team Canada West all-star honors. Palma had 20 tackles and had interception in seven games.

Three starters are back on offense for fourth-year head coach Dave Johnson.

Back on offense are wide receiver Mathis Baumbach (6-5, 220, Sr., White Rock, BC), tight end Jerod Zaleski (6-4, 240, Jr.) and lineman Bradley Erdos (6-3, 260, So., Coaldale, AB).

Baumbach caught 24 passes for 340 yards last season, while Zaleski had 15 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

The top returning running back is Gabriel Ephard (5-10, 195, Jr., North Vancouver, BC), who averaged 7.7 yards per carry, netting 444 yards on 58 carries.

Ephard led SFU in all-purpose running with 733 total yards, including 235 on 12 kick returns and 54 on five receptions.

The only quarterback with experience on the roster is Ryan Schwartz (6-3, 195, So., North Vancouver, BC), who played in one game, completing two of four passes for 31 yards.

Schwartz is the probable starter though athletic JC transfer Quinton Agosta (6-2, 200, Jr., Bainbridge Island, WA – Santa Rosa) will challenge for the opening day start and former Manitoba provisional sprint champion Ben Allen (6-0, 180, Fr., Winnepeg, MB – Kelvin) will provide depth in various packages.