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| Ph Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved |
From Southland Conference Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (July 27, 2016) Sam Houston State, which is coming off an 11-4 season and a run to the national semifinals, was picked as the favorite heading into the 2016 season as voted on by the league’s coaches and sports information directors, the league announced Wednesday at its annual media day at L’auberge Resort.
Sam Houston was the top pick by the coaches and the SIDs, receiving eight first-place votes and 99 points total in the coaches’ poll and nine first-place votes and 99 points in the SID poll. McNeese, last year’s regular-champion, earned the final two first-place votes from the coaches and the final first-place ote from the SIDs. Coaches and SIDs could not vote for their own team.
The Bearkats will be looking for their seventh conference title and are coming off a 7-2 mark in league play last season. Sam Houston returns 16 starters and 52 lettermen, including the preseason all-conference junior wide receiver/all-purpose player Yedidiah Louis and preseason all-conference junior defensive end P.J. Hall. Last season, the Bearkats reached the semifinals last season for the fourth time in five years. Nine preseason all-conference selections return on the offensive side for Sam Houston, while five defenders who received all-conference accolades return to Huntsville.
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| Photo by Robert Kelly Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved |
McNeese, which concluded last regular season as the only unbeaten FCS team at 10-0, was picked second in both polls with 92 points from the coaches and 86 from the SIDs. The Cowboys, who will be under the direction of new head coach Lance Guidry, return 13 starters and 69 letterwinners.
After finishing 7-4 overall and 7-2 in conference last season, Central Arkansas was slated third in both polls with 79 points from the coaches and 84 from the SIDs. The Bears return 10 preseason all-conference selections to a team that won four of their last five games to conclude the year.
Lamar was tabbed fourth in both polls after tying for fifth last season with a 4-5 league mark. The Cardinals, who return the league’s all-time single-season rusher in Kade Harrington, picked up 67 points in both polls.
Stephen F. Austin rounds out the top five in both polls with 60 points from the coaches and 66 from the SIDs. The Lumberjacks tied with Lamar last season at 4-5 in conference and will turn to senior quarterback Zach Conque to lead the offense.
Rounding out the final six spots in coaches’ poll are Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State, Abilene Christian, UIW, Nicholls and Houston Baptist. The six through 11 slots in the SID poll are listed as Northwestern, Southeastern, UIW, Abilene Christian, Nicholls and HBU.
2016 Southland Conference Preseason Polls
Coaches’ Poll
Pl.
|
School (First-place votes)
|
Pts.
|
1.
|
Sam Houston State (9)
|
99
|
2.
|
McNeese (2)
|
92
|
3.
|
Central Arkansas
|
79
|
4.
|
Lamar
|
67
|
5.
|
Stephen F. Austin
|
60
|
6.
|
Southeastern Louisiana
|
57
|
7.
|
Northwestern State
|
45
|
8.
|
Abilene Christian
|
40
|
9.
|
UIW
|
29
|
10.
|
Nicholls
|
26
|
11.
|
Houston Baptist
|
11
|
Sports Information Directors’ Poll
Pl.
|
School (First-place votes)
|
Pts.
|
1.
|
Sam Houston State (10)
|
100
|
2.
|
McNeese (1)
|
86
|
3.
|
Central Arkansas
|
84
|
4.
|
Lamar
|
67
|
5.
|
Stephen F. Austin
|
66
|
6.
|
Northwestern State
|
48
|
7.
|
Southeastern Louisiana
|
42
|
8.
|
UIW
|
39
|
9.
|
Abilene Christian
|
37
|
10.
|
Nicholls
|
26
|
11.
|
Houston Baptist
|
10
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