2013 GSC Football Pre-Season Release, Aug. 7
Complete Release (PDF)
VSU AND UWA NAMED GSC PRE-SEASON FOOTBALL CO-FAVORITES
Birmingham, AL—For the first time in 19 years, there was a tie at the top of the GSC Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll.
Last year,
Valdosta State finished one point ahead of
West Alabama for tops on the Pre-Season list, but this year defending Conference champion UWA tied defending NCAA Champion VSU for first-place with 23 points. Both teams accumulated the exact same votes, garnering three first-place and two second-place nods each. The tie at the top marked just the second first-place tie in history of the poll, dating back to 1972.
Only two points separates the next three spots.
North Alabama finished third behind 14 points, while
Delta State and
West Georgia shared fourth-place, garnering 12 points.
GSC newcomer Florida Tech completed the poll in sixth-place, tallying six votes in its first official NCAA Division II football season.
|
SCHOOL |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
5th |
Total |
|
Valdosta State |
3 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
23 |
|
West Alabama |
3 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
23 |
|
North Alabama |
— |
1 |
2 |
2 |
— |
14 |
|
Delta State |
— |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
|
West Georgia |
— |
— |
3 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
|
Florida Tech |
— |
— |
— |
1 |
4 |
6 |
NOTE: The Head Coaches voted in this poll. Teams received 5 points for a first place vote, 4 for a second place vote, etc. The Head Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own squads.
CLOSER LOOK AT THE GSC COACHES’ POLL
A Tie At The Top...
Valdosta State and West Alabama finished in a first-place tie in this year’s GSC Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll. The tie at the top marked just the second in the history of the poll and first since Valdosta State and North Alabama tied in 1994.
First-place By The Numbers...
Valdosta State pulled into a tie for second place in the number of first-place GSC Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll rankings, posting their eighth along with former member Troy State. The Blazers finished in sole possession of the top spot in last year’s poll. West Alabama secured its third first-place pre-season nod, first since 1976. The Tigers also earned the top position in the inaugural poll in 1972.
Fulfilling the Prophecy...
Out of the past 38 Pre-Season Coaches polls on record, 13 first-place teams have gone on to hoist the GSC trophy in November. Delta State is the most recent Pre-Season favorite to go on and win the Title in 2011.
How Have Newcomers Faired?...
Dating back to 1973, there have been 12 new additions to the GSC football ranks. Florida Tech becomes No. 13 in 2013 and enters the season in last place in the Coaches’ Poll. Four previous first-time members also began their league membership in the final poll position (Nicholls State in 1972, Mississippi College in 1973, Henderson State in 1993 and Ouachita Baptist in 2000). The good news for FIT is that neither one of those four teams finished the year in last place. HSU posted the best regular season finish in fifth place.
INSIDE THE GSC HUDDLE
GSC WELCOMES FLORIDA TECH TO ITS FOOTBALL RANKS
For the second year in a row, the GSC adds a new school into its football ranks as
Florida Tech becomes the league’s first-ever football associate member. Already an official Division II member in the Sunshine State Conference, FIT will be eligible for the Conference Crown and all in-season and post-season honors.
SHORTER MOVED UP TO PROVISIONAL MEMBER
Shorter must wait one more season until they are an official GSC member, entering 2013-14 as Provisional Member in the Conference and NCAA Division II. SU turned in an impressive 2012 campaign, playing a full league schedule and picking up wins over Delta State and West Georgia.
COOLEY TABBED TO LEAD DSU PROGRAM
Delta State features a new head football coach for the second year in a row when
Todd Cooley was selected to lead the Green-and-White for 2013. Cooley is a first-time head coach, but he brings impressive offensive credentials with him to Cleveland after serving as an offensive coordinator since 2004. From 2009-2012, his Northwest Louisiana State Demons’ offenses were some of the top units in the Southland Conference. Cooley is no stranger to the GSC, working at former member’s Central Arkansas from 2005-08 and his alma mater Arkansas Tech in 2004. As a player, Cooley set 13 school records at quarterback for Arkansas Tech in 1996-97 and was a finalist for the 1997 Harlon Hill Trophy.
DSU TO TAKE PART IN LONE STAR FOOTBAL FESTIVAL
For the third year in a row, a GSC institution is featured as a participant in the third-annual Lone Star Football Festival. The festival returns to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX and features seven college games in three days. Delta State makes its first-ever trip to Cowboys Stadium, facing Texas A&M-Commerce in the second game of Day Two at 5:00 pm. The GSC is 2-0 in the Lone Star Football Festival after North Alabama won in 2011 and Valdosta State claimed victory in 2012.
FLORIDA TECH TO HOST NCAA DII GAME OF THE WEEK
All eyes will be on the Florida Tech Panthers on Thursday, September 19 when FIT hosts
West Alabama in the NCAA Division II Football Game of the Week on CBS College Sports. History will be made that night as Florida Tech hosts its first-ever GSC contest in the first NCAA DII football contest to ever be played in the state of Florida. Kickoff is set for 8:00 pm Eastern.
2013 PRE-SEASON ALL-GSC TEAM
The 2013 Pre-Season All-GSC Football Team includes 30 total members and is led by four previous Individual Award winners, nine returning Pre-Season players and 13 All-Conference First Teamers spanning the past two seasons.
North Alabama led the way with 10 total Pre-Season members, followed by seven from
West Alabama.
Valdosta State posted six honorees, while
West Georgia and
Delta State collected four and three, respectively.
VSU headlines the Pre-Season offense, providing all four of the returning First Teamers from a year ago:
quarterback Cayden Cochran,
running back Cedric O’Neal,
wide receiver Seantavious Jones and
wide out Regginald Lewis. O’Neal was also named the GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year.
UNA wide receiver Jason Smith and
UWA center Skeeter Sellers each post their second consecutive Pre-Season honor.
The Pre-Season defense is led by five returning Pre-Season Team winners and four 2012 All-GSC First Teamers. Coming back from last year’s Pre-Season Team is
North Alabama defensive lineman Taylor Carney,
Valdosta State defensive lineman Lawrence Virgil and
linebacker Chris Pope.
UNA linebacker Gabe Poe and
DSU linebacker Ixavier Triplett return from the 2011 Pre-Season list. Poe sat out last year after transferring from in-state rival UWA. Pope achieved All-GSC First Team laurels in 2012 along with
North Alabama linebacker Tavarius Wilson,
West Alabama defensive back Malcolm Butler and
UNA defensive back Caleb Massey.
West Georgia return specialist Denarius Appling highlights Special Teams, earning his third Pre-Season nod after also posting laurels in 2010 and 2011. Appling is back this season after sitting out 2012 because of injuries suffered in a car accident. The junior also made the 2011 All-GSC First Team and 2010 Second Team.
UWA long snapper Matt Humphries collected his second consecutive Pre-Season honor, while
UNA punter Michael Schuster achieved First Team All-GSC honors a year ago.
OFFENSE
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
QB |
#Cayden Cochran |
Valdosta State |
6-2 |
188 |
SR |
Cashion, OK |
|
RB |
$Seth Hinsley |
West Georgia |
5-10 |
224 |
JR |
Norcross, GA |
|
RB |
#%Cedric O’Neal |
Valdosta State |
5-11 |
197 |
SO |
Dublin, GA |
|
RB |
$Lamonte Thompson |
North Alabama |
5-8 |
175 |
SO |
Florence, AL |
|
WR |
#*Seantavious Jones |
Valdosta State |
6-4 |
193 |
SR |
Tucker, GA |
|
WR |
#Regginald Lewis |
Valdosta State |
6-2 |
186 |
SR |
Forest Sparks, GA |
|
WR |
!Jason Smith |
North Alabama |
5-10 |
157 |
SR |
Gurley, AL |
|
WR |
$Chad Toocheck |
West Alabama |
6-3 |
208 |
JR |
Medina, OH |
|
TE |
Reed Falkner |
Delta State |
6-2 |
235 |
SR |
Oxford, MS |
|
TE |
Ty Morgan |
West Alabama |
6-3 |
225 |
SO |
Sweet Water, AL |
|
G |
$David Lundberg |
North Alabama |
6-1 |
328 |
SR |
Winfield, AL |
|
G |
$William Wright |
West Georgia |
6-3 |
310 |
SR |
Coconut Creek, FL |
|
T |
$Taylor Burnett |
West Alabama |
6-3 |
271 |
SR |
Spanish Fort, AL |
|
T |
*~Brandon White |
West Georgia |
6-5 |
305 |
JR |
Cincinnati, OH |
|
C |
$!Skeeter Sellers |
West Alabama |
6-1 |
285 |
SR |
Enterprise, AL |
DEFENSE
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
DL |
!Taylor Carney |
North Alabama |
6-2 |
267 |
JR |
Killen, AL |
|
DL |
Dimitri Orr |
North Alabama |
6-6 |
240 |
SR |
Eastaboga, AL |
|
DL |
$Willie Packer |
West Alabama |
6-1 |
290 |
SR |
Moss Point, AL |
|
DL |
!$*Lawrence Virgil |
Valdosta State |
6-3 |
286 |
SR |
Quitman, GA |
|
LB |
@&Gabe Poe |
North Alabama |
5-8 |
205 |
SR |
Pheba, MS |
|
LB |
!#&Chris Pope |
Valdosta State |
6-1 |
214 |
SR |
Jackson, GA |
|
LB |
@&~Ixavier Triplett |
Delta State |
6-1 |
225 |
SR |
Hillsboro, MS |
|
LB |
#Tavarius Wilson |
North Alabama |
5-11 |
225 |
SR |
Jackson, MS |
|
DB |
#Malcolm Butler |
West Alabama |
5-11 |
180 |
SR |
Vicksburg, MS |
|
DB |
$^Floyd Jones |
North Alabama |
6-0 |
210 |
SO |
Town Creek, AL |
|
DB |
#Caleb Massey |
North Alabama |
6-0 |
226 |
SR |
Sulligent, AL |
|
DB |
Trenton Warren |
Delta State |
5-10 |
170 |
SR |
Baytown, TX |
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
HT |
WT |
YEAR |
HOMETOWN |
|
P |
#Michael Schuster |
North Alabama |
5-10 |
180 |
SR |
Decatur, AL |
|
RS |
!@&+Denarius Appling |
West Georgia |
5-8 |
155 |
JR |
Griffin, GA |
|
BT |
!Matt Humphries (LS) |
West Alabama |
5-11 |
230 |
JR |
Hueytown, AL |
NOTES: !—2012 Pre-Season All-GSC Team; @—2011 Pre-Season All-GSC Team; #—2012 First Team All-GSC; $—2012 Second Team All-GSC; %—2012 GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year; ^—2012 GSC Defensive Freshman of the Year; &—2011 First Team All-GSC; *—2011 Second Team All-GSC; +—2010 Second Team All-GSC; ~—2010 GSC Freshman of the Year; BT—Blocking Team; LS—Long Snapper; A placekicker was not selected because of a lack of qualified players; The 2013 GSC Pre-Season Football Team was selected by the Head Coaches. Balloting that ended in a tie was not broken. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
TOP NEWCOMERS
|
POS |
NAME |
SCHOOL |
YEAR |
LAST SCHOOL/HOMETOWN |
|
WR |
Justin Leavy |
Delta State |
JR |
Mississippi Delta CC/ Greenville, MS |
|
DB |
Brian Walker |
Delta State |
JR |
Northeast Mississippi CC/Cairo, GA |
|
WR |
Josh Pinkston |
Delta State |
JR |
Univ. of Mississippi/Forest, MS |
|
DE |
Denzel Philip |
Delta State |
JR |
New Mexico Military Institute/Toronto, Canada |
|
DL |
Shaquille Smith |
North Alabama |
JR |
Jones CC/Jackson, MS |
|
CB |
Terrance Hayward |
North Alabama |
JR |
Washington State Univ./Carson City, CA |
|
OT |
Keith Jones |
North Alabama |
JR |
Samford Univ./Hueytown, AL |
|
RB |
Gevon Jones |
Shorter |
FR |
Auburn HS/Auburn, AL |
|
C |
Jonathan Long |
Shorter |
FR |
Habersham HS/Cornelia, GA |
|
DL |
Trevaris Horton |
Shorter |
FR |
Central HS/Phenix City, AL |
|
S |
Torrey Richardson |
Shorter |
FR |
Sprayberry HS/Marietta, GA |
|
PK |
Anthony Pistelli |
Valdosta State |
FR |
Thomasville HS/Thomasville, GA |
|
LB |
Sharmaine Washington |
Valdosta State |
FR |
Colquitt Co. HS/Moultrie, GA |
|
LB |
Tevin Thomas |
West Alabama |
JR |
Copiah Lincoln CC/Brookhaven, MS |
|
DB |
Desmond Brown |
West Alabama |
JR |
East Central CC/Centre, AL |
|
DL |
Juantez Hartsfield |
West Alabama |
JR |
West Hills CC/Thomaston, GA |
|
DL |
Martaze Jackson |
West Alabama |
JR |
East Central CC/Demopolis, AL |
|
OL |
Quincy Awa-Dubose |
West Georgia |
JR |
Moorpark CC/Oxnard, CA |
|
RB |
Derick Seward |
West Georgia |
JR |
Butte College/ Wheatland, CA |
|
DB |
Kori Gaines |
West Georgia |
JR |
College of the Canyons/Loganville, GA |
|
DE |
Thomas Dover |
West Georgia |
JR |
Independence CC/Toana, VA |
NOTE: A maximum of four Top Newcomers are submitted by the Head Coaches during the Pre-Season All-GSC nomination process.
#GSC#