Football | 6/1/2010 2:31:24 PM
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The start of the 2010 football season may be more than three months away but the national spotlight is already shining brightly on the West Liberty University football program.
Two of the nation's most prestigious college football preview magazines – The Sporting News and Lindy's – have Coach Roger Waialae's defending West Virginia Conference champion Hilltoppers listed at No. 3 in their NCAA Division II preseason rankings.
Both magazines were released nationally on Tuesday morning.
“Obviously, it's more important where you're ranked at the end of the season than at the beginning but we certainly appreciate the recognition,” Waialae said after learning about the highest preseason ranking ever for a West Virginia Conference team. “It brings a lot of positive attention to the university and our program.”
Coming off an 11-2 season which saw West Liberty lead the nation in scoring and total offense while advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs, the Hilltoppers were the only team to land three players on The Sporting News' Preseason All-America list – quarterback Zach Amedro, tight end Ryan Travis and wide receiver Kashif Walls.
Amedro was Lindy's choice as the Preseason NCAA Division II Offensive Player of the Year and joined Travis on Lindy's first-team All-America unit. Walls was a second-team All-American selection by Lindy's.
Amedro led the nation with 49 TD passes a year ago while passing for 4,945 yards, the second-highest total in NCAA Division II history. With 10,675 passing yards already in the books, he's just 1,209 yards away from the WVIAC career record of 11,884 yards held by Joey Conrad of Glenville State (2002-05). The runner-up for last year's Harlon Hill Award as the NCAA Division II Player of the Year, Amedro is also within range of the national record of 14,350 yards. That mark was set by Jimmy Terwilliger of East Stroudsburg (Pa.) from 2003-06.
Travis set a West Liberty single-season record with 104 catches for 1,250 yards and 14 TDs while Walls had 61 catches for 1,321 yards and a WVIAC-record 21 touchdowns.
The Hilltopper offense also returns All-Region tailback Kevon Calhoun, who rushed for a school-record 1,529 yards and scored a school-record 22 touchdowns last fall.
They're among nearly 30 seniors – including most of the starters – who return from last year's 11-2 team, which led the nation in scoring and total offense while rolling to the national quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
“We got a taste of success a year ago and it just made our guys hungry for more,” Waialae said. “We had a great spring and this will provide even more motivation for everyone to come back in August ready to pick up where we left off.”
West Liberty kicks off the 2010 season at home on Saturday, Sept. 4 when the Hilltoppers host Edinboro (Pa.). Edinboro, ranked No. 9 by The Sporting News (No. 24 by Lindy's), will be playing its second straight game at Russek Field after West Liberty hung an 84-63 loss on the Fighting Scots in the second round of last fall's NCAA Division II playoffs.
Sporting News Division II Top 25
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State
3. WEST LIBERTY
4. Minnesota-Duluth
5. California (PA)
6. Nebraska-Kearney
7. Central Washington
8. UNC Pembroke
9. Edinboro (PA)
10. North Alabama
11. Carson-Newman (TN)
12. Minnesota State
13. Hillsdale (MI)
14. Abilene Christian (TX)
15. Tarleton State (TX)
16. Missouri Western
17. Tuskegee (AL)
18. Texas A&M-Kingsville
19. Shippensburg (PA)
20. Saginaw Valley State (MI)
21. East Stroudsburg (PA)
22. West Texas A&M
23. Arkansas Tech
24. West Alabama
25. Midwestern State (TX)
Sporting News Pre-season Division II All-America Team:
Offense
QB-Zach Amedro (West Liberty)
RB-Isaac Odim (Minnesota-Duluth)
RB-Jonas Randolph (Mars Hill)
RB-Rustin Dring (Nebraska-Kearney)
OL-Brett Grozinger (NW Missouri State)
OL-Cameron Bradfield (Grand Valley State)
OL-Brandon Fusco (Slippery Rock)
OL-Royland Tubbs (Abliene Christian)
OL-David Mims (Virginia Union)
TE-Ryan Travis (West Liberty)
WR-Jake Soy (NW Missouri State)
WR-Kashif Walls (West Liberty)
ATH-Trevar Deed (Delta State)
K-Greg Zuerlein (Nebraska-Omaha)
Defense
DL-Cedric Thornton (Southern Arkansas)
DL-Danny Richard (Grand Valley State)
DL-Xavier Brown (C.W. Post)
DL-Aston Whiteside (Abilene Christian)
LB-Robbie Aurich (Minnesota-Duluth)
LB-Matt Freed (East Stroudsburg)
LB-Nick Thomas (Wayne State, MI)
DB-Ron Parker (Newberry)
DB-Caylon Hann (UNC Pembroke)
DB-Branden Williams (Edinboro)
DB-Rodney Mitchell (Eastern New Mexico)
KR-Deante Steele (Shepherd)
P-Brian Schmedidebusch (Findlay)
Lindy's Division II Top 25
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State (MI)
3. WEST LIBERTY
4. North Alabama
5. Minnesota-Duluth
6. California (PA)
7. Central Washington
8. Tarleton State (TX)
9. Carson-Newman (TN)
10. Midwestern State (TX)
11. Nebraska-Kearney
12. Saginaw Valley State (MI)
13. Minnesota State
14. UNC Pembroke
15. Shippensburg (PA)
16. Bloomsburg (PA)
17. Abilene Christian (TX)
18. East Stroudsburg (PA)
19. Hillsdale (MI)
20. Missouri Western
21. Arkansas Tech
22. Texas A&M-Kingsville
23. West Alabama
24. Edinboro (PA)
25. Tuskegee (AL)
Lindy's Pre-season Division II All-America Team:
1st Team Offense
QB-Zach Amedro (West Liberty)
RB-Isaac Odim (Minnesota-Duluth)
RB-Jonas Randolph (Mars Hill)
WR-Thomas Mayo (Concord)
WR-Jake Soy (NW Missouri State)
TE-Ryan Travis (West Liberty)
OL-Cameron Bradfield (Grand Valley State)
OL-Brett Grozinger (NW Missouri State)
OL-David Mims (Virginia Union)
OL-Trevis Turner (Abilene Christian)
OL-Jason Wiseman (NW Missouri State)
KR-Trevar Deed (Delta State)
K-Joe Drahos (Missouri S&T)
1st Team Defense
DL-Malcolm Jenkins (Elizabeth City State)
DL-Danny Richard (Grand Valley State)
DL-Cedric Thornton (Southern Arkansas)
DL-Aston Whiteside (Abilene Christian)
LB-Robbie Aurich (Minnesota-Duluth)
LB-Matt Freed (East Stroudsburg)
LB-Justin Victor (Grand Valley State)
DB-Pierre Desir (Washburn)
DB-Giorgio Dunham (Central Oklahoma)
DB-Rodney Mitchell (Eastern New Mexico)
DB-Ron Parker (Newberry)
P-Kevin Berg (Chadron State)
2nd Team Offense
QB-Blake Bolles (NW Missouri State)
RB-Rustin Dring (Nebraska-Kearney)
RB-Fred Winborn (Texas A&M-Kingsville)
WR-Justin Johnson (Fort Lewis)
WR-Kashif Walls (West Liberty)
TE-Mike Higgins (Nebraska-Omaha)
OL-Tripp Boatner (Arkansas-Monticello)
OL-John Buckman (Emporia State)
OL-Pat Casey (Bloomsburg)
OL-Orion Matthies (Nebraska-Kearney)
OL-Marcus McElveen (Shaw)
KR-Deante Steele (Shepherd)
K-Dalton Lane (Colorado Mines)
2nd Team Defense
DL-Darian Barnes (Tuskegee)
DL-Marcus Crump (St. Augustine's)
DL-Xavier Brown (C.W. Post)
DL-Danny Anderson (Tuskegee)
LB-Tony Johnson (Merrimack)
LB-Shawn Loiseau (Merrimack)
LB-Anthony Scott (West Texas A&M)
DB-Akeem Deloatch (Livingstone)
DB-Michael Elliott (Truman State)
DB-Ben Minturn (Shepherd)
DB-Kenneth Turner (Bowie State)
P-Mike Langston (Dixie State)
