Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Wayne State College football team is ranked 22nd in the Lindy's Magazine 2009 College Football Preview that hit newsstands earlier this month. The Wildcats, who were 9-3 last season while making the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time in school history, are one of two teams from the Northern Sun Conference ranked in the preseason poll, joining defending NCAA Division II champion Minnesota Duluth, who is listed third. Wayne State's season opening opponent, Nebraska-Kearney, is listed at 18th by Lindy's.
Two Wildcat players have also been tabbed as Preseason All-Americans by two magazines. Senior wide receiver Logan Masters (Storm Lake, Iowa) has been named to the Sporting News College Football '09 Division II Offense All-American Team along with being named to the Lindy's Magazine First Team Offense while senior placekicker Nick Hope (Avoca, Iowa) was named to the Lindy's Magazine First Team Offense at kicker.
Masters had 80 receptions for 1,179 yards and six touchdowns last season to earn First Team All-Super Region #3 honors from Daktronics to go with First Team All-Northern Sun Conference honors. He led the NSIC in receiving yards per game (98.2) and total receptions (80) and became the first Wildcat receiver to post back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons. Masters has also caught at least two passes in 35 straight games, every game he has appeared in a Wildcat uniform and is Wayne State's all-time leader in career receptions (188) and career receiving yards (2,969) entering the 2009 season.
Hope earned First Team NSIC South Division All-Conference honors last season after making 14 of 17 field goal attempts and 44 of 46 PAT kicks. The straight-on, left footed kicker led the NSIC in field goals and field goals per game and made 10 straight field goals, including a school-record tying 50 yarder vs. Minnesota State on 9-20-08. In his three year career with the Wildcats, Hope is 25 of 34 in field goal attempts (73.5%) and 94 of 100 (94%) on PAT kicks.
Wayne State opens the 2009 football season at home vs. Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday, August 29th at 6:00 p.m.
2009 Lindy's Magazine Preseason NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State
3. Minnesota Duluth
4. Delta State
5. California (Pa.)
6. Pittsburg State
7. Bloomsburg
8. Abilene Christian
9. Carson-Newman
10. Valdosta State
11. Chadron State
12. West Texas A&M
13. Ashland
14. North Alabama
15. Catawba
16. Tuskegee
17. West Chester
18. Nebraska-Kearney
19. Indiana (Pa.)
20. Tusculum
21. Edinboro
22. Wayne State (Neb.)
23. Seton Hill
24. Mars Hill
25. Central Washington
