ACU picked to top Buffs for LSC South championship
7/31/2008 5:00:00 AM | Football
DALLAS -- For the second straight season, the ACU Wildcats have been picked to win the Lone Star Conference South Division football championship, eclipsing three-time defending champion West Texas A&M by two points in the overall pre-season poll.
The Wildcats, who were 10-3 last year, picked up eight first-place votes and 113 total points, while the Buffaloes (12-1 in 2007) finished with 10 first-place votes and 111 total points. Tarleton State, which narrowly missed the playoffs in 2007 after going 9-2, was picked third with 91 points, followed by Midwestern State (75 points), Texas A&M-Kingsville in fifth (49 points), Angelo State in sixth (43) and Eastern New Mexico in seventh (22 points).
ACU running back Bernard Scott, who last year set two NCAA Division II single-season records, is the LSC South Division Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year, while West Texas A&M senior linebacker Jared Brock is the LSC South Division Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year.
Scott, a 5-11, 220-pound senior from Vernon , Texas , was the favorite on 14 of 18 ballots to earn the honor over teammate Billy Malone and WTAMU's Keith Null. Brock earned the award with 10 votes to finish in front of teammate Brandon Swain (six votes), Eastern New Mexico 's Jeremy Hibbler (one) and Texas A&M-Kingsville's Mike Martinez (one).
Last year the Wildcats were picked to win the division, while the Buffs were picked fourth. "We're No. 4" became the rallying cry for West Texas A&M fans as the Buffaloes went undefeated in the regular season en route to their third straight LSC South Division and overall conference championship. ACU, meanwhile, finished second in the league at 8-1 (5-1 in the LSC South) with the only blemish on the conference record a 41-31 home loss to Central Oklahoma.
The Wildcats will be in Canyon on Oct. 18 to take on West Texas A&M in a game that should have conference championship and NCAA Division II playoff implications.
"To me, the results of that pre-season poll don't really mean anything," ACU head coach Chris Thomsen said. "It's a starting point for the season, but that's all. We know we've got a lot of work to do starting next week (Aug. 7) when our guys report, and we can't get caught up in a pre-season poll. All we're thinking about right now is that first game (Aug. 30) at Northwest Missouri State and getting ready to play that one."
Thomsen said his team's maturity level will help alleviate any chance his team will respond negatively to being the pre-season choice to win the division championship.
"That might have hurt us a little bit last year when we didn't know how to handle it," Thomsen said. "But I think we're mature enough now and have enough veteran players that they know it's meaningless until you play the games."
Scott set two NCAA Division II single-season records in 2007 for points scored (234) and touchdowns scored (39) as he finished as the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division II football. Scott set LSC and ACU single-season records for rushing yards with 2,165 as he led the Wildcats to a 10-3 record and the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
The Wildcats return the top offensive trio in the nation in Malone, senior wide receiver Johnny Knox and Scott. Those three players -- along with since-departed receiver Jerale Badon -- made ACU the only team in NCAA history to feature a 3,500-yard passer, 2,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season.
Brock, a 6-1, 232-pound senior from Abernathy , collected his second straight 100-plus tackle season by leading the Buffs with 100 stops, a figure that includes 47 solo tackles. Brock also racked up 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, eight pass break-ups and 10 quarterback hurries during the 2007 campaign.
In the LSC North Division, Texas A&M-Commerce was chosen as the pre-season favorite to win the championship. The Lions, led by returning quarterback Terry Mayo, will be in Abilene on Sept. 13 to renew the LSC's oldest rivalry. The teams have met 65 times since 1922, but haven't played since ACU won 27-18 in 2005.
Former Abilene High quarterback Marcus Johnson of East Central (Okla.) University was chosen as the Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year in the LSC North. Northeastern State safety Broderick Mondy was voted the Pre-Season Defensive Player of the year in the LSC North.
Johnson, a 6-1, 189-pound junior from Abilene , Texas , was voted LSC North Offensive Back of the Year and a first team All-LSC North selection after setting several school records in 2007. He set the school mark for touchdown passes in a game (six), yards in a season (2,508), yards in a game (387), completed passes in a game (39), completed passes for a season (256), attempted passes in a game (62) and attempted passes in a season (416). He completed 61.5 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for a 117.52 pass efficiency rating. He also threw for an average of 228 yards per game.
With six votes, Johnson edged out Texas A&M-Commerce quarterback Terry Mayo (five). Central Oklahoma's Ben Birmingham (two), NSU's Jarrett Byers (one) and Southeastern Oklahoma 's Daniel Nichols (one) rounded out the voting.
Mondy, a 6-2, 210-pound senior from Plano , Texas , led the RiverHawks and league in tackles with 117 last season, which ranked 10th nationally. Mondy tallied 10 or more tackles in six of the 10 games including a 19-tackle effort against ECU to garner Defensive Back of the Year, first team All-LSC and to the All-Academic team accolades in the North Division in 2007. His five votes topped A&M-C's Marcus Smith (four), UCO's Jermelle Cudjo (three), SOSU's Bernard Daniel (two) and SWOSU's Greg Franklin.
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