Story courtesy of the American Southwest Conference
Photo courtesy of Mary Hardin-Baylor Athletics
RICHARDSON, Texas – Mary Hardin-Baylor is the unanimous choice to win its eighth straight American Southwest Conference football title in 2012 after a vote of the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and media members, the ASC office announced on Monday (August 6). Earning preseason player of the year honors were Mary Hardin-Baylor quarterback LiDarral Bailey and linebacker Javicz Jones, and Texas Lutheran place kicker Allen Cain – all seniors.
Mary Hardin-Baylor, which went 12-1 overall (8-0 in ASC) and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs last season, totaled all 192 points and 24 first-place votes in the annual preseason poll. Head coach Pete Fredenburg’s Cru has won at least a share of the conference title in nine of the last 10 seasons, going 79-4 over that time frame in ASC games. UMHB has also won at least one playoff game in each of the past eight years, advancing as far as the national title game in 2004.
Louisiana College (7-3, 5-3 in ASC) was picked as the conference runner-up. Head coach Dennis Dunn’s Wildcats, who have posted four straight winning seasons and earned a top-25 national ranking for the first time in program history in 2011, totaled 157 points.
Seven-time ASC champion Hardin-Simmons (6-4, 4-4 ASC), which ended last season winning four of its last five games, was predicted to finish third with 149 points. East Texas Baptist (5-5, 4-4 ASC) was the fourth-place pick with 98 points, just one point ahead of Texas Lutheran (5-5, 4-4 ASC).
Mississippi College (3-7, 2-6 ASC) was the selection for sixth place with 90 points, followed by Sul Ross State (2-8, 1-7 ASC) and Howard Payne (1-9, 1-7 ASC) with 43 and 38 points, respectively.
Bailey (Bremond, Texas / BHS), a 5-11, 170-pound senior, was named ASC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after directing the league’s top-scoring offense last season at 43.4 points per game. He threw for 1,862 yards and 17 touchdowns and ran for 13 more scores while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
Jones (Katy, Texas / Morton Ranch HS), a 6-0, 200-pound senior, was named ASC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. In 2011, he averaged a league-high 10.8 tackles per game and added 5.5 sacks and 17 stops for loss. He went on to earn conference defensive player of the year and all-American honors.
Cain (San Antonio, Texas / Stevens HS), a 6-2, 170-pound senior, was named ASC Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year after leading all of NCAA Division III with 17 field goals made last season. The all-American’s mark also set a conference single-season record. In addition, Cain went 32-for-32 on extra-points.
The 2012 season – the 17th in ASC history – begins Aug. 30 when Mississippi College travels across town to Jackson, Miss., to face non-conference rival Millsaps in the “Backyard Brawl.” East Texas Baptist, Hardin-Simmons, Howard Payne, Louisiana College, Sul Ross State and Texas Lutheran have their opener on Sept. 1, while Mary Hardin-Baylor begins its slate on Sept. 8. The NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs are scheduled for a November 17 start, with the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl national championship game on tap for December 15 in Salem, Va.
NOTES: The only new head coach in the league in Howard Payne’s Roger Geise, who has been on the Yellow Jackets staff for the past seven years as defensive line coach (2005-07) and defensive coordinator (2008-11). . . . Former league member McMurry finished 9-3 overall (7-1 ASC) and earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs last season. . . . . Mary Hardin-Baylor is ranked No. 4 in the D3football.com Preseason Top 25 Poll, while Louisiana College is receiving votes. . . . Mary Hardin-Baylor is just the second unanimous preseason pick for the ASC title in the poll’s 15-year history, joining Hardin-Simmons in 2001. The Cowboys went on to claim the conference title that season. . . . The league’s preseason pick has gone on to win at least a share of the conference crown 10 times. . . . .Jones is the sixth player to earn multiple ASC preseason individual honors, joining Hardin-Simmons QB Justin Feaster (2009-10), Louisiana College RET Jordan Rideaux (2009-10), Texas Lutheran PK Holt Storrie (2005, 2007), Mary Hardin-Baylor LB Preston Meyer (2001-02) and McMurry QB Braxton Shaver (1998-99). . . . To talk about ASC Football on Twitter this season, use hashtag: #ASCfb.
2012 ASC PRESEASON FOOTBALL POLL
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors, Media Members]
Team (first place votes) Points 2011 Record
1 Mary Hardin-Baylor (24) 192 12-1, 8-0 ASC (1st)
2 Louisiana College 157 7-3, 5-3 ASC (3rd)
3 Hardin-Simmons 149 6-4, 4-4 ASC (T4th)
4 East Texas Baptist 98 5-5, 4-4 ASC (T4th)
5 Texas Lutheran 97 5-5, 4-4 ASC (T4th)
6 Mississippi College 90 3-7, 2-6 ASC (7th)
7 Sul Ross State 43 2-8, 1-7 ASC (T8th)
8 Howard Payne 38 1-9, 1-7 ASC (T8th)
*Former league member McMurry was 9-3, 7-1 ASC (2nd) last season.
2012 ASC PRESEASON FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors, Media Members]
Offensive LiDarral Bailey, QB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
Defensive Javicz Jones, LB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
Special Teams Allen Cain, PK, Sr., Texas Lutheran