Guilford College football took up a position it hasn’t held in the ODAC Football Preseason Poll in 20 years on Friday as the Quakers stand atop the annual coachess survey for the first time since 1995.  GC received seven first-place votes on the way to 49 total points. 

Three teams sit tied for second, including Hampden-Sydney College, which picked up the remaining top nod. Bridgewater College and Emory & Henry College join the Tigers with 35 points.
The logjam for second in the preseason poll should come as no surprise following a four-way tie atop the 2014 ODAC standings.  Two sets of head-to-head tiebreakers were needed to sift out the deadlock between Bridgewater, Emory & Henry, Guilford and Hampden-Sydney, which ultimately awarded the Tigers their second straight conference title.  With that came the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.  Bridgewater, Guilford and Hampden-Sydney open the 2015 season on the national radar as each are receiving votes in the D3football.com Top-25 Preseason Poll.

Five of the past six NCAA Tournaments have featured a Hampden-Sydney (7-4, 5-2) football team, including each of the past two years, but it will take a bit of retooling to continue that trend with just 2-of-11 All-ODAC honorees returning to Everett Stadium.  The cupboard certainly isn’t bare for head coach Marty Favret as cornerback Sidney Henry (67 tkl, 2 int, 3 pbu) and offensive lineman P.J. Melnick, both second team choices last year, will be leaders amongst a group of 12 returning starters. 

That includes receiver Michael Mey (26 rec, 472 yds, 4 td), who will be looked to increase his role in the offense.  Fellow pass-catcher Austin Perryman (11 rec, 159 yds) will also get an early chance to showcase his talents.  Signal-callers Edgar Moore (5-of-12, 44 yds) and Kyle Farlow will compete for time under center following the graduation of Nash Nance. 

Linebacker Nick Martin (72 tkl, 7.5 tlf, 1.5 sacks) lineman Tyler Palmer (36 tkl, 3.5 tfl) lead the Tigers’ defensive front, while safeties Larry Haskins (58 tkl, 3.5 tfl, 3 int, 5 pbu) and Tyler Martin (26 tkl, 2 pbu) join Henry in the secondary.

2015 ODAC PRESEASON POLL

(#) Denotes First Place Votes

1. Guilford College (7)       49 pts.

2. Bridgewater College       35 pts.

2. Emory & Henry College  35 pts.

2. H-SC (1)       35 pts.

5. Randolph-Macon        31 pts.

6. Washington and Lee       17 pts.

7. Shenandoah University  15 pts.

8. Catholic University         7 pts.