Linfield Leads NWC Preseason Poll For Eighth Straight
Season
| NWC Football Coaches' Pre-Season Poll:
| 2007 records
|
| School
| (1st)
| Pts.
| All
| NWC
|
| 1. Linfield (Ore.)
| (6)
| 54
| 6-3
| 4-2
|
| 2. Whitworth (Wash.)
| (1)
| 40
| 8-2
| 6-0
|
| 3. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.)
|
| 35
| 7-2
| 4-2
|
| 4. Willamette (Ore.)
|
| 29
| 4-6
| 3-3
|
| 5. Puget Sound (Wash.)
|
| 22
| 4-5
| 2-4
|
| 6. Menlo (Calif.)
|
| 15
| 2-8
| 2-4
|
| 6. Lewis & Clark (Ore.)
|
| 8
| 0-9
| 0-6
|
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on
8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
Linfield College has been selected by Northwest Conference
football coaches as the favorite for the 2008 season, the eighth
straight year the Wildcats have placed first in the NWC preseason
poll. Linfield finished ahead of two-time NWC champion Whitworth in
the poll, gaining six first place votes to the Pirates' one.
The Wildcats led the poll with 54 points and return ten starters
from last season, when the team went 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the
NWC. All-NWC slotback Travis Masters is one of the most dangerous
offensive and special teams players in the NWC and will lead the
Wildcats' attack. Taylor Summers, a First Team All-NWC defensive
lineman, returns from a squad that allowed only 49 points in six
conference contests a year ago. Second Team All-NWC place kicker
Scott Birkhofer gives Linfield a weapon on special teams.
Whitworth University, which totaled 40 points in the poll for
second place, is coming off of a pair of Northwest Conference
titles. The Pirates must overcome the graduation of nine starters
on defense, including three All-NWC linebackers and safety Jay
Tully, who was the 2007 NWC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
However, Whitworth returns seven starters on offense, including
2007 NWC Offensive Player of the Year Adam Anderson, who led the
conference in rushing last season.
Pacific Lutheran University, which tied Linfield for second
place in the NWC with a 4-2 record last fall, is third in the poll
with 35 points. The Lutes welcome back only two starters each on
offense and defense, including the graduation of NWC Co-Defensive
Player of the Year Andrew Eisentrout. But Matt Wolford proved to be
the conference's most dangerous punt returner last season and along
with punter Doug Rickabaugh should give PLU a strong presence on
special teams.
Willamette University is fourth in the poll with 29 points,
while the University of Puget Sound is fifth with 22 points.
Willamette's fly offense will be in good hands with junior QB Ryan
Whitcomb directing the attack behind All-NWC offensive lineman
Scott Hirschberger. UPS will lean on veteran running back Silas
Paul, a Second Team All-NWC selection last fall, and senior
defensive lineman A.J. Middleton.
Menlo College, in its third season as an affiliate
(football-only) member of the conference, is sixth in the poll with
15 points, while Lewis & Clark College is seventh in the poll
with eight points.Menlo returns twelve starters from a year ago,
including All-NWC offensive lineman Victor Brankovich. L&C will
be led by dynamic sophomore Joevonte Mayes, who earned Second Team
All-NWC running back honors as a freshman.
The season will officially get underway on September 6th when
L&C travels to Pincipia, while Menlo hosts Wisconsin-Stout and
Willamette hosts Concordia-Moorhead. Linfield, Whitworth, PLU and
UPS will begin play the following week.