| 2010 NWC Football Coaches' Pre-Season Poll: |
2009 records |
| School |
(1st) |
Pts. |
All |
NWC |
| 1. Linfield (Ore.) |
(7) |
56 |
12-1 |
6-0 |
| 2. Willamette (Ore.) |
|
42 |
8-2 |
5-1 |
| 3. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) |
|
32 |
3-6 |
3-3 |
| 4. Whitworth (Wash.) |
|
31 |
5-5 |
3-3 |
| 5. Puget Sound (Wash.) |
|
19 |
0-9 |
0-6 |
| 6. Lewis & Clark (Ore.) |
|
12 |
2-7 |
1-5 |
| 7. Pacific (Ore.) |
|
11 |
-- |
-- |
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on
8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
Defending champion Linfield College is a unanimous choice to
repeat as Northwest Conference football winners, according to the
preseason poll of league coaches. For the first time, the
poll includes Pacific University.
The Wildcats, who advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals
last year and finished 12-1 after an unbeaten conference slate,
picked up all seven first place votes and totaled the maximum
of 56 points in the poll. Linfield returns three players from the
2009 All-NWC Offense, including quarterback Aaron Boehme, the
league's Offensive Player of the Year. All-NWC lineman Paul
Nishizaki and defensive back Drew Fisher will lead the Wildcats'
defense.
Willamette had all seven second place votes and 42 points in the
poll. The Bearcats had a strong year in 2009, finishing 8-2
and just missing the NCAA playoffs. Willamette hopes to
return to the conference title form it had in 2008. Ron
Carter and Arlin Taylor, both 2009 First Team All-NWC honorees,
will lead a strong Bearcat defense.
Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth tied for third place in the final
2009 standings. Not surprisingly the Lutes (32) edged the
Pirates (31) by just one point in the 2010 poll.
Two-time All-NWC receiver Greg Ford and Second Team All-NWC QB
Jordan Rasmussen will lead a potent PLU offense. Whitworth
hopes for a return to form from two-time NWC Offensive MVP Adam
Anderson (RB), who was granted a medical hardship season after
missing nearly all of 2009 with an ankle injury.
Puget Sound is fifth in the poll with 19 points, despite coming
off of a winless campaign in 2009. But optimism is high with
Jeff Thomas taking over as head coach this season.
Lewis & Clark was sixth in the poll with 12
points. Second Team All-NWC lineman Curtis Smith leads the
Pioneers, who are picked higher than last in the poll for the first
time since 2002.
Pacific University makes its debut in the NWC poll with 11
points. The Boxers will field their first team since 1992
under head coach Keith Buckley. Pacific is competing as part
of the NWC for the first time since 1984.
The season will officially get underway on September 4th when
Willamette heads to Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Whitworth hosts
Hardin-Simmons. Pacific will play at Puget Sound in a
non-conference match-up, the first of two meetings between the
schools.