HILLSBORO, ORE.- The Linfield Wildcats are predicted to repeat as NWC Football Champions in the 2023 season, as voted on by NWC head coaches. The Wildcats earned 49 points and 7 first-place votes after a 7-0 conference record in the 2022 season. The George Fox Bruins finished second with 39 points.
Whitworth takes the third spot with 36 points, while Pacific Lutheran earned a fourth place spot with 32 points and a first place vote. Pacific (Ore.) earned 29 points to rank fifth followed by Lewis & Clark’s 19 points to land them at sixth. Puget Sound (12 pts.) and Willamette (8 pts) round out the poll.
Conference action picks up September 30th. The regular season champion will receive the Northwest Conference’s AQ into the NCAA Tournament.
(Points awarded on an 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)
|
Team
|
Pts.
|
2022 NWC Finish
|
|
Linfield (7)
|
49
|
1st
|
|
George Fox
|
39
|
2nd
|
|
Whitworth
|
36
|
4th
|
|
Pacific Lutheran (1)
|
32
|
3rd
|
|
Pacific (Ore.)
|
29
|
5th
|
|
Lewis & Clark
|
19
|
6th
|
|
Puget Sound
|
12
|
7th
|
|
Willamette
|
8
|
8th
|