ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Emory & Henry College Football Team has been picked to finish 11th in the South Atlantic Conference this year by the league's head coaches. The poll was released by the SAC office on Monday.
E&H is one of three new teams to join the SAC this fall, the others being Barton College and Erskine College which join as associate members. Now with 12 members, the league has been divided into two divisions with six teams each. The Wasps are part of the Mountain Division with Carson-Newman University, Erskine College, Mars Hill University, Tusculum University and the University of Virginia's College at Wise.
RELATED – SAC Preseason Poll & Preseason All-Conference Teams
Last year, Emory & Henry put up a 6-4 record playing its final year against its former Old Dominion Athletic Conference rivals. While the jump from NCAA Division III to Division II will be a test for the Wasps, they do have the benefit of experience with nine returning starters on both offense and defense as well as multiple special teams returners.
Leading the way in the poll is reigning champion Newberry College, which advanced to the NCAA Division II Second Round a year ago. The Wolves earned eight of the 12 first-place votes. Lenoir-Rhyne University is second with the remaining four first-place votes. The Bears also made it to the NCAA Playoffs last fall.
Additionally, the SAC has announced its Preseason All-Conference Teams with E&H players selected on the defensive side of the ball. Senior defensive lineman Jay Swegheimer (Orlando, Fla.) was selected to the first team while fifth-year defensive lineman Donovan Pinnix (Eden, N.C.) earned second-team accolades.
Emory & Henry opens the 2022 season on Saturday, September 3 hosting Concord University at 1:00 p.m.
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2022 SAC Football Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Score |
|
1. |
Newberry (8) |
118 |
|
2. |
Lenoir-Rhyne (4) |
112 |
|
3. |
Wingate |
99 |
|
4. |
Mars Hill |
94 |
|
5. |
Tusculum |
76 |
|
6. |
Barton |
68 |
|
7. |
UVA Wise |
60 |
|
8. |
Catawba |
53 |
|
9. |
Carson-Newman |
42 |
|
10. |
Limestone |
32 |
|
11. |
Emory & Henry |
20 |
|
12. |
Erskine |
18 |
2022 Preseason All-SAC Football Teams
| FIRST TEAM OFFENSE QB – Dre Harris, Newberry RB – Dwayne McGee, Lenoir-Rhyne RB – Mario Anderson, Newberry RB – Jordan Terrell, Barton WR – Deondre Lester, Lenoir-Rhyne WR – Bryson Woodruff, Newberry WR – Justice Parham, Tusculum OL – Blake Jefferson, Lenoir-Rhyne OL – Cameron Thomason, Limestone OL – Thomas Mahoney, Tusculum OL – Leondre Andreas, Mars Hill OL – Bryce Heidinger, Lenoir-Rhyne TE – Ty Snelson, Mars Hill PK – Jackson Brooks, Barton LS – Blake Arnoult, Newberry RS – Ryan Carter, Lenoir-Rhyne |
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE DL – Andre Jefferson, Lenoir-Rhyne DL – Joel Burgess, UVA Wise DL – Sirod Cook, Wingate DL – Jay Swegheimer, Emory & Henry LB – Dexter Fitzpatrick, Mars Hill LB – Landon Honeycutt, Mars Hill LB – Jon Ross Maye, Lenoir-Rhyne LB – Jaquan Edwards, Wingate DB – Jordan Taylor, Tusculum DB – Tristan Rankin, Mars Hill DB – Marcus Morgan, Newberry DB – Markel Dailey, UVA Wise P – Ethan Evans, Wingate |
|
| SECOND TEAM OFFENSE QB – Lendon Redwine, UVA Wise QB – Jimmy Urzua, Mars Hill RB – Cortney Jackson, Tusculum RB – Kalen Clark, Wingate RB – Jaevon Gillespie, UVA Wise WR – Kameron Johnson, Barton WR – Kamal Desor, Wingate WR – Kelin Parsons, Lenoir-Rhyne OL – Justin Bullock, Mars Hill OL – Hunter Jolly, Wingate OL – Ben Shellenback, Tusculum OL – Daric Cotman, UVA Wise OL – Alex Buschow, Barton TE – Ryder Martin, Wingate LS – Andrew Bradshaw, Carson-Newman RS – Kyron Thomas, Wingate |
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE DL – Dajavon White, Tusculum DL – Donovan Pinnix, Emory & Henry DL – J.I. Ledbetter, Barton DL – DJ Horne, Wingate LB – Alonzo Houston, Carson-Newman LB – Shane Perry, Barton LB – AJ Valentine, Newberry LB – Caleb Goins, Carson-Newman DB – Izaiah Taylor, Catawba DB – Nick Jackson, Mars Hill DB – Robert Carter, UVA Wise DB – Daquan Mosley, Wingate P – Clayton Crile, Catawba |