August 15, 2016-For the second time in three years the Emporia State football program will open the season in the AFCA Preseason National Top 25. The Hornets check in at #24 in the coaches preseason poll and are one of three MIAA teams in the top 25. Defending national champion Northwest Missouri is ranked #1 meaning the rematch of last year's regional final will be the first time two nationally ranked teams have opened the season at Welch Stadium.
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Emporia State went 6-0 on Jones Field at Welch Stadium last season on the way to an 11-3 overall mark. The Hornets advanced to the NCAA Division II National Quarterfinals for the first time in school history last season and are set to return 14 starters, seven on offense and seven on defense, along with all of their specialists.
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Mitchell Foote will lead a talented receiving corps for the Hornets. An all-region selection last season, Foote led the MIAA and was ranked 17th in the nation in touchdown receptions with 12 scoring catches.
He had 79 receptions for 877 yards in 13 games last year. He was ranked third in the MIAA in receptions and fourth in receiving yards. A total of 59 of his 79 catches on the season went for either a first down or a touchdown, with 30 of his 34 catches on third or fourth down resulting in a first down or touchdown.
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Kole Shankie was the Hornets leading tackler last season and returns for his senior season. The linebacker had a team high 105 tackles last year with 13.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He had a season high 14 stops against Missouri Western with 12 against Minnesota State in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs and against Northwest Missouri in the MIAA Championship game.
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Among the specialists is Lindy's and Sporting News Preseason All-American kicker Austin Morton. He made 22 of 25 field goal attempts last season to set Emporia State records for makes and accuracy and also converted a school record 56 of 59 extra points. The 22 made field goals are second in MIAA history to former Missouri Western Griffon Greg Zuerlein's 23 makes in 2011. His 122 points scored is an Emporia State school record and ranks third in MIAA single season history.
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Emporia State is one of three MIAA teams and a total of nine from Super Region-3 in the AFCA Preseason Top 25. In addition to top ranked Northwest Missouri and #24 Emporia State, Central Missouri is ranked #20 by the coaches. Minnesota State is #7, Minnesota-Duluthis #19, Sioux Falls is #23 and Augustana comes in a #25 from the NSIC. Henderson State is ranked #9 out of the GAC and Humboldt State from the GNAC is ranked #13 to start the season. In addition MIAA members Pittsburg State, Ft. Hays State and Central Oklahoma are receiving votes.
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The Hornets have gone 34-14 over the last four seasons. Emporia State is 23-9 in the last six years on Jones Field at Welch Stadium with four of the losses coming to teams ranked in the top 15 at the time.
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The new playing surface will be the site of five home games for Emporia State this fall. The Hornets have advanced to post-season play in three of the last four years, including last season's trip to the regional championship game.
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Season and single game tickets are on sale now through the Athletic Ticket Office in the Emporia State Memorial Union. Reserved season tickets are just $66, while adult general admission season tickets are $42 with season tickets for children and people over 65 years old can be picked up for just $26.
AFCA NCAA Division II
Coaches Preseason Top 25
| School |
2015 Record |
Points |
2015 Final Rank |
| 1. Northwest Missouri St. (29) |
15-0 |
749 |
1 |
| 2. West Georgia (1) |
12-2 |
676 |
3 |
| 3. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
12-3 |
658 |
4 |
| 4. Shepherd (W.Va.) |
13-1 |
638 |
2 |
| 5. Colorado St.-Pueblo |
12-2 |
581 |
5 |
| 6. Ashland (Ohio) |
10-1 |
523 |
10 |
| 7. Minnesota St. |
10-2 |
466 |
13 |
| 8. Indiana (Pa.) |
9-3 |
364 |
19 |
| 9t. Henderson St. (Ark.) |
11-2 |
363 |
12 |
| 9t. Texas A&M-Commerce |
8-4 |
363 |
23 |
| 11. Slippery Rock (Pa.) |
12-2 |
360 |
7 |
| 12. Ferris St. (Mich.) |
11-1 |
359 |
6 |
| 13. Humboldt St. (Calif.) |
10-2 |
353 |
16 |
| 14. Midwestern St. (Texas) |
10-2 |
344 |
9 |
| 15. North Alabama |
9-3 |
330 |
15 |
| 16. Indianapolis (Ind.) |
10-2 |
276 |
18 |
| 17. Tuskegee (Ala.) |
10-3 |
241 |
11 |
| 18. Colorado School of Mines |
8-3 |
228 |
NR |
| 19. Minnesota-Duluth |
9-3 |
196 |
NR |
| 20. Central Missouri |
8-3 |
184 |
NR |
| 21. Assumption (Mass.) |
11-2 |
144 |
17 |
| 22. Catawba (N.C.) |
9-3 |
140 |
25 |
| 23. Sioux Falls (S.D.) |
9-3 |
125 |
21t |
| 24. Emporia St. (Kan.) |
11-3 |
124 |
8 |
| 25. Augustana (S.D.) |
9-3 |
119 |
24 |
Others Receiving Votes: Florida Tech, 107; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 99;
Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 88; West Chester (Pa.), 82; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 74; Charleston (W.Va.), 60; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 53; Colorado Mesa, 50;
Harding (Ark.), 40; Albany St. (Ga.), 34; Virginia Union, 29; California (Pa.), 25; Angelo St. (Texas), 19;
Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 13; Miles (Ala.), 11; Delta St. (Miss.), 9; Michigan Tech, 9;
Western Oregon, 9; West Texas A&M, 8;
Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Bowie St. (Md.), 4; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 4;
Central Oklahoma, 3; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 3; Ohio Dominican, 2; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 2;
Bemidji St. (Minn.), 1; McKendree (Ill.), 1; Newberry (S.C.), 1.
MIAA Teams in Bold
Super Region 3 Teams in Italics
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