Mustangs open season No. 7
By Steven Allspach Journal sports writer | Posted: Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Morningside football coach Steve Ryan expects 113 players to report Thursday and attend Camp Goodwill for a couple days before official practice begins Sunday with two-a-day drills.
The Mustangs will go into pre-season camp with an air of optimism.
Ryan, 46-22 in six seasons, has guided the program to four straight NAIA playoff berths and the current club is ranked seventh in the official NAIA pre-season poll announced Monday.
Reigning national champ Carroll (Mont.) received all 15 first-place votes in the NAIA coaches poll and is No. 1, followed by Sioux Falls, Morningside's Great Plains Athletic Conference rival.
Missouri Valley is third, St. Francis (Ind.) fourth, Ohio Dominicanfifth and Bethel (Tenn.) sixth.
Northwestern is 13th and St. Ambrose, which opens the season at the University of South Dakota, is 10th.
"The pre-season rankings are pretty much as I expected,'' said Ryan. "There are a lot of programs with excellent players returning.
"Carroll, Sioux Falls and St. Francis seem to be in the top five year in and year out.
"Our guys have had a very good summer and we're anxious to get to work and see how things come together.''
The Morningside coaching hierarchy has undergone one major change with Jay Christensen taking over as defensive coordinator replacing Ryan Nourse, now the defensive coordinator at NCAA Division II Truman (Mo.) State.
Christensen has been an assistant coach the past four years at Division II Nebraska-Kearney.
Nourse was the last remaining coach from Ryan's original staff put together for the school's return to varsity football in 2002.
2008 NAIA Top 25
Following are the 2008 NAIA preseason top 25 football rankings compiled by NAIA coaches, including final 2007 record and total points are included. Defending national champ Carroll, Mont., received all 15 first-place votes in the coaches poll:
1, Carroll (Mont.) 15-0, 340; 2, Sioux Falls (S.D.) 13-1, 327; 3, Missouri Valley 10-3, 308; 4, St. Francis (Ind.) 11-2, 297; 5, Ohio Dominican 12-1, 292; 6, Bethel (Tenn.) 11-2, 280; 7, Morningside (Iowa) 9-3, 261; 8, St. Xavier (Ill.) 10-3, 248; 9, Lindenwood (Mo.) 10-2, 237; 10, Saint Ambrose (Iowa) 8-3, 198.
11, Friends University (Kan.) 9-2, 183; 12, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 9-3, 181; 13, Northwestern (Iowa) 8-2, 164; 14, Virginia-Wise 9-2, 131; 15, Northwestern Oklahoma State 8-4, 129; 16, Georgetown (Ky.) 6-4, 124; 17, Bethel (Kan.) 8-1, 115; 18, Black Hills State (S.D.) 7-4,111; 19, (tie) Jamestowntown (N.D.) 9-2, 105 and Minot State (N.D.) 6-4, 105.
21, Montana Tech 7-4, 98; 22, University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 8-3, 93; 23, Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 6-5, 77; 24, Malone (Ohio) 8-4, 41; 25, McKendree (Ill.) 6-4, 38.
Others receiving votes; Nebraska Wesleyan 22, Sterling (Kan.) 31, Cumberland (Tenn.) 21, Shorter (Ga.) 6, Langston (Okla.) 3, Montana State Northern 3, Campbellsville (Ky.) 1, Southern Oregon 1, Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 1, Hastings (Neb.) 1.
The Mustangs will go into pre-season camp with an air of optimism.
Ryan, 46-22 in six seasons, has guided the program to four straight NAIA playoff berths and the current club is ranked seventh in the official NAIA pre-season poll announced Monday.
Reigning national champ Carroll (Mont.) received all 15 first-place votes in the NAIA coaches poll and is No. 1, followed by Sioux Falls, Morningside's Great Plains Athletic Conference rival.
Missouri Valley is third, St. Francis (Ind.) fourth, Ohio Dominicanfifth and Bethel (Tenn.) sixth.
Northwestern is 13th and St. Ambrose, which opens the season at the University of South Dakota, is 10th.
"The pre-season rankings are pretty much as I expected,'' said Ryan. "There are a lot of programs with excellent players returning.
"Carroll, Sioux Falls and St. Francis seem to be in the top five year in and year out.
"Our guys have had a very good summer and we're anxious to get to work and see how things come together.''
The Morningside coaching hierarchy has undergone one major change with Jay Christensen taking over as defensive coordinator replacing Ryan Nourse, now the defensive coordinator at NCAA Division II Truman (Mo.) State.
Christensen has been an assistant coach the past four years at Division II Nebraska-Kearney.
Nourse was the last remaining coach from Ryan's original staff put together for the school's return to varsity football in 2002.
2008 NAIA Top 25
Following are the 2008 NAIA preseason top 25 football rankings compiled by NAIA coaches, including final 2007 record and total points are included. Defending national champ Carroll, Mont., received all 15 first-place votes in the coaches poll:
1, Carroll (Mont.) 15-0, 340; 2, Sioux Falls (S.D.) 13-1, 327; 3, Missouri Valley 10-3, 308; 4, St. Francis (Ind.) 11-2, 297; 5, Ohio Dominican 12-1, 292; 6, Bethel (Tenn.) 11-2, 280; 7, Morningside (Iowa) 9-3, 261; 8, St. Xavier (Ill.) 10-3, 248; 9, Lindenwood (Mo.) 10-2, 237; 10, Saint Ambrose (Iowa) 8-3, 198.
11, Friends University (Kan.) 9-2, 183; 12, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 9-3, 181; 13, Northwestern (Iowa) 8-2, 164; 14, Virginia-Wise 9-2, 131; 15, Northwestern Oklahoma State 8-4, 129; 16, Georgetown (Ky.) 6-4, 124; 17, Bethel (Kan.) 8-1, 115; 18, Black Hills State (S.D.) 7-4,111; 19, (tie) Jamestowntown (N.D.) 9-2, 105 and Minot State (N.D.) 6-4, 105.
21, Montana Tech 7-4, 98; 22, University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 8-3, 93; 23, Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 6-5, 77; 24, Malone (Ohio) 8-4, 41; 25, McKendree (Ill.) 6-4, 38.
Others receiving votes; Nebraska Wesleyan 22, Sterling (Kan.) 31, Cumberland (Tenn.) 21, Shorter (Ga.) 6, Langston (Okla.) 3, Montana State Northern 3, Campbellsville (Ky.) 1, Southern Oregon 1, Southern Nazarene (Okla.) 1, Hastings (Neb.) 1.
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