Friday, July 29, 2005

Contact: Chris Kilcoyne

 

Four-Time Defending Champion Bridgewater Tops ODAC Preseason Football Poll


SALEM, VA – Four-time defending league champion Bridgewater College has topped the 2005 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Preseason Football Poll in a vote taken of the league’s seven head coaches.

 

Mike Clark’s squad received six first-place votes and a total of 48 points to take the top spot in the poll.  The Eagles return 52 letter winners from a team that went 8-3 overall and 6-0 in the ODAC last season.  BC earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, losing 55-48 in overtime at Washington and Jefferson in the opening round.

 

The Eagles return a strong nucleolus on offense including running back Winston Young who ran for 606-yards and 12 touchdowns on his way to All-ODAC honors a season ago.  Senior wide receiver Brian Awkard is back after pulling in 33 balls for 640-yards and eight touchdowns.

 

The BC defense features Preseason All-American safety Adrian Herndon who was a First-Team All-ODAC selection a season ago after picking off three passes and registering 57 tackles. Linebacker Craig Smith is back for the Eagles, he earned Second-Team All-ODAC honors in 2004 after leading the Eagles with 79 total tackles.   

 

The Tigers of Hampden-Sydney College occupy the second spot in the poll after receiving 43 points and one first-place vote.  HSC went 8-2 overall last season and 5-1 in league play.  Quarterback J.D. Ricca returns for his senior season after having his junior campaign cut short in the sixth game of the year with a thumb injury.  Despite the limited action, Ricca threw for 1, 755-yards and 18 touchdowns.   For his career, Ricca has thrown for 4,787 yards, completed 61.4 percent of his passes, thrown 47 touchdowns and tossed just 14 interceptions in 510 pass attempts.

 

Emory and Henry finds itself in the third lot in the poll with a total of 31 points.  The Wasps will feature new field general Don Montgomery who replaces Lou Wacker who retired after 23-years at the helm of the E&H program.  Montgomery comes from perennial Division III power-house Mount Union where he served as defensive coordinator and helped lead the Purple Raiders to seven national championships in the last 12-years and a 104 game regular season winning streak.

 

Washington and Lee garnered 29 points to take fourth-place, followed by Randolph-Macon (22-points), Guilford (12-points) and Catholic (11-points).

 

2005 ODAC Football Preseason Poll

 

Place  Team Points             (First-Place Votes)

1.         Bridgewater                48 (6)

2.         Hampden-Sydney       43 (1)

3.         Emory and Henry        31

4.         Washington and Lee   29

5.         Randolph-Macon         22

6.         Guilford                      12

7.         Catholic                     11

 

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