ASC Announces Preseason Football Polls and Awards

Louisiana College junior quarterback Easton Melancon (left), Mary Hardin-Baylor junior defensive end Teidrick Smith and Hardin-Simmons senior kick returner Jessie Ramos were named ASC Preseason Players of the Year.

7/21/2015 9:00:00 AM

RICHARDSON, Texas – Mary Hardin-Baylor has been picked to win the 2015 American Southwest Conference football title after a vote of the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media members, the ASC office announced on Tuesday (July 21).

Louisiana College junior quarterback Easton Melancon, Mary Hardin-Baylor junior defensive end Teidrick Smith and Hardin-Simmons senior kick returner Jessie Ramos were named ASC Preseason Players of the Year.

Mary Hardin-Baylor (5-0 / 11-1 ASC) received 107 points in the preseason poll and recorded 17 out of a possible 18 first-place votes. Picked as the preseason favorite for the last 13 seasons, UMHB enters 2015 coming off its 11th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship and 13th overall. The Cru recorded an 11-1 overall record last year to claim their 10th straight ASC championship and 12th overall. Mary Hardin-Baylor is currently riding a 54-game regular season win streak and has won 70 of its last 71 ASC contests including 37 consecutive wins dating back to 2009.

Seven-time ASC champion Hardin-Simmons (3-2 / 6-3 ASC) received 81 points including one first-place vote to come in second in the preseason poll. HSU has finished no less than fourth in the league standings in each of the last 19 seasons. Hardin-Simmons joins Mary Hardin-Baylor as the only teams in the ASC with more than 100 wins against conference opponents.

Louisiana College (4-1 / 6-4 ASC) received 79 points in the preseason poll to rank third. In 2014 the Wildcats recorded their third consecutive runner-up finish in the ASC Standings. Each season since 2008 Louisiana College has won at least five games against league opponents with just one loss in each of the last three seasons.

East Texas Baptist (1-4 / 4-6 ASC) was picked fourth with 50 points. Howard Payne (1-4 / 4-6 ASC) came in fifth with 34 points and Sul Ross State (1-4 / 2-8 ASC) recorded 27 points for sixth-place in the preseason poll.

Easton Melancon (Ama, La. / Hahnville HS) is the third player in league history to be named the ASC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season joining Justin Feaster of Hardin-Simmons (2009, 2010) and Braxton Shaver of McMurry (1998, 1999). Named the 2014 ASC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Melancon ranked second in the ASC in passing yards (2,973)

passing yards per game (297.3) and touchdowns (24).

Teidrick Smith (Hallettsville, Texas / Hallettsville HS) is the fifth consecutive UMHB player selected as the ASC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Smith received dual honors last season as the ASC Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year after leading the league in sacks (9.0), including seven solo and tackles for loss (14.5). Smith also received honors from The Sporting News as a Preseason All-American.

Jessie Ramos (Stamford, Texas / Stamford HS) is one of two players to be named the ASC Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons joining Jordan Rideaux of Louisiana College (2009, 2010). A second-team all-conference selection in 2014, Ramos led the league in all-purpose yards per game (149.3), ranked third in kick return average (22.9) and total kick return yards (527). Ramos was also a heavy contributor to the HSU offense. He ranked second in the ASC in receptions per game (7.4), third in overall catches (67), was fourth in receiving yards per game (86.1) and hauled in six touchdown receptions.

Entering its 20th season of competition, ASC football membership has expanded to eight teams with its newest member Belhaven University and the return of one of its founding institutions, McMurry University. As they transition into Division III Belhaven and McMurry will play a nonconference schedule, however, both teams will count as an NCAA Championship in-region opponent.

The 2015 season gets underway Thursday, September 3 as Belhaven takes the field in its first game as a conference member. The Blazers will take on local rival Millsaps at 6:00 p.m. The following Saturday (September 5) each of the ASC remaining members will take the field for regular season openers. Hardin-Simmons and Louisiana College are both scheduled for 1:00 p.m. start times. The Cowboys will host Southwestern (Texas) and the Wildcats will hit the road to face Huntington College.

Howard Payne will host Trinity (Texas), Mary Hardin-Baylor will open on the road at Ohio Wesleyan and Sul Ross State will host in-state rival Texas Lutheran. Each game is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff. Returning to the ASC, McMurry will rekindle a long-standing rivalry at East Texas Baptist in the late game at 7:00 p.m.

The NCAA Division III Football Championship playoff is scheduled for a November 21 start, with the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl national championship game on tap for December 19 in Salem, Va.

USA College Football Division III Preseason All-Americans
The American Southwest Conference received 41 selections on the 26th Annual USA Football Division III All-American Preseason Teams. The ASC recorded 18 selections on offense and 23 on defense. Hardin-Simmons leads all ASC teams with 11 selections. Mary Hardin-Baylor received nine, East Texas Baptist and Howard Payne each recorded seven, Louisiana College had six and Sul Ross State received five. Click here for the full list of the preseason teams.

ASC Rankings in Preseason Polls
The American Southwest Conference received national attention in two preseason polls led by Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons. In the D3football.com preseason top 25 poll, UMHB is ranked No. 4 after receiving 531 points in the poll. The Sporting News preseason top 25 poll features UMHB at No. 5 and Hardin-Simmons at No. 24.

2015 ASC Preseason Football Poll

Team	Votes	2014 Record
1. Mary Hardin-Baylor	107 (17)	5-0 / 11-1 ASC
2. Hardin-Simmons	81 (1)	3-2 / 6-3 ASC
3. Louisiana College	79	4-1 / 6-4 ASC
4. East Texas Baptist	50	1-4 / 4-6 ASC
5. Howard Payne	34	1-4 / 4-6 ASC
6. Sul Ross State	27	1-4 / 2-8 ASC
Belhaven #	--	2-9 / 0-5 (MSC)
McMurry %	--	2-8 / 1-6 (LSC)

(First-place votes)
# Not eligible for 2015 ASC Championship/NCAA Tournament (NCAA Div. III Reclassifying/Provisional Member)
% Not eligible for 2015 ASC Championship/NCAA Tournament (NCAA Div. III Reclassifying)

2015 ASC Preseason Players of the Year
Offense: Easton Melancon, QB, Jr., Louisiana College
Defense: Teidrick Smith, DE, Jr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
Special Teams: Jessie Ramos, KR, Sr., Hardin-Simmons

All-Time ASC Football Preseason Top Picks

Year	Team	Points (1st votes)
2015	Mary Hardin-Baylor	107 (17 / 18)
2014	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	95 (15 /16)
2013	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	146 (20 / 21)
2012	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	192 (24 / 24)
2011	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	239 (23 / 27)
2010	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	237 (21 / 27)
2009	Mary Hardin-Baylor&	235 (21 / 27)
2008	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	240 (24 / 27)
2007	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	239 (24 / 27)
2006	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	216 (18/26)
2005	Mary Hardin-Baylor+	265 (21.5 / 27)
2004	Mary Hardin-Baylor	245 (9 / 27)
2003	Mary Hardin-Baylor&	239 (13 / 26)
2002	Hardin-Simmons	94 (5 / 10)
2001	Hardin-Simmons+	100 (10 / 10)
2000	Hardin-Simmons+	81 (9 / 10)
1999	Hardin-Simmons+	46 (4 / 6)
1998	Mississippi College	80 (5 / 11)

(1996-97, no poll)
+ Went on to win outright conference title
& Went on to win at least share of conference title

All-Time ASC Football Preseason Awards
Offense

2015	Easton Melancon, QB, Jr., Louisiana College
2014	Easton Melancon, QB, So., Louisiana College
2013	Ryan Montague, RB, Sr., Louisiana College
2012	LiDarral Bailey, QB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2011	Jake Mullin, QB, Sr., McMurry
2010	Justin Feaster, QB, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
2009	Justin Feaster, QB, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
2008	Adam Shaffer, QB, Jr., Mississippi College
2007	T.J. Barber, RB, Sr., Sul Ross State
2006	Jordan Neal, QB, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
2005	Justin Bryson, RB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2004	RoShawn Johnson, RB, Jr., East Texas Baptist
2003	Adam King, QB, Jr., Howard Payne
2002	Dustin Proctor, QB, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
2001	Kirk Rogers, WR, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
2000	Richard Green, RB, Sr., Howard Payne
1999	Braxton Shaver, QB, Sr., McMurry
1998	Braxton Shaver, QB, Sr., McMurry

(1996-97, no award)

Defense

2015	Teidrick Smith, DE, Jr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2014	Deshon Kinsey, LB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2013	Silvio Diaz, DT, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2012	Javicz Jones, LB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2011	Javicz Jones, LB, Jr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2010	Hank Hornsby, DE, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
2009	Austin Sturrock, DE, Sr., East Texas Baptist
2008	Eric Henri, LB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2007	Jerrell Freeman, LB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2006	Chad Glover, DE, Sr., East Texas Baptist
2005	Will Galusha, DB, Jr., Hardin-Simmons
2004	Littleton Dean, DT, Sr., East Texas Baptist
2003	Alex Hansen, CB, Jr., Hardin-Simmons
2002	Preston Meyer, LB, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2001	Preston Meyer, LB, Jr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2000	(co) Jared Sanderson, LB, Jr., Hardin-Simmons
	(co) Mike Tates, LB, Sr., Howard Payne
1999	David Rausch, DB, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
1998	Bryant Shaw, DE, Jr., Mississippi College

(1996-97, no award)

Special Teams

2015	Jessie Ramos, KR, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
2014	Jessie Ramos, KR, Jr., Hardin-Simmons
2013	Chad Peevey, PK/P, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2012	Allen Cain, PK, Sr., Texas Lutheran
2011	Darnell Williams, RET, Sr., Louisiana College
2010	Jordan Rideaux, RET, Sr., Louisiana College
2009	Jordan Rideaux, RET, Jr., Louisiana College
2008	Kyle Pope, PK, Jr., East Texas Baptist
2007	Holt Storrie, PK, Sr., Texas Lutheran
2006	Will Galusha, RET, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
2005	Holt Storrie, PK, So., Texas Lutheran
2004	(co) Brian Malbrough, RET, Sr., McMurry
	(co) P.J. Williams, RET, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
2003	Scott Verhalen, P, Sr., East Texas Baptist

(1996-2002, no award)

Related Headlines