Lions Picked to Finish 4th in CSFL

2010 Football Pre-Season Poll

ALVA, Oklahoma -- The Central States Football League office released the 2010 Preseason Poll, and the Southwestern Assemblies Lions were picked to finish fourth in the six team conference.

The balloters in the annual poll includes coaches, sports information directors and selected members of the media. The CSFL headquarters are based at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and directed by Ryan Hintergardt, the S.I.D. at NWOSU.

After Langston University won the past two CSFL titles, this year's pick to win the crown are the Rangers of Northwestern Oklahoma State. They garnered six of nine first place votes, and racked up 35 points. Langston, ranked 19th nationally in the NAIA Preseason Poll, were just one point behind NWOSU, with 34. They had three first-place votes. The league winner qualifies for the NAIA playoffs, and the race figures to be a very close one.

Northwestern, rated #25 in the NAIA poll, went 7-3 last fall, including a 27-21 home win over Langston (8-4), but were ineligible for the league title. This fall the two will collide in Langston, Oklahoma on October 23. The institutions are separated by only 98 miles.

Southern Nazarene University, 6-5 in 2009, received 27 points, good for third place. The Crimson Storm rank in a tie for 33rd in the NAIA poll.

SAGU (3-7) was in fourth with 19. If they are to rise in the ranks, the Lions need to have success at home, where they were 0-5 last fall. CollegeFanz reported recently that Southwestern must elevate their ground game to make the next step up. Last year, according to their nationally released video report, the Lions eclipsed the 100-yard rushing total just once. This campaign has them playing Langston and Southern Naz on the road and Northwestern at Waxahachie's 8,000-seat Lumpkins Stadium.

Bacone College (1-8), predicted to finish in fourth last year, slid to fifth this fall, with 17 points. Texas College (0-11) rounded out the CSFL poll in sixth, with nine points.

The 11-year history of the CSFL has seen Northwestern Oklahoma take the crown seven times, including the first six seasons (1999-2004). Langston finished in first three times, once in a tie with Texas College (2005). The TxC Steers were co-champions again with Southern Nazarene (2006).

2010 CSFL PRESEASON POLL

Rank     School     Points

1.  Northwestern Oklahoma St. University  35 (6)

2.  Langston University  34 (3)

3.  Southern Nazarene University  27

4.  SW Assemblies of God University  19

5.  Bacone College  17

6.  Texas College  9

Number in parenthesis indicates first place votes.

For more on the CSFL, visit the NWOSU website, which serves as the league's internet base.