COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) announced the 2018 Football Preseason All-RMAC Teams and Preseason Coaches Poll on Monday morning, prior to the RMAC Football Kickoff.
The awards were voted on by all 11 head coaches. Coaches could not vote for their own players.
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
CSU-Pueblo and Colorado Mesa, who were Co-RMAC Champions last season, finished first and second in the poll, respectively. The ThunderWolves garnered 98 points and eight of the 11 first-place votes. The Mavericks finished in second with one first-place vote and ten points behind the Pack with 88 points.
The ThunderWolves finished the 2017 season 9-3 overall and 9-1 in the RMAC to earn their sixth title in seven seasons. The Pack made it to the first round of the 2017 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II (DII) Playoffs in a rematch from the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship game, as the No. 23 CSU-Pueblo football team fell to No. 1 Minnesota State, 16-13 in overtime. Meanwhile, the Mavericks (9-2 overall, 9-1 RMAC), secured their third straight RMAC crown after defeating South Dakota School of Mines in the second to last weekend of the regular season.
Colorado School of Mines finished in third with 84 points despite garnering the remaining two first-place votes.
Dixie State (68 points) was selected to finished fourth, while Chadron State was picked to finish in fifth.
Preseason Coaches Poll Standings
- CSU-Pueblo (8) – 98
- Colorado Mesa (1) – 88
- Colorado School of Mines (2) – 84
- Dixie State – 68
- Chadron State – 63
- South Dakota Mines – 49
- Black Hills State – 47
- Fort Lewis – 46
- Adams State – 30
- Western – 20
- New Mexico Highlands – 12
PRESEASON ALL-RMAC
CSU-Pueblo led the way with ten players selected, seven of them on the All-RMAC Defense team. Of the seven, six of them were All-RMAC First Team selections from the 2017 campaign. The Pack was led by this year’s RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Brandon Payer.
Colorado School of Mines and Chadron State each had four players selected. The Eagles’ Zack Kozlik was recently named 2018 RMAC Preseason Specialist last week.
Preseason Offense All-RMAC
QB – Eystin Salum, Colorado Mesa
RB – Cameron Mayberry, Colorado School of Mines
RB – Marche Dennard, CSU-Pueblo
WR – Brody Oliver, Colorado School of Mines
WR – Chad Hovasse, Adams State
WR – Marquese Surrel, Adams State
TE – Colt Foster, Chadron State
OL – Travis Romsa, Chadron State
OL – Jake Geil, Chadron State
OL – Tevia Tolutau, Dixie State
OL – Robert Schrock, South Dakota Mines
OL – Grant Stewart, Colorado School of Mines
OL – Jeffrey Brinkley, Fort Lewis
*There was a tie for the last OL spot so six are listed.
Preseason Defense All-RMAC
DL – Deyon Sizer, CSU-Pueblo
DL – Christopher Blanton, Fort Lewis
DL – George Marpaung, Fort Lewis
DL – Remington Kelly, Dixie State
DL – Michael Wristen, CSU-Pueblo
LB – Brandon Payer, CSU-Pueblo
LB – Tom Saager, Colorado Mesa
LB – Darrian Stickney, Fort Lewis
LB – Noor Shongolo, CSU-Pueblo
DB – Darius Williams, CSU-Pueblo
DB – Tanner Draper, CSU-Pueblo
DB – Donell Pleasant, Fort Lewis
DB – Emery Taylor, CSU-Pueblo
*There was a tie for the last DL spot so five are listed.
Preseason Specialists
PK – Mitchell Carter, CSU-Pueblo
P – Zack Kozlik, Chadron State
PR – Kevin Ribarich, CSU-Pueblo
KR – Brody Oliver, Colorado School of Mines
