Reddies picked to repeat in ‘Great American’

BOB WISENER

The Great American Conference office is in Russellville, but its power base for football resides in Arkadelphia.

Either Henderson State or Ouachita Baptist has won the GAC football championship since the league’s inception in 2011. Henderson claimed its third title last year, going 10-1 in league play and 11-2 overall with the first playoff victory in program history.

More of the same is expected this year with Henderson receiving 10 of 12 first-place votes in the preseason poll of conference coaches. The Reddies received 120 points, 20 more than second-place Harding — the Bisons and East Central (Okla.), the only team to beat Henderson in regular season last year, each receiving one first-place vote.

Ouachita, league champion in 2011 and 2013, finished third in the preseason poll with 91 points, followed by Southeastern Oklahoma (88), Southern Arkansas (82) and Arkansas Tech (79). Arkansas-Monticello (28) finished 11th in the poll.

Henderson returns seven all-conference selections and 17 starters, including GAC offensive player of the year Jaquan Cole, who enters the season with 1,788 career yards for 10th all-time at the school. A second-team all-region pick, Cole totaled 1,189 yards (99.1