Muleriders get preseason nod in GAC

Bisons, Reddies expected to challenge

After rotating five years between Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist, the Great American Conference football title went to a non-Arkadelphia school last year.

That trend is expected to continue in 2017. With Harding experiencing a change at the top and losing key personnel from its most successful team ever, Southern Arkansas is the preseason favorite of the GAC’s 12 head coaches.

A close three-team race is forecast with SAU receiving 110 points, Harding 107 and Henderson 106. SAU and Harding each had five-place votes and Henderson two. Ouachita (90) and Southeastern Oklahoma (82) completed the top five, followed by Arkansas Tech (80), Southwestern Oklahoma (60), Arkansas-Monticello (44), Northwestern Oklahoma (40), East Central (38), Oklahoma Baptist (24) and Southern Nazarene (11).

Two key in-state matchups highlight the opening week of the season with Henderson at Harding and SAU at Arkansas Tech. Both of those games are on Thursday night, along with Ouachita at home against Northwestern Oklahoma and Southeastern Oklahoma against Southern Nazarene. Sept. 2 openers, both on ESPN3, are East Central vs. Oklahoma Baptist and Arkansas-Monticello home against Southwestern Oklahoma.

SAU returns 12 all-GAC performers from a 9-3 team that played in the Agent Barry Live United Bowl. Quarterback Barrett Renner notched his second consecutive 3,000-yard season and threw for 27 touchdowns. Michael Nunnery ran for 1,110 yards and 12 touchdowns while tight end Tanner Hudson had 48 receptions for 763 yards and nine TDS. Hudson also ranked third in the GAC in putting with a 41.9-yard average.

With Jonathan Weisheit and Karonce Higgins joining Hudson, SAU returns its top three receivers. Anchoring the Mulerider defense are first-team all-conference tackle Travis Williams and second-team linebackers Corey Jenkins, Malik Preston and Stacy Lawrence.

Freshmen offensive lineman Logan Abernathy and tight end Anthony Spurling played on Mount Ida’s Class 2A championship team last year.

Lake Hamilton High graduate and former Ouachita Baptist quarterback Benson Jordan coaches Mulerider linebackers and is in charge of strength and conditioning for head coach Bill Keopple.

Harding went undefeated in the 2016 regular season, advancing to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals and setting a state-collegiate record of 13 victories. The Bisons return 11 starters, including eight on offense, but must replace GAC Player of the Year Park Parish and Defensive Player of the Year Trevon Biglow. In addition, Paul Simmons replaces the retired Ronnie Huckeba as the Bisons’ head coach.

Senior Gavin De Los Santos, a three-year letterman from Lake Hamilton, returns on Harding’s offensive line.

Henderson returns quarterbacks Andrew Black and Evan Lassiter, who combined for 3,249 yards and 21 touchdowns. Jeremy Williams ran for 10 touchdowns as a freshman. Defensively, the Reddies have Sam Johnson, second in the conference with 6.0 sacks, and Cameron Sonnier, whose 15.0 tackles for loss also placed second in the league.

Fountain Lake’s Ethan Simpson is a redshirt freshman tight end and Lakeside’s Grant Gatson a redshirt sophomore punter at HSU. Former Hot Springs Trojans Jojo Grant (junior) and Clifford Jackson (redshirt sophomore) are among the Reddie linemen.

Ouachita returns 2016 GAC Freshman of the Year Allie Freeman, who totaled 1,416 all-purpose yards, and running backs Kris Oliver (Arkadelphia) and Shun’cee Thomas, who combined for 1,372 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Also back is redshirt senior quarterback Austin Warford (Malvern) and reserve Lucas Reed, a redshirt senior from El Dorado.

The Tiger roster includes freshman Griffin Brown (Arkadelphia) and Cameron Clower (Centerpoint High).

Arkansas Tech comes off a 6-5 season, the first time the Wonder Boys have posted consecutive winning records since three straight from 2004-2006. Junior fullback Chris Eastburn, of Lake Hamilton, returns for his junior season in Russellville. Sophomore long snapper Harrison Wade is from Malvern and junior safety Chad Arnold from Centerpoint High while other Wonder Boys include freshman offensive lineman Ethan Eye of Lakeside High and redshirt-freshman running back Jamari McCollum of Malvern.