Berry ranked in preseason D3 poll

Good news for Berry College football fans: they’re going into the season with someone thinking they might be some stiff competition for 2018.

The Vikings program has grown by leaps and bounds in just five seasons, and now they’re are heading into season No. 6 with a program first.

Berry will open the 2018 season ranked No. 22 in the D3football.com Top 25 preseason poll after the website, which covers all of Division III football, released it this week.

The Vikings closed the 2017 season ranked No. 15 in the final poll, which was the team’s highest ranking in program history.

It all came after Berry finished the season with a program-best 11-1 record after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The team broke more than 100 program records on its way to a perfect 10-0 regularseason record and the team’s second straight Southern Athletic Association title.

Berry head coach Tony Kunczewski was selected as the Regional Coach of the Year by both D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association, while defensive lineman Mamadou Soumahoro

was a first team All-American selection for the second year in a row for his final season in addition to being named the D3football.com National Defensive Player of the Year.

Berry also had three players named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District teams, five SAA Player of the Week honors this season, three D3football.com Team of the Week and All-Region selections and 21 total All-Conference honorees.

The Vikings will open the season at home Sept. 1 against the Maryville (Tenn.) Scots.

The D3football.com Top 25 is voted on by media members, coaches and sports information directors from across all four regions of NCAA Division III football.