DC Football Picked Second in HCAC Preseason Poll

DEFIANCE, Ohio—One year after posting the largest turnaround in school history, the Defiance College football team has been tabbed among the early favorites to contend for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference title in the upcoming season. The HCAC coaches picked the Jackets to finish second in the league, trailing only the two-time defending champions, Mount St. Joseph.

The Mount posted a 9-2 overall mark in 2005 en route to its second-straight HCAC title and was the unanimous selection to top the league yet again. MSJ recorded all eight first place votes for 64 points in the preseason poll.

Defiance placed second in the voting with 45 points while Franklin and Hanover tied for third with 43 points and Anderson took fifth with 41. The poll was rounded out by Rose-Hulman (20), Manchester (19) and Bluffton (13).

The Purple and Gold improved to 6-4 overall in 2005, taking second place in the regular season with a 4-2 mark in HCAC action. With the increased win total came plenty of recognition and postseason awards as DC’s turnaround marked a five-game improvement over a 1-9 effort in 2004 and was touted as the 35th-best story in NCAA Division III football by the D3Football.com. Defiance took home numerous postseason honors, including Rob Taylor being named the HCAC Coach of the Year, Kris Zajac being voted as the HCAC Defensive Player of the Year and rookie quarterback Hans Vetter taking Freshman-of-the-Year honors in the conference. In all, 13 Yellow Jackets were named to an HCAC All-Conference Team.

As Defiance gears up to return 49 of 60 lettermen from a year ago and 21 of 22 starters, the accolades have continued to be heaped on the promising Yellow Jacket squad. The Football Gazette recently named Vetter, Luke Dillon, Tyler Haines and Mike Haydon as Preseason All-America selections and Scooter Curtis, John Lancaster, Josh Staggs and Steven Brancheau joined that foursome on the HCAC’s Players-to-Watch list.

Defiance will kick off its preseason training on Friday, August 11. DC’s first game is slated for Sept. 2 when the Jackets host Otterbein in a 1:30 pm game.