KUTZTOWN — Perception can sometimes be accepted as fact, and the perception among the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division football coaches is that Bloomsburg University has lost too many key players to repeat as division and conference champion.
Projected to win the East is West Chester, last season’s NCAA Division II semifinalist, which received seven first-place votes. This is the first time since 2010 the Golden Rams have topped the preseason and just the third time overall.
West Chester is coming off its second-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II semifinals, advancing with a 40-38 victory at Bloomsburg and a 28-7 victory over Shepherd in the Super Region One championship. In winning a school-record 13 games, the Rams scored 564 points, which ranks No. 4 all-time in PSAC history.
Projected No. 2 in the poll behind the Rams is East Stroudsburg, which is coming off a 7-4 season that was the most victories by the Warriors since winning eight games in 2009. Denny Douds enters his 41st season as coach of the Warriors and is ranked No. 5 among active coaches with 244 victories and is tied for No. 23 overall.
East Stroudsburg, which received the other first-place vote, is ranked three positions higher than the 2013 preseason poll and the best since the Warriors were projected to win the division in 2005. Harlon Hill candidate quarterback Matt Soltes returns to lead an offense that finished first in the PSAC East in scoring with 40.8 points per game and in total offensive yards with 508.1 per game.
Bloomsburg is ranked No. 3 after last year’s 10-2 season that ended with the playoff loss to West Chester. All-time PSAC rushing leader and Harlon Hill Trophy winner Franklyn Quiteh had two touchdown runs for the Huskies, who twice overcame double-digit deficits after falling behind 17-3 in the first quarter.
This is the 19th consecutive year the Huskies have been ranked in the top three, and their final two home games this season are Week 8 against West Chester and Week 9 against East Stroudsburg. Last year was Bloomsburg’s 10th appearance in the NCAA playoffs and fourth in six years.
Shippensburg is ranked No. 4. Last year’s seven victories marked the first time since 1952-54 that the Red Raiders had seven or more victories in three consecutive seasons. Kutztown is ranked No. 5, just three points ahead of No. 6 Lock Haven, while No. 7 Millersville and No. 8 Cheyney complete the poll.
Perennial Western Division powerhouse Indiana University of Pennsylvania is projected as the favorite and received five first-place votes. It is the third consecutive year the Crimson Hawks have been rated No. 1 and eighth consecutive year they are ranked in the top three.
California received the other three first-place votes and is ranked No. 2 in the PSAC West. Slippery Rock edged Mercyhurst for the No. 3 ranking by just two points. Completing the poll in the same positions as last year are No. 5 Gannon, No. 6 Edinboro, No. 7 Clarion and No. 8 Seton Hill.
PSAC football
Here is the 2014 PSAC preseason coaches poll with first-place votes are in parenthesis:
Eastern Division
1. West Chester (7)
2. East Stroudsburg (1)
3. Bloomsburg
4. Shippensburg
5. Kutztown
6. Lock Haven
7. Millersville
8. Cheyney
Western Division
1. IUP (5)
2. California (3)
3. Slippery Rock
4. Mercyhurst
5. Gannon
6. Edinboro
7. Clarion
8. Seton Hill