Gulf South Conference

West Georgia Named 2015 GSC Football Preseason Favorite

8/5/2015 10:00:00 AM

Complete Release (PDF)

Birmingham, AL—For the first time ever, the University of West Georgia finished atop the Gulf South Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll, entering 2015 as the favorite to claim the league crown.
                UWG carried the momentum left over from a storybook 2014 campaign which saw the Wolves advance to the NCAA Playoff Semifinals for the first time in school history.  West Georgia compiled 34 total points led by five first-place votes and one-third place selection.  UWG’s previous best finish in the poll came with a second-place effort in 2000.  In fact, UWG is the first team other than Delta State, North Alabama and Valdosta State to top the poll since 2000 when former Southern Arkansas finished first.
                Only one point separates second and third place, as 2014 GSC Co-Champions Delta State (30) and North Alabama (29) shared the final two first-place nods.  Valdosta State came in at fourth place with 19 points, followed by Florida Tech’s 17-point total.  Completing the seven-team list was West Alabama (12) and Shorter (six).

SCHOOL	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	Total
West Georgia	5	—	1	—	—	—	34
Delta State	1	4	1	—	—	—	30
North Alabama	1	3	2	—	—	—	29
Valdosta State	—	—	2	3	1	—	19
Florida Tech	—	—	1	4	—	1	17
West Alabama	—	—	—	—	6	—	12
Shorter	—	—	—	—	—	6	6

NOTE:  The Head Coaches voted in this poll.  Teams received 6 points for a first place vote, 5 for a second place vote, etc.  The Head Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own squads.

2015 PRESEASON ALL-GSC TEAM
 
                The 2015 Preseason All-GSC Football Team includes 33 total members and is led by 10 returning Preseason players and 15 All-Conference First Teamers spanning the past three seasons.
                North Alabama led the way with eight total Preseason standouts, while Delta State, Florida Tech and West Georgia each provided six total members.  Valdosta State (four), West Alabama (two) and Shorter (one) closed out the Preseason representation.
                VSU running back Cedric O’Neal headlines the offense, returning to the Preseason list for the third year in a row after securing All-GSC accolades in all three of his previous seasons.  DSU wide receiver Casey Osborne, UNA wideout Lee Mayhall, FIT tight end Gabe Hughes and UWG offensive guard Orion Awa-Dubose are back from the 2014 Preseason Team.  North Alabama running back Lamonte Thompson is back after claiming Preseason laurels in 2013.  DSU’s Osborne and West Georgia center Harley Vaughn are unanimous honorees, while Florida Tech quarterback Mark Cato and Vaughn are the lone sophomores on the entire squad.
                Shorter defensive back Jordan Shaw spearheads the defensive after earning the 2014 GSC Defensive Player of the Year award.  Defensive backs, UNA’s Philbert Martial and FIT’s Manny Abad, return from the 2013 Preseason squad.  Unanimous defensive members include UWG defensive lineman Alex Armah, North Alabama defensive lineman Tyler Smith, UWA defensive lineman Jared Washington and VSU linebacker Kenny Murphy.
                West Alabama placekicker Mark Grant and West Georgia punter James Dugan earn consecutive Preseason nods, while Dugan earned a unanimous selection after making post-season All-GSC the last two seasons.  North Alabama duo Philbert Martial and Will Lovelace round out Special Teams.

OFFENSE

POS	NAME	SCHOOL	HT	WT	YEAR	HOMETOWN
QB	$%Mark Cato	Florida Tech	6-2	205	SO	Alachua, Fla.
RB	!@$&+Cedric O’Neal	Valdosta State	6-0	213	SR	Dublin, Ga.
RB	#Trevor Sand	Florida Tech	5-11	205	JR	Seminole, Fla.
RB	@#*~Lamonte Thompson	North Alabama	5-8	175	SR	Florence, Ala.
WR	!#*Casey Osborne (U)	Delta State	6-3	205	SR	Flowery Branch, Ga.
WR	$Chris Anderson	Valdosta State	5-8	195	SR	Brunswick, Ga.
WR	$Shaq Hall	West Georgia	6-3	200	SR	Burlington, N.J.
WR	!$Lee Mayhall	North Alabama	5-10	175	SR	Jackson, Tenn.
TE	!#*Gabe Hughes	Florida Tech	6-4	235	SR	Lighthouse Point, Fla.
G	Stephen Evans	North Alabama	6-4	290	JR	Boston, Mass.
G	!#Orion Awa-Dubose	West Georgia	6-1	310	SR	Oxnard, Calif.
T	Jalen Beavers	North Alabama	6-3	330	SR	Stringer, Miss.
T	$Mose Countryman	Delta State	6-5	280	SR	Jacksonville, Fla.
T	$Matt Garcia	Florida Tech	6-5	275	SR	Orange Park, Fla.
C	Harley Vaughan (U)	West Georgia	6-3	292	SO	Dawsonville, Ga.

 
DEFENSE

POS	NAME	SCHOOL	HT	WT	YEAR	HOMETOWN
DL	$Alex Armah (U)	West Georgia	6-2	245	JR	Lawrenceville, Ga.
DL	Tyler Smith (U)	North Alabama	5-10	255	JR	Rogersville, Ala.
DL	Jared Washington (U)	West Alabama	6-2	305	SR	Lanett, Ala.
DL	#Randall Boyd	Delta State	6-0	245	SR	Forrest, Miss.
LB	#Kenny Murphy (U)	Valdosta State	6-2	240	SR	Glennville, Ga.
LB	#J.J. Sanders	Florida Tech	5-10	235	SR	Columbus, Ohio
LB	#Wilson Curtis	Delta State	6-2	200	JR	Winnsboro, La.
LB	$Sharmaine Washington	Valdosta State	6-1	232	JR	Moultrie, Ga.
DB	!#Philbert Martial	North Alabama	5-10	175	JR	Mobile, Ala.
DB	^#Jordan Shaw	Shorter	6-2	215	SR	Jasper, Ga.
DB	$Romelo Wilson	Delta State	5-11	170	JR	Ewa Beach, H.I.
DB	!$*Manny Adad	Florida Tech	6-1	175	JR	Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
DB	$Carlos Hutton	West Georgia	5-11	170	SR	Carrolton, Ga.
DB	#*Richard Nash	Delta State	5-9	180	SR	Macon, Ga.

 
SPECIAL TEAMS

POS	NAME	SCHOOL	HT	WT	YEAR	HOMETOWN
PK	!&Mark Grant	West Alabama	5-7	160	JR	Panama City, Fla.
P	!#*James Dugan (U)	West Georgia	6-5	210	SR	Carrollton, Ga.
RS	$Philbert Martial	North Alabama	5-10	175	JR	Mobile, Ala.
BT	$Wil Lovelace	North Alabama	5-11	200	SO	Florence, Ala.

 
NOTES: !—2014 Preseason All-GSC Team; @—2013 Preseason All-GSC Team; #—2014 First Team All-GSC; $—2014 Second Team All-GSC; %—2014 GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year; ^—2014 GSC Defensive Player of the Year; &—2013 First Team All-GSC; *—2013 Second Team All-GSC; +—2012 First Team All-GSC; ~—2012 Second Team All-GSC; (U)—Unanimous Selection; BT—Blocking Team; LS—Long Snapper; The 2014 GSC Pre-Season Football Team was selected by the Head Coaches.  Balloting that ended in a tie was not broken.  Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.