Jackets Picked to Finish Third on HCAC Gridiron

GREENWOOD, Ind. Defiance College has been selected to finish third in the upcoming 2007 football season as voted on by the league head coaches and announced in the Heartland Conferences preseason poll.

The Yellow Jackets will be looking to raise the bar yet again in 2007, after finishing with a 7-3 record and taking third place in the HCAC standings one year ago. Defiance fell in its season opener before ripping off six-straight wins to get to 6-1 for its best start and longest win streak since the 2001 campaign.

Defiance stepped into the national spotlight in week two, earning mention on ESPNs College GameDay and a feature on D3Football.com after a 10-0 victory at Adrian. The Jackets again garnered national recognition heading into week eight, as their sixth-straight victory resulted in the program receiving votes in the national polls.

Since week three of the 2005 season, DC has cemented its place near the top of the Heartland Conference standings week in and week out. The Yellow Jackets have won 13 of their last 18 games and have posted a 9-4 mark in league games over that span.

The 2007 season will provide another opportunity to climb higher on the ladder and the talent is readily available on the roster, but the Jackets will have to find a way to overcome a challenging schedule while replacing 12-of-22 starters on their offensive and defensive units.

Leading the way for Defiance on the offensive side of the ball will be veteran returners and 2007 HCAC Players to Watch, Hans Vetter (QB /Jr./Toledo, OH), Luke Dillon (WR/Sr./Temperance, MI), Gary Allen (WR, Return Specialist/Sr./Richland, MI), Scooter Curtis (RB/Jr./Brighton, MI) and Mason Patrick (OL/Sr./Zanesville, OH).

A speedy defensive unit will be anchored by Nic Cass (DB/Sr./Roseville, MI), Keith Snyder (DB/Jr./Martin, MI) and Chris Tietje (LB/Sr./Deshler, OH). All three players were also tabbed to the 2007 HCAC Player-to-Watch List.

The Yellow Jackets took third in the poll with 40 points and followed Mount St. Joseph and Franklin in the standings. The top two teams split the eight first-place votes and are separated by just two points with 60 and 58 respectively. Rose-Hulman was picked fourth with 38 points and Hanover was voted to round out the top five with 35 points. Anderson, Manchester and Bluffton were picked sixth, seventh and eighth.

Defiance will get its 2007 season underway in style, hosting regional-rival Adrian at Coressel Stadium on Sep. 1, with kick-off slated for 1:30 pm. The Jackets will then play a pair of non-conference road contests before returning home to open HCAC play against Manchester on Sep. 29 at 1:30 pm.