Football ranked No. 23 in latest AFCA Poll
WACO, Tex.- Mars Hill is ranked 23rd in the nation in the week 10 edition of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Top 25. The Lions (7-2, 5-1 SAC) moved up two spots from last week's poll.
Mars Hill is off to its best start since 1985 and was idle last Saturday. The Lions are 7-1 against Division II competition this season.
Losses by eight Top 25 teams this past weekend caused a big shakeup in the AFCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Delta State (Miss.) still holds onto the top spot with 27 first-place votes after a 36-34 win over then-No. 18 West Alabama. Thanks to losses by then-No. 2 Pittsburg State (Kan.) and then-No. 3 Northwest Missouri State, Colorado State-Pueblo moves up to No. 2 this week. The Thunderwolves are 10-0 after a 41-3 victory over Western State (Colo.). Midwestern State (Texas) moves up to No. 3 and received a first-place vote after beating then-No. 20 West Texas A&M, 35-21, to give the Mustangs the Lone Star Conference title. Winston-Salem State (N.C.) is the new No. 4 team, and received the final first-place vote, after beating North Carolina-Pembroke, 34-7, and moving its record to 10-0. The Rams will play Elizabeth City State (N.C.) this coming Saturday for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title. Nebraska-Kearney beat Fort Lewis (Colo.), 54-7, and rounds out the Top 5.
No. 8 Kutztown (Pa.) moved up eight spots after beating then-No. 12 Bloomsburg (Pa.), 52-14, and will face No. 24 Slippery Rock (Pa.) for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title. Pittsburg State (Kan.) fell to No. 9, Northwest Missouri State fell to No. 11 and St. Cloud State (Minn.) fell to No. 15 after their losses. Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) makes its first appearance in the poll this year at No. 25 this week.
Mars Hill hosts Carson-Newman for Senior Day on Saturday, Nov. 12. Kickoff from the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium is set for 1 p.m.