Football Ranked Third in GAC Preseason Poll

DURANT, Okla. – Building off a breakout season in 2021, Southeastern football has been picked third in the Great American Conference 2022 Preseason Poll released on Tuesday.
 
The Savage Storm put together a 9-3 season, its most wins since joining Division II and is tied for the second most wins by an SE team in a single season.
 
Southeastern was one of three teams to surpass 100 points in the poll, finishing with 104 points and one first-place vote.
 
Harding was named the preseason favorite with 115 points and six first-place nods, while Ouachita Baptist was right behind with 114 points and five first-place votes.
 
Henderson State was fourth in line behind the Storm with 87 points, while Oklahoma Baptist and East Central round out the top six teams in the poll.
 
Arkansas-Monticello checked in seventh in the poll, followed by Southern Arkansas and Arkansas tech. Northwestern Oklahoma State, Southwestern Oklahoma State, and Southern Nazarene round out the 12-team poll.
 
The Storm finished the 2021 season in fourth place in the league standings with an 8-3 mark in GAC play that included wins over the first and third place teams ahead of them.
 
The reigning GAC Coach of the Year Tyler Fenwick will return the reigning GAC Defensive Player of the Year in Maalik Hall as a centerpiece of the Southeastern defense which ranked third in the league in points allowed last season.
 
SE returns a pair of first team All-GAC selections from last season in Hall and offensive tackle James Walker.
 
Kevin Simes was a second team selection at defensive end and will also be returning, while Daulton Hatley at quarterback, Braxton Kincade at wide receiver and DeJante Granger on the offensive line; and defenders Ja'Lon Freeman and Josh Mulumba return in the defensive secondary.
 
Southeastern is set to open the 2022 season at home on Sept. 1 versus Arkansas Tech at 6 p.m. at Paul Laird Field.