Football opens season fifth in A-R-C Preseason Poll

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- On the heels of a one game fall-to-spring slate, the Simpson College football team is picked fifth in the American Rivers Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced Friday based on the results of the 2019 season.

After a tie for the conference championship in 2019 by Central and Wartburg, the Dutch are picked first and the Knights sit second. Dubuque and Coe are third and fourth, respectively, while Loras, Nebraska Wesleyan, Luther and Buena Vista fill the remaining slots behind Simpson.

The Storm ended 5-5 overall and 4-4 in the league during the 2019 campaign, which included a stretch of four straight victories. As a unit, the team's defense was fourth in scoring (23.8) and passing yards per game (219.5).

Simpson returns 20 letterwinners from the 2019 squad, including first team all-conference offensive lineman Mason Spree and honorable mention selections Jack Bootsmiller (defensive line) and Ben Schiltz (tight end).

Spree earned the program's sixth College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America honor after he was placed on the second team. He kept the streak alive of 12 straight Academic All-District selections for the program.

The Storm travel to the Lone Star State for their season opener on Sept. 4 in a matchup against Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Crusaders sit atop the D3football.com Preseason Top-25 Poll with 10 first-place votes and are ranked second by the College Football America Yearbook.

Simpson's schedule features three schools ranked inside the top 25 by D3football.com, Central is 14th and Wartburg is 18th. The Storm take on the Dutch and Knights inside Buxton Stadium this fall.

2021 American Rivers Conference Football Preseason Coaches' Poll (2019 record)
1. Central (10-2, 7-1 A-R-C)
2. Wartburg (10-2, 7-1 A-R-C)
3. Dubuque (7-3, 6-2 A-R-)C
4. Coe (6-4, 5-3 A-R-C)
5. Simpson (5-5, 4-4 A-R-C)
6. Loras (5-5, 4-4 A-R-C)
7. Nebraska Wesleyan (3-7, 1-7 A-R-C)
8. Luther (1-9, 1-7 A-R-C)
9. Buena Vista (3-7, 1-7 A-R-C)