Coaches pick Jackson and Southern as SWAC's top teams

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - If the coaches are right, the second annual Southwestern Athletic Conference Football Championship Game will have familiar contestants.

Jackson State University is the coaches' choice to win the league's Eastern Division and that division's berth to the championship game while Southern University is lauded as the team to beat from the Western Division. A year ago, those two rivals squared off in the inaugural SWAC championship game with Southern registering a one-point, 31-30, come-from-behind victory. The title was Southern's third in a row.

Southern University head coach Pete Richardson's team has been picked to win the SWAC Western Division race

"Jackson State has an established program. The team is good year-in and year-out," stated Alabama A&M head coach Ron Cooper. "They don't regroup â?" they reload. Consequently, they've been able to maintain a solid level of performance from their athletes."

According to the Eastern Division coaches, Jackson State should be able to stave off a tough challenge from the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. The Tigers picked up four out of five first place nods and 16 points overall. AAMU garnered 13 points with one first place vote.

Rounding out the coaches' Eastern Division rankings are Alabama State, nine points, Alcorn State, 7, and Mississippi Valley State, 5.

"Southern has excellent and talented players," said Larry Dorsey, the new head coach at Prairie View A&M. "Plus, they have a great coaching staff."

Sentiments such as Dorsey's were the keys to Southern being lauded as the team to beat again from the SWAC Western Division. The Jaguars registered 15 points with three out of five first place votes to secure their number one ranking. They were followed closely by rival Grambling State, which picked up two first place votes and 13 points overall.

Rounding out the Western Division rankings are Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 10 points, Texas Southern, 8, and Prairie View A&M, 4.

Overall, several teams figure to have a legitimate shot at winning the second annual SWAC championship game. However, Southern appeared on more coaches' ballots than any other team as their favorite, the Jaguars receiving the nods of five of the 10 SWAC head coaches. Two coaches favored Grambling State, two Jackson State and one Texas Southern.

The second annual SWAC Football Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday, December 2 at Legion Field in Birmingham.

THE EASTERN DIVISIONCOACHES' POLL

                1. Jackson State (4)......................16 pts.                2. Alabama A&M (1)........................13                3. Alabama State...........................9                4. Alcorn State............................7                5. Miss. Valley State......................5                (First place votes in parentheses)

                1. Southern Univ. (3)...................15 pts.                2. Grambling State (2)..................13                3. Ark.-Pine Bluff......................10                4. Texas Southern........................8                5. Prairie View A&M......................4                    (First place votes in parentheses)

Front Page

Newsroom Index