Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate Finish 2018 Ranked in AFCA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll
WACO, TEX.– The Lenoir-Rhyne Bears football team closed out the 2018 season with a No. 8 national ranking, while the Wingate Bulldogs finished at No. 24, according to the final American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Top-25 Poll released on Monday (Dec. 17).
The Bears had one of their best seasons in program history advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Football Championship. They won the SAC Championship and finished the year with a record of 12-2 overall, going 7-0 in the SAC.
The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Division II Football playoffs for the second consecutive season, defeating No. 10 West Georgia, 41-31, in the opening round. They finished the year with a 9-4 overall record and a 5-2 record in the SAC.
2018 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll – December 17, 2018
Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) (33) | 14-0 | 825 | 3 |
2. | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 15-1 | 792 | 2 |
3. | Minnesota St. | 13-1 | 750 | 1 |
4. | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 13-1 | 699 | 11 |
5. | Tarleton St. (Texas) | 12-1 | 670 | 6 |
6. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 12-1 | 662 | 4 |
7. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 11-2 | 546 | 9 |
8. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 12-2 | 497 | 17 |
9. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 10-3 | 482 | 15 |
10. | Northwest Missouri St. | 10-3 | 475 | 18 |
11. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 10-2 | 462 | 12 |
12. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 11-3 | 412 | NR |
13. | Minnesota-Duluth | 11-1 | 408 | 5 |
14. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 10-2 | 395 | 7 |
15. | Hillsdale (Mich.) | 10-3 | 301 | 23 |
16. | West Georgia | 10-2 | 293 | 10 |
17. | West Chester (Pa.) | 10-1 | 281 | 8 |
18. | Colorado School of Mines | 10-2 | 256 | 14 |
19. | Bowie St. (Md.) | 10-3 | 232 | 25 |
20. | Harding (Ark.) | 9-3 | 229 | 21 |
21. | LIU-Post (N.Y.) | 10-1 | 189 | 13 |
22. | Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | 9-3 | 180 | 19 |
23. | New Haven (Conn.) | 9-3 | 177 | NR |
24. | Wingate (N.C.) | 9-4 | 137 | NR |
25. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 8-2 | 119 | 16 |
Dropped Out: Kutztown (Pa.) (20), Ohio Dominican (22), Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Kutztown (Pa.), 105; West Alabama, 43; Ohio Dominican, 32; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 21; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 14; Missouri S&T, 11; Florida Tech, 8; Indiana (Pa.), 7; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 6; Chadron St. (Neb.), 3; Central Washington, 2; Virginia Union, 2; Ashland (Ohio), 1; Tiffin (Ohio), 1.
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