DC Football Picked Fourth in HCAC by OCF.com Preseason Poll

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Defiance College football team has been tabbed to finish fourth in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in the upcoming season according to a preseason poll released by OhioCollegeFootball.com. DC has finished among the league's top three teams in four of the last five seasons.

The site selected the Yellow Jackets to finish fourth in the nine-team league, slotting Defiance directly behind Mount St. Joseph, Franklin and Rose-Hulman and in front of Manchester, Hanover and Anderson. HCAC newcomer, Earlham, was picked to finish eighth, while Bluffton was penciled in to round out the league standings in ninth place.

Defiance posted a 4-6 overall record for the second-straight year during the 2009 campaign, but closed the season with wins in three of its last five games and boasts a 7-4 clip in its last 11 league contests.

The Jackets will look to rely on the defense once again in 2010, led by senior Kyle Longsdorf. The Second-Team All-HCAC and Third-Team All-North Region performer led the conference and ranked 16th in the nation with 116 tackles, while splitting time at the safety and linebacker positions in 2009.

Senior defensive end, Austin Hedderly, sophomore cornerback, Anthony Sierra, and junior safety, Eric Rubio, will join Longsdorf as the four returning starters from one of the top-ranked defensive units in the HCAC from one year ago. DC led the conference in scoring defense (22.1), while finishing second in rushing defense (119.5) and total sacks (27) last season.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Purple and Gold are poised to return eight starters hoping to ignite an offense that netted just 19.7 points per game in 2009. Head Coach Rob Taylor will look to spark that attack and will take over as the team's offensive coordinator in 2010.

Taylor will lean heavily on a dynamic and experienced junior class featuring quarterback Rick Powell, running back Drew Kuesel, tight ends Ryan Black and Andrew Cessna, wide receiver Nick Wiedenhoft and left guard Kent Corthell. Sophomore receiver, Jon Carrabino, should also expect a heavier work load, while right tackle, Brian Baumgart, could be the lone senior in the starting lineup.

Senior Tom Foos will anchor the special teams once again, as the two-time All-HCAC punter garnered First-Team All-Ohio honors by averaging 38.9 yards per kick and planting 23 of his 71 punts inside the 20-yard line during his junior season.

The Jackets will open their 2010 campaign on September 4, when they travel to Muskingum for a 1:00 pm start. DC's home opener will be on September 25, when it hosts Franklin at 1:30 pm.