David Zachary Sept. 7, 2009

Central cracks rankings at No. 25

 

PELLA—Central College has cracked the top 25 in the D3football.com rankings.

 

The Dutch debut at No. 25 after posting a 40-17 victory at Lakeland College (Wis.) Saturday. Central had been among those receiving votes in the preseason poll, but not in the top 25.

Central’s distinction means that Saturday’s home opener with Wis.-Stevens Point will be a battle of nationally ranked clubs. The Pointers, who have not yet played in 2009, are rated No. 7.

Perennial powers Mount Union (Ohio) and Wis.-Whitewater remain first and second in the poll. Iowa Conference rival Wartburg was rated No. 17 in the preseason but dropped out after suffering a 42-35 overtime loss at St. Norbert. Both Wartburg and St. Norbert are among those receiving votes in the poll this week.

Central meets Wis.-Stevens Point Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium.

D3football.com Top 25 through games of Saturday, Sept. 5:
No. School (No. 1 votes)      Rec.   Pts   Prev.
1   Mount Union (23)           1-0   623    1
2   Wis.-Whitewater (2)        1-0   602    2
3   Mary Hardin-Baylor         0-0   572    3
4   Hardin-Simmons             1-0   515    5
5   Wheaton (Ill.)             0-0   506    6
6   Wesley                     1-0   474    9
7   Wis.-Stevens Point        0-0   434    7
8   Ithaca                     1-0   343   10
9   Ohio Northern              1-0   340   --
10 Washington and Jefferson   1-0   294   14
11  St. John's                 1-0   280   13
12 Cortland State             0-0   270   11
13 Case Western Reserve       1-0   263   16
14 Monmouth                   1-0   261   12
15 North Central (Ill.)       0-1   248    4
16 Wabash                     0-0   234   18
17 Hobart                     0-0   209   15
18 Montclair State            0-0   190   21
19 Franklin                   1-0   188   19
20 St. Thomas                 1-0   145   22
21 Otterbein                  1-0   138   24
22 Occidental                 1-0   137   23
23 DePauw                     0-0   110   25
24 Salisbury                  1-0   102   --
25 Central                    1-0    78   -- 

Dropped out: No. 8 Willamette, No. 17 Wartburg, No. 20 Christopher Newport.

Others receiving votes: Concordia-Moorhead 64, Willamette 61, Trine 52, Trinity (Texas) 47, Delaware Valley 44, Wis.-Eau Claire 43, Capital 38, Linfield 30, Redlands 25, Mississippi College 24, Wartburg 19, Wis.-La Crosse 18, Thomas More 16, Christopher Newport 15, St. Norbert 14, St. John Fisher 13, Hampden-Sydney 11, Rowan 9, Bethel 8, Whitworth 6, Dickinson 3, Lycoming 3, Elmhurst 3, Millsaps 2, Austin 1.