Valdosta Daily Times

Local Sports

August 3, 2012

Blazer football picked to win GSC; soccer to finish third

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State football team has been picked to win the Gulf South Conference, according to the conference’s Preseason Coaches’ Poll, while the women’s soccer team has been picked to finish third.

The Blazer football team received three first place votes and one second place vote for a total of 15 points. West Alabama was picked to finish second after receiving two first place and two second place votes for a total of 14 points. Delta State was picked to finish third, followed by North Alabama and West Georgia. Shorter is not eligible to win the conference as the school is still in the transition to the Division II ranks.

Topping the GSC coaches’ soccer list was defending conference champion North Alabama, which received five of a possible seven first place votes. West Florida came in second with three first place and three second place votes. The Blazers received one second place vote, four third place votes and two fourth place votes in the poll.

In the past 37 preseason polls compiled by the conference for football, only 13 teams picked to win the conference prior to the start of the season actually went on to win the conference. Delta State was the most recent team to accomplish the feat last season.

The conference also announced its Preseason All-GSC Teams. In football, West Alabama placed 10 players on the team, followed by VSU, which had eight players.

Offensively, wide receiver Gerald Ford, who missed last season due to academic issues and returns this season, was selected along with offensive linemen Edmund Kugbila, Mesh Wokomaty and Ryan Schraeder.

Defensively, defensive end Tyler Josey and tackle Lawrence Virgil received the nod, along with linebacker Chris Pope and cornerback Matt Pierce.

 West Georgia’s Kelly Dawsey, a former Lowndes Viking, was also named to the team.  

In soccer, Arielle Sabina and 2011 GSC Freshman of the Year Abbi Edwards were named to the All-GSC Team.

Kim Caitlin Alderman, Arista Hott and Shelby Jennings were all named to the Top Newcomers List, also released by the conference on Thursday.

The Blazer football team opens camp Monday, while the soccer and volleyball teams open camp Wednesday.

Text Only
Local Sports
  • vaughn.jpg Blazers fall to Molloy in eight innings

    With only one out remaining and trailing by three, the Molloy Lions strung together four hits to plate three runs in the seventh followed by another run in the eighth inning to defeat Valdosta State’s softball team 5-4 in the first round of the 2013 Division II Softball National Championship Tournament on Thursday in Salem, Va.

    May 24, 2013 1 Photo

  • Albritton.jpg Albritton, Johnson earn All-America honors

    Valdosta State softball players Courtney Albritton and Morgan Johnson gathered multiple All-America honors late Wednesday night.

    May 24, 2013 2 Photos

  • 130523-wounded_warrior002.jpg Golfers take course for Wounded Warriors

    Local patrons participated in the Wounded Warrior Project Golf Tournament at Stone Creek Golf Club in Valdosta on Thursday.

    May 24, 2013 2 Photos

  • Valwood football hosting 4-man scramble golf tourney

    Head coach Ashley Henderson and the Valwood football team will be hosting a 4-man scramble golf tournament at Valdosta Country Club Friday, June 14.

    May 24, 2013

  • VHS football cheerleaders to host Junior Cheer Camp

    The Valdosta High School football cheerleaders will be hosting a Junior Cheer Camp June 5 through June 7 at the W.G. Nunn Elementary School gymnasium.

    May 24, 2013

  • Gillespie, McPherson pleased with spring practices

    Valdosta’s Rance Gillespie and Lowndes’ Randy McPherson both think their football teams got better during the recent 10 days of spring practice.
    Then again, both coaches know their teams have a ways to go before the start of the football season.

    May 23, 2013

  • vhsboys.jpg Signing day at VHS

    It was signing day galore at Valdosta High School Wednesday.
    Six student-athletes signed national letter of intents to compete at the next level, while two VHS athletes both signed academic scholarships to Division I universities.

    May 23, 2013 2 Photos

  • powell.jpg Powell signs with Shorter

    Robert Powell, a member of the basketball team on South Georgia State College’s Waycross Campus, has signed a letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Shorter University in Rome.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • 130521-vsu_softball005.jpg Sending the Blazers off

    The Valdosta State softball team made the long journey to Salem, Va. Tuesday, leaving Valdosta at 10:30 a.m. with devoted fans cheering them out of the parking lot.

    May 22, 2013 2 Photos

  • c.pope_1667.jpg All-Region teams announced

    Lowndes was one win away from a trip to the Class AAAAAA state semifinals, and the success by the Vikings this season showed when the All-Region 1 baseball teams were announced Monday.

    May 21, 2013 1 Photo

Blazers Blog
Top Sports News
More
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com