SIAC predicted order of finish
East Division
1. Albany State
2. Fort Valley State
3. Morehouse
4. Benedict
5. Clark Atlanta
West Division
1. Tuskegee
2. Miles
3. Stillman
4. Kentucky State
5. Lane
6. Central State
Albany State and Tuskegee were predicted as the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s top teams for the 2013 season Tuesday at the conference kickoff luncheon in Atlanta.
Tuskegee was unanimously voted as the top team in the Western Division as well as the favorite to win the SIAC championship, and the Golden Rams were voted as favorites to finish atop the Eastern Division.
“This is a critically important year …,” SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore said. “This is the centennial year. This conference was founded on Dec. 30, 1913, so this is our 100-year anniversary. And it’s important to me because after 100 years our vitality has still not diminished. I’m very bullish about this year. I think we’re going to have a very exciting football year.”
Tuskegee was 11-2 in last season, finishing with a loss to Elizabeth City State in the Pioneer Bowl, and Albany State finished 6-4, winning five games in a row before losing to Fort Valley State in the final game of the season.
The SIAC first-team offense and defense were announced Tuesday, with senior quarterback David Thomas of Miles leading the offense.
SIAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American LeRon Furr, a senior from Fort Valley State, made the list as a first-team linebacker.
Juniors Bernard Little of Fort Valley State and Pete Dele of Stillman and seniors Clarence Christian of Morehouse and Devin Gainer of Benedict were announced as first-team defensive lineman.
Tyrone Poole, a former Fort Valley State player who played on two Super Bowl champions, was the keynote speaker and addressed the players on hand.
“You will face great challenges in the 2013 season,” Poole said. “You will push forward when others give up. You will refuse to quit. With every failure, you are that much closer to your inevitable victory. You will make the impossible possible. You must say to yourself, ‘this is my defining moment in this season.’”
The SIAC also announced a rights agreement with Bounce TV. Bounce will televise five SIAC football games in 2013. The first telecast will be of the Clark Atlanta-Morehouse game Oct. 5.
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