ADRIAN, Mich. – The Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) announced the 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll for both leagues on Wednesday afternoon. The Siena Heights football team fell to fifth in the Mideast League poll with 28 points. The Saints completed the 2021 season with a 5-2 record in league play to finish third in the Mideast standings at the end of the year.
Siena Heights returns star linebacker Kole Murlin and defensive lineman Vincent Walker for 2022. Offensively, the Saints return quarterback Ryan Minor and wide receiver Eric Williams II.
Murlin had another monster season in 2021. He earned AFCA NAIA second-team All-America, was the MSFA Mideast Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-MSFA Mideast defense, and a league all-academic member. The Celina, Ohio native was also chosen to the College Football America Yearbook NAIA Preseason Starting Lineup for 2022. He is only the second Saint football player to be selected for that honor.
Walker was on the MSFA Mideast Honorable Mention list a season ago. He led the team in sacks last season with 5.5 while totaling 25 tackles as a d-lineman, seven for loss.
Williams II earned a place on the MSFA Mideast second-team offense in 2021. He was the team's leading receiver with 29 catches for 427 yards and four touchdowns while also leading the way in all-purpose yards with 991.
Minor was 84-128 through the air for 807 yards and five touchdowns in his first season of significant playing time under center for SHU.
Siena Heights also returns several players with veteran gametime experience, including running back Kaleb Jefferson, linebacker Daneille Lowe Jr., offensive linemen Nick Turchiano, Jefferson Edwards, and David Robinson.
"We enjoy being the underdog," said Saints head coach Matt Kohn. "We look forward to putting in the work this season to improve our position at the end of the season."
Head coaches across the league rank their fellow league members from top to bottom, with first place earning seven points, second place earning six points, etc., to determine the order of the poll.
Last season's Mideast champion, Concordia (Mich.), topped the poll with four first-place votes to total 44 points. Marian received three first-place nods to fall one point behind the Cardinals for second place. Indiana Wesleyan was given the final first-place vote to fall third with 39 points. St. Francis (Ind.) edged out Siena Heights for fourth with 29 points. The Saints were nine points ahead of Lawrence Tech, who placed sixth with 19 points. Taylor (15 points) and Madonna (7 points) rounded out the eight-team poll.
Click here for the MSFA release on both leagues' 2022 Preseason Coaches polls.
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