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Football picked seventh in preseason SAC coaches poll; five named to preseason All-Division team
Posted: Aug 02, 2024

Football picked seventh in preseason SAC coaches poll; five named to preseason All-Division team

Rock Hill, S.C. —- The Catawba College football team was picked to finish seventh in the South Atlantic Conference preseason coaches poll, the league office announced Friday morning. The team also placed five student-athletes on the Preseason All-Piedmont Division team, tied for third most in the Piedmont division.

Lenoir-Rhyne was voted the preseason favorite, while Wingate was tabbed to finish as the league's runner-up. Limestone was picked third, ahead of Mars Hill, who finished fourth with two first-place votes. Newberry and Tusculum were slotted at fifth and sixth, respectively, just ahead of Catawba at seven. Carson-Newman, Barton, Emory & Henry, UVA Wise and league newcomer Anderson rounded out the preseason coaches poll.

Following the 2023 season where Catawba faced each of the top nine vote-getters in the preseason coaches poll, this year's slate features the unique challenge of facing four of the top five in the preseason coaches poll at Shuford Stadium in the back half of the season. Limestone (Oct. 12), Newberry (Oct. 19), Lenoir-Rhyne (Nov. 9) and Mars Hill (Nov. 16) round out the final four home games for the Catawba Indians in 2024.

Marquece Williams was named a preseason All-Piedmont Division recognition at running back after earning the same honors following the 2023 season. Williams took a team-leading 101 carries for 397 yards and eight rushing touchdowns, good for sixth in the SAC in 2023. The Columbia, S.C. native enters the season with an experienced running back room with last year's leading rusher LJ Turner, Malcolm Wilson and Lee Bracey Jr., who returns from season-ending injury.

Bo Pryor is a preseason All-Piedmont Division wide receiver after his record-setting season in 2023 helped him earn All-Conference recognition at wideout. Pryor tied a school record for catches in a single season with 73 receptions for 885 yards and seven touchdowns. The Cherryville, N.C. product posted four games of at least 100 yards receiving with each of his seven touchdown grabs coming in the first four games of the season. Catawba expects even more offensive fireworks from Pryor and 2023 All-Piedmont QB Preston Brown in the upcoming season.

Evan Simons picked up a preseason All-Piedmont Division nod at linebacker after making a name for himself in his first season at Catawba, ranking fourth on the team with 51 tackles, 7.5 of which came for a loss, along with a conference-leading five forced fumbles. In 2023, Catawba's defense under first-year co-defensive coordinators Tee Overman and Khanis Hubbard allowed 15 fewer points per game than the team allowed in 2022.

Jakarri Martin II earned preseason All-Piedmont Division recognition ahead of his sophomore campaign after a standout freshman season with the Catawba Indians. Martin led the team with 70 tackles from the cornerback position and a team-high 11 pass breakups, good for third in the conference. Martin and company will look to contain both the preseason All-Piedmont Division and All-Mountain Division quarterback selections in Mars Hill's JR Martin and Limestone's Dustin Noller, respectively, when they make their trips to Shuford Stadium later this fall.

Deno Wardlow was the fifth and final preseason All-Piedmont Division selection for the Catawba Indians, as he earned the same recognition after a stellar 2023 campaign in his first season in Salisbury. Wardlow finished second on the team with 66 tackles and a team-best five interceptions, good for second most in the league. Wardlow earned SAC Defensive Player of the Week twice last season, first for his three-interception performance in the season-opener at Elizabeth City State and then again after a clutch interception and 50-yard return helped seal Catawba's home win over Barton on Senior Day.

Catawba opens its 2024 season at Division I FCS Davidson, playing in the first regular season football game played at the new Davidson College Stadium, on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. The Catawba Indians open their 2024 home slate versus Carson-Newman on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. To secure your tickets for the upcoming season, visit https://www.catawbaathletics.com/tickets.