July 26, 2004

RICHARDSON, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' football team has been selected to finish second in the American Southwest Conference by the league's coaches sports information directors and selected media, coming in just four points shy of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The Cowboys received the most first-place votes (10) among the 27 pollsters. The two teams along with projected third-place team East Texas Baptist all shared the conference title a year ago. Hardin-Simmons has won or shared the American Southwest Conference title in six of the league's eight years. They have never finished below third.

Mary Hardin-Baylor, who has won or shared the last two ASC championships (2002, '03), collected nine first-place votes and totaled 245 points. Six-time conference champion or co-champion Hardin-Simmons claimed 10 first-place votes for 241 points. East Texas Baptist received eight first-place votes and 238 points to place third.

Upper-division finishes were predicted for Howard Payne (189 pts.) and McMurry(143 pts.), who were picked fourth and fifth, respectively. Texas Lutheran University (105 pts.) was slotted at sixth followed by Louisiana College (103 pts.), Mississippi College (96 pts.), Austin College (89 pts.) and Sul Ross State University (36 pts.) in the seventh through 10th spots.

East Texas Baptist had the preseason ASC players of the year in Roshawn Johnson and Littleton Dean, despite neither ever being named first-team All-American.

Hardin-Simmons opens its season on Sept. 9 when it hosts Sul Ross State at 6 p.m. in the first night game at Shelton Stadium.