July 18, 2006

Linebacker Nolan Robinson and the Statesmen are ranked 14th in the Foot- ball Gazette preseason poll. (Photo by Kevin Colton)

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart football team stands at No. 14 in the Don Hansen Football Gazette Preseason Division III Top 40. The Statesmen are coming off a 9-2 season that saw them make their fourth NCAA tournament appearance since 2000.

Under the leadership of Head Coach Mike Cragg—Hobart’s all-time leader in career wins with a 73-37 record in 11 seasons—the Statesmen will welcome back 40 lettermen, including 15 starters (10 on offense, 5 on defense). The program’s 113th varsity season kicks off at 1 p.m., on Sept. 9, when the Dickinson Red Devils visit Boswell Field.

Hobart’s nine-game schedule includes three teams that also earned a spot in the Football Gazette top 40: No. 8 Union (Nov. 4 in Geneva), No. 32 Rensselaer (Sept. 23 in Troy), and No. 35 Alfred (Oct. 28 in Alfred).

The poll is the third to list the Statesmen in the top 25. Hobart is 12th in Street & Smith’s preseason ranking and 21st in the USA TODAY Sports Weekly College Football Preview.

2006 Don Hansen Football Gazette Preseason NCAA Division III Poll

1 Mount Union
2 Wis.-Whitewater
3 St. John’s
4 Rowan
5 Delaware Valley
6 Linfield
7 Wesley
8 Union
9 Capital
10 Wash. & Jeff.
11 M. Hardin-Baylor
12 Bridgewater
13 Occidental
14 HOBART
15 Concordia (MN)
16 Augustana
17 Central
18 Ohio Northern
19 Ithaca 8-3
20 North Central
21 Thiel
22 Cortland State
23 Trinity (TX)
24 Wabash
25 Trinity (CT)
26 Hardin-Simmons
27 Wilkes
28 Wis.-La Crosse
29 Coe
30 Monmouth
31 St. John Fisher
32 Rensselaer
33 Wis.-Eau Claire
34 Wis.-Stout
35 Alfred
36 Mt. St. Joseph
37 Whitworth
38 DePauw
39 Adrian
40 Wheaton (IL)