ST. PAUL, Minn. – Macalester College was predicted to finish fourth in the Midwest Conference North Division for the 2019 season, according to the annual MWC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Scots, who placed fourth in the North Division last season, received 40 points in the poll.
Macalester, coached by
Tony Jennison, returns 54 players from last year's squad that went 5-5, including a 2-3 mark in the MWC North. Five starters are back on offense, while eight starters return on defense. Current seniors who started for the Scots last season include receiver
Reese Bresson (Homosassel, Fla./Crystal River), defensive lineman
Matt Heppleston (Lee, Mass./Lenox Memorial), linebackers
Josh Bartz (Omaha, Neb./Brownell-Talbot) and
Dane Ku Blake (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou), and defensive backs
Mason Cohn (Charlotte, Vt./Champlain Valley Union) and
Dean Smith (Carpinteria, Calif./Cate School).
Defending Midwest Conference champion St. Norbert received all 12 first-place votes and 72 points to take the top spot in the North Division preseason poll. Ripon was second with 52 points, followed by Lake Forest (51), Macalester (40), Lawrence (24) and Beloit (13). Monmouth College topped the South Division poll with 66 points, followed by UChicago (65), Illinois College (46), Knox (33), Cornell (30) and Grinnell (12).
On MWC Championship Week Nov. 16, teams will play their counterpart in the opposite division's standings, with the two division champions facing off to determine the conference's representative in the NCAA Division III Playoffs. The games on MWC Championship Week will be played at the South Division schools.
Macalester begins the 2019 season at Carleton on Sept. 7, with the Scots' MWC schedule starting on Oct. 12 against Lake Forest at Macalester Stadium.
2019 Midwest Conference Football Coaches' Poll (1st place votes)
North Division
1. St. Norbert 72 (12)
2. Ripon 52
3. Lake Forest 51
4. Macalester 40
5. Lawrence 24
6. Beloit 13
South Division
1. Monmouth 66 (7)
2. UChicago 65 (5)
3. Illinois College 46
4. Knox 33
5. Cornell 30
6. Grinnell 12
