Preseason Poll Release

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- After winning the inaugural Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Football championship last season, the Framingham State University Rams have been selected as the pre-season pick to repeat as the 2014 champions in a vote of the league's coaches.

The Rams, who finished the season a perfect 8-0 in conference and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament last season, captured seven of the nine first place votes to obtain 63 points. Framingham State looks to continue their success with quarterback Matt Silva, who finished last season with 20 touchdowns and over 1,500 yards passing. Also returning for Framingham State are MASCAC First Team All-Conference defensive backs Kevin Donahue and Matt Mangano, who helped the Rams hold their opponents last season to 16.6 points per game, the lowest in the conference.

Earning the other two first place votes is Western Connecticut State with 57 points. The Colonials finished the 2013 season 6-2 in conference play and closed out their season with a win over Salve Regina in the ECAC Northeast Bowl. The squad led the conference in scoring, points per game and rushing yards on the back of reigning MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year Octavias McKoy, who finished the year with 1,833 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns. 2013 MASCAC Defensive Rookie of the Year Devante Credle returns for Western Connecticut State after netting 41 tackles and four interceptions in his first year with the team.

Bridgewater State lands in the third spot with 49 points. The Bears closed out 2013 with a 5-3 record in the MASCAC. Bridgewater State looks to replace starting quarterback Mike McCarthy as well as 2014 MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year Rob Ruggiero, who graduated last year. As a team, the Bears led the MASCAC in sacks, passing yards per attempt and completion plus third and fourth down completion percentage.

Rounding out the top five is Fitchburg State and Westfield State with 39 and 33 points, respectively. The Falcons bring back 2013 MASCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Dellechiaie, who had a stellar freshman campaign with 1,930 passing yards and 25 touchdowns and helped the team to a 5-3 conference mark. Westfield State was selected fifth after a 2013 season that saw them with an even 4-4 conference record. Returning for the Owls are defensive lineman Jonathan Lytle and linebacker Troy Cutter who held their opponents to 19.5 points per game.

Massachusetts Maritime and Worcester State claim the sixth and seventh spot with 31 and 25 points, respectively. The Buccaneers ended the 2013 season with three conference victories. MASCAC All-Conference honoree E.J. Bennett returns after a school record-breaking 2013 season where he recorded 10 touchdowns on 849 yards. On defense, Victor Andrade led the team in total tackles at 75 with 10 for a loss. The Lancers look to improve on their 2013 season with returning duo quarterbacks Kevin Bumpus and Pat Viencek, who combined for over 3,000 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. MASCAC First Team All-Conference defense lineman Bryan Narcisse closed out last season with 8.5 sacks and 66 tackles.

Closing out the 2014 poll in eighth and ninth are UMass Dartmouth and Plymouth State with 18 and nine points, respectively. The Corsairs bring back MASCAC First Team All-Conference linebacker Derek Tarpey ,who led the team with 98 tackles and 15.5 for a loss. The Panthers return MASCAC All-Conference honorees Rob Giles at place-kicker and Chris Smith as the return specialist.The MASCAC squads return to the gridiron the weekend of September 5-6 with eight of the nine conference teams competing in non-conference play.

2014 MASCAC Football Pre-Season Coaches Poll

(First Place Votes In Parentheses)

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