By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State moved down to No. 25 in the
latest edition of the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll on Monday (Sept. 9). The
Tigers drop 14 spots in the poll after their season-opening loss at Central
Missouri.
The MIAA now has four teams inside the Top 25 of the poll. Even though
Northwest Missouri State won its season opener against Missouri Western, NWMSU
moved down one spot to No. 7 in this week’s poll. With its win over Fort Hays
State, Central Missouri jumped from the receiving votes section to No. 21 in
the poll. Pittsburg State also moved up out of the receiving votes section to
No. 23 after defeating Central Oklahoma in Week 1. Fort Hays State hangs on in
the poll at No. 25. Emporia State is the only MIAA team referenced in the
receiving votes section of this week’s poll.
Fort Hays State looks to get back on track this week when it hosts Missouri
Western on Thursday night (Sept. 12) in Hays at 7 pm. The Tigers are looking to
avenge a 23-13 loss to the Griffons last year in St. Joseph. Missouri Western
fell to Northwest Missouri State in Week 1 by a score of 45-35, but the 35
points is the most scored in a game against Northwest Missouri since 2014 when
Pittsburg State scored 35 in a win over NWMSU.
Below is the AFCA Top 25 Poll following Week 1.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Record | Pts. | Prev. | Season Opener | Next Game |
| 1. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) (31) | 1-0 | 799 | 1 | D. Albany St. (Ga.), 38-3 | Sept. 14 vs. Ohio Dominican |
| 2. | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 1-0 | 732 | 2 | D. Findlay (Ohio), 24-23 | Sept. 14 at Central Washington |
| 3. | Minnesota St. | 1-0 | 718 | 3 | D. Southwest Minnesota St., 38-23 | Sept. 14 vs. Augustana (S.D.) |
| 4. | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 1-0 | 646 | 4 | D. Concord (W.Va.), 33-10 | Sept. 12 at West Liberty (W.Va.) |
| 5. | Tarleton St. (Texas) | 1-0 | 644 | 7 | D. Stephen F. Austin (Texas), 37-26 | Sept. 14 vs. Doane (Neb.) |
| 6. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 1-0 | 643 | 5 | D. No. 18 Harding (Ark.), 16-14 | Sept. 14 at Arkansas Tech |
| 7. | Northwest Missouri St. (1) | 1-0 | 624 | 6 | D. Missouri Western St., 45-35 | Sept. 14 vs. Washburn (Kan.) |
| 8. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 1-0 | 578 | 8 | D. St. Augustine’s (N.C.), 68-7 | Sept. 14 at Virginia Union |
| 9. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 1-0 | 545 | 9 | D. Dixie St. (Utah), 36-7 | Sept. 14 at Chadron St. (Neb.) |
| 10. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 1-0 | 488 | 12 | D. Edinboro (Pa.), 35-10 | Sept. 14 vs. Delta St. (Miss.) |
| 11. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 1-0 | 441 | 10 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 62-37 | Sept. 14 vs. Shippensburg (Pa.) |
| 12. | Minnesota-Duluth | 1-0 | 397 | 14 | D. Minot St. (N.D.), 52-7 | Sept. 14 at Minnesota St.-Moorhead |
| 13. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 1-0 | 400 | 13 | D. Seleccion Nuevo Leon (Mexico), 83-0 | Sept. 14 at Western Oregon |
| 14. | West Georgia | 1-0 | 396 | 15 | D. Catawba (N.C.), 37-9 | Sept. 14 at Limestone (S.C.) |
| 15. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 1-0 | 355 | 16 | D. No. 23 Ashland (Ohio), 24-9 | Sept. 14 vs. Hillsdale (Mich.) |
| 16. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 1-0 | 331 | 20 | D. Northwestern St. (La.), 33-7 | Sept. 14 at Lindenwood (Mo.) |
| 17. | Colorado School of Mines | 1-0 | 313 | 17 | D. Adams St. (Colo.), 41-10 | Sept. 14 vs. Black Hills St. (S.D.) |
| 18. | Wingate (N.C.) | 1-0 | 208 | 21 | D. Johnson C. Smith (N.C.), 42-6 | Sept. 14 at Fayetteville St. (N.C.) |
| 19. | West Chester (Pa.) | 1-0 | 189 | 22 | D. Bentley (Mass.), 14-7 | Sept. 14 at Gannon (Pa.) |
| 20. | West Alabama | 1-0 | 173 | 24 | D. Limestone (S.C.), 35-18 | Sept. 14 at Tusculum (Tenn.) |
| 21. | Central Missouri | 1-0 | 105 | NR | D. No. 11 Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 34-30 | Sept. 12 at Northeastern St. (Okla.) |
| 22. | Harding (Ark.) | 0-1 | 95 | 18 | Lost to No. 5 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 16-14 | Sept. 14 vs. Arkansas-Monticello |
| 23. | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 1-0 | 84 | NR | D. Central Oklahoma, 37-35 | Sept. 14 vs. Emporia St. (Kan.) |
| 24. | Indiana (Pa.) | 1-0 | 83 | NR | D. New Haven (Conn.), 24-13 | Sept. 14 at Millersville (Pa.) |
| 25. | Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | 0-1 | 67 | 11 | Lost to Central Missouri, 34-30 | Sept. 12 vs. Missouri Western |
Dropped Out:
Hillsdale (Mich.) (19), Ashland (Ohio) (23), Fairmont St. (W.Va.) (25).
Others Receiving Votes:
Bowie St. (Md.), 56; Virginia Union, 40; Ashland (Ohio), 38; Augustana (S.D.),
30; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 24; California (Pa.), 23; Southern Arkansas, 15;
Ohio Dominican, 13; West Texas A&M, 13; Colorado Mesa, 12; Angelo St.
(Texas), 10; Florida Tech, 10; Emporia St. (Kan.), 9; Kutztown (Pa.), 9;
Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 9; Albany St. (Ga.), 5; Chadron St. (Neb.), 5;
Winona St. (Minn.), 5; Central Washington, 4; Findlay (Ohio), 4; Michigan Tech,
4; Shepherd (W.Va.), 3; St. Cloud State (Minn.), 2; Eastern New Mexico, 1;
Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 1; Kentucky St., 1.