Four Frontier teams in NAIA Top 25

It’s becoming obvious that the Frontier Conference is the deepest league in all of NAIA football. And the first NAIA Coaches Poll of 2014 reflects that.

The first regular season poll was released Monday, and four Frontier teams are ranked inside the NAIA Top 25.

At the top of the list is Rocky Mountain College, which moved up from No. 9 to No. 5 after a 3-0 start to the season. It’s Rocky’s highest ranking in over 20 years, and comes on the heels of the Battlin’ Bears 32-18 win at Montana State University-Northern last Saturday. Carroll College, which started the season ranked No. 2, dropped to No. 7 in the new poll. The Fighting Saints are 1-1 this season, and they will meet RMC Saturday in Billings.

The Frontier’s Oregon schools are also ranked. Southern Oregon, ranked No. 22 to start the season, jumped all the way up to No. 9 after an impressive 3-0 start. The Raiders’ ranking means three Frontier schools are ranked in the NAIA Top 10 this week. Eastern Oregon, which lost to SOU 35-30 last Saturday, moves into the Top 25 at No. 25. EOU received votes in the NAIA Preseason Poll, but is now 2-1 this season.

Grand View remains No. 1 in the new poll, followed by Morningside, Baker and Tabor.

Meanwhile, the College of Idaho, playing its first season of football in nearly four decades, swept the Frontier Conference Player of the Week awards for football. Following C of I’s impressive win over UM-Western, quarterback TeeJay Gordon was named Offensive Player of the Week, defensive back Cory Brady was named Defensive Player of the Week and kicker Luke Taylor was named Special Team’s Player of the Week.

For the third time this season, Rocky Mountain College senior Yang Yang was named Frontier Volleyball Player of the Week.

For the full NAIA Coaches Poll, see below.

NAIA Football Poll

The Associated Press

Rec. Pts Pvs

1. Grand View (Iowa) (15) 2-0 340 1

2. Morningside (Iowa) 2-0 327 3

3. Baker (Kan.) 2-0 314 5

4. Tabor (Kan.) 2-0 299 8

5. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 3-0 277 9

6. Faulkner (Ala.) 3-0 276 10

7. Carroll (Mont.) 1-1 262 2

8. Georgetown (Ky.) 1-0 243 12

9. Southern Oregon 3-0 226 22

10. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 2-0 225 16

11. Cumberlands (Ky.) 1-1 203 4

12. Saint Francis (Ind.) 1-1 195 6

13. Missouri Valley 0-1 185 7

14. St. Francis (Ill.) 2-0 179 20

15. Dakota Wesleyan 2-0 148 21

16. Ottawa (Kan.) 1-1 141 14

17. Benedictine (Kan.) 1-1 133 11

18. Northwestern (Iowa) 1-1 86 13

19. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 2-1 83 18

20. William Penn (Iowa) 2-1 81 -

21. Cumberland (Tenn.) 1-1 69 25

22. Peru State (Neb.) 1-1 50 24

23. Langston (Okla.) 1-1 44 23

24. Friends (Kan.) 1-1 28 19

25. Eastern Oregon 1-1 24 -

25. St. Ambrose (Iowa) 0-1 24 17

Others Receiving Votes: Oklahoma Baptist 19; Taylor (Ind.) 17; Midland (Neb.) 15; Robert Morris (Ill.) 12; Hastings (Neb.) 10; Bacone (Okla.) 9; Kentucky Christian 5; Sterling (Kan.) 3.