Saints Picked Third in Pre-season Jayhawk Poll

Following a disappointing 2014-2015 season, the Seward County Saints are expected to rebound back to the top of the league standings in 2015-2016 as the Jayhawk Conference coaches have picked Seward to finish 3rd in their preseason coaches’ poll released by the league Wednesday.

Coming off of a sub .500 campaign a year ago, Saints fans will see just about a whole new look for Seward this season. The Saints return just one player, Mitchell Packard, from last year’s team that finished 5th in the Jayhawk West standings before winning a road playoff game and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Region VI Tournament in Wichita. The key to being picked 3rd by the coaches for Seward, is most certainly the return of All-American Niem Stevenson who will be a welcome addition back into the fold for the Saints after missing 2014-2015 with a knee injury.

Hutchinson who is ranked 2nd in the Preseason NJCAA Top 25 Poll, opens the year as the KJCCC favorite, joined at the top by perennial power Coffeyville in front of the Saints. Dodge City, Pratt, and Barton fill in the three spots below Seward while the top 10 is rounded out by Neosho County, Cowley, and Garden City.

The KJCCC will go away from the traditional East/West schedule this year in favor of a 14 team league with one conference standing. The KJCCC schedule will now feature 19 league games beginning on November 30th.

The Saints start their 2015-2016 campaign on Friday when they host Fort Carson at 7:00 in the Greenhouse in the Pepsi Classic. Fans can get free tickets courtesy of our buyout sponsor Pepsi at their Liberal offices or at Pizza Hut and Hutch’s. Saturday’s game airs on 107.5 and kscbnews.net.

Roy Allen