ASC – Sports

RICHARDSON, Texas – Mary Hardin-Baylor has been picked to win the 2019 American Southwest Conference football title. It came after a vote of the league’s head coaches and directors of sports information, the ASC office announced on Tuesday (August 20).

Hardin-Simmons senior running back Jaquan Hemphill was voted as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. UMHB senior defensive lineman Joey Longoria was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. And, Texas Lutheran sophomore kicker Juan Ocampo earned Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year honors.

Mary Hardin-Baylor (15-0 / 9-0 ASC) received 199 points in the preseason poll and recorded 19 out of a possible 20 first-place votes. The Cru is the defending national champions, winning their 14th consecutive ASC title in the process. UMHB led the NCAA in scoring offense in 2018 with 53.4 points per game, while the defense led with a 2.20 turnover margin.

Hardin-Simmons (9-2 / 8-1 ASC) received 189 points, including one first-place vote, to come in second in the preseason poll. HSU has finished no lower than fourth in the league standings in each of the last 23 seasons, including a three-way tie for the championship in 2015. The Cowboys ranked fourth in Division III in scoring offense (48.0 points per game) and fifth in total offense (524.8 yards) en route to their ninth trip to the NCAA Championship Playoffs. HSU was No. 9 in the D3football.com Preseason Poll.

East Texas Baptist (6-4 / 6-3 ASC) was picked third in the preseason poll with 148 points. The Tigers tied for third in the 2018 standings. They ranked sixth in the nation in total offense (510.4).

Texas Lutheran (7-3, 6-3 ASC) was picked fourth after tying with ETBU for third last year. Southwestern (6-4, 5-4 ASC) and Louisiana College (5-5, 5-4 ASC) were fifth and sixth, respectively, in the preseason poll after tying for fifth place. They are followed by Howard Payne (1-9, 1-8 ASC) in seventh, Belhaven (2-8, 2-7 ASC) and Sul Ross State (1-9, 1-8 ASC) in a tie for eighth and McMurry (2-8, 2-7) in tenth.

Belhaven has completed its final year of transition into Division III athletics and will be eligible for the ASC title and selection to the NCAA Championship for the first time.

With 10 eligible members, the ASC will once again have an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championship in 2019. The regular-season champion will be selected to the playoffs which begin on Saturday, November 23.

Hemphill (Coleman, Texas) was the 2017 ASC Offensive Player of the Year when he ran for 1,028 yards and 14 touchdowns with 317 yards and three scores receiving. He was a D3football.com All-American Honorable Mention that season. Hemphill rushed 60 times for 675 yards (11.2 per carrying) and nine touchdowns in four games before missing the rest of 2018 with an injury.

Longoria (Pearland, Texas) was the 2018 ASC Defensive Lineman of the Year and a Second Team All-America selection by AFCA and D3football.com. He had 12.5 tackles for a loss of 77 yards, 8.5 sacks for 60 yards, 66 tackles, four pass breakups and a forced fumble for the national champion Cru. Longoria was a D3football.com Preseason All-America First Team pick.

Ocampo (Lockhart, Texas) was the 2018 ASC Freshman of the Year as he was perfect in the kicking game. Ocampo was 45-for-45 in extra-point attempts and 8-of-8 on field goals, including a long of 44 yards.

The 2019 season gets underway Thursday, September 5 as McMurry travels to San Antonio, Texas to face Trinity and Belhaven plays at cross-town rival Millsaps.

The NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs begin November 23, with the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl national championship game scheduled for December 20 at Woodforest Bank Stadium in Shenandoah, Texas. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is the host for the Stagg Bowl.

Wilson is the official football of American Southwest Conference.

2019 ASC Preseason Football Poll

2019 ASC Preseason Players of the Year
Offense: Jaquan Hemphill, RB, Sr., Hardin-Simmons
Defense: Joey Longoria, DL, Sr., Mary Hardin-Baylor
Special Teams: Juan Ocampo, K, So., Texas Lutheran

2019 Players to Watch

RICHARDSON, Texas –Mary Hardin-Baylor has been picked to win the 2019 American Southwest Conference men’s soccer title. It came after a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, the ASC office announced Wednesday (August 21).

UT Dallas junior midfielder Jesse Ardila and senior defender Mason Anderson were named the ASC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

Mary Hardin-Baylor (16-4-1 / 8-2-1 ASC) recorded 274 points and 11 out of 24 possible first-place votes after claiming its second consecutive ASC Championship in 2018. The Cru, led by Brad Bankhead, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship.

UT Dallas (13-3-2 / 9-1-1 ASC) was second in the preseason poll collecting 264 points and 11 first-place votes. The Comets won the regular season in 2018 and advanced to the finals of the ASC Championship under ASC Coach of the Year Jason Hirsch.

Concordia Texas (10-6-1 / 8-3 ASC) was picked third after a third-place finish last year. The Ozarks  (8-8-3 / 6-4-1 ASC) was fourth in the poll with one first-place vote, and Hardin-Simmons (4-11-2, 4-6-1 ASC) was fifth with one first-place vote as well.

Rounding out the poll were East Texas Baptist (10-6-2 / 6-3-2 ASC), LeTourneau (6-9-2 / 5-5-1 ASC), McMurry (6-8-4 / 4-5-2 ASC), Sul Ross State (2-13 / 2-9 ASC), Howard Payne (5-9 / 4-7 ASC), Belhaven (4-11-3 / 2-8-1 ASC) and Louisiana College (4-13-1 / 3-8 ASC).

Belhaven has completed its final year of transition into Division III athletics and will be eligible for the ASC title and selection to the NCAA Championship for the first time.

Ardila (McKinney, Texas) was the ASC Midfielder of the Year and a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-West Region selection. He recorded seven assists for UTD.

Anderson (Frisco, Texas) was the ASC Defensive Player of the Year, and a Third Team All-America pick by the United Soccer Coaches. He helped the Comets limit opponents to just 13 goals in 18 contests, with only six coming in conference games. Anderson and the UTD backline posted an 0.68 goals-against average and eight shutouts.

Thirty-six student-athletes were named to the ASC Men’s Soccer Players to Watch List. The List is composed of up to three players from each institution nominated by the head coaches. Twenty-one of the players submitted, return to the all-conference selections with three individual award winners.

The 2019 season will get underway Friday, August 30 when 10 teams take the field for their season openers.

The ASC Championship is scheduled for November 5, 8 and 10. The quarterfinals will be hosted by the top four seeds with the semifinals and championship game at the overall No. 1 seed. An automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship will be on the line.

Wilson is the official soccer ball of American Southwest Conference and used by all 12 members and during the ASC Championships.

ASC Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll

ASC Men’s Soccer Preseason Players of the Year
Offense: Jesse Ardila, Jr., M, UT Dallas
Defense: Mason Anderson, Sr., D, UT Dallas

ASC Men’s Soccer Players to Watch List

2018 All-Conference Selection*