HAAC Athletic News
Football - Mon, Sep. 10, 2012
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A win by Missouri Valley over MidAmerica Nazarene on Saturday has caused quite a shakeup among the four Heart of America Athletic Conference teams included in this week's NAIA Football Coaches Top 25 Poll.
The Vikings jumped to the top of the pack among HAAC schools, claiming the spot previously held by the Pioneers at #5. One of 14 teams unbeaten with at least two wins, Missouri Valley plays its home opener this Saturday, September 15 against Avila.
Just one place behind the Vikings in the first regular season poll is Benedictine, which made one of the biggest jumps of the week despite having a bye week. The Ravens moved from #13 to #6 as they prepare to open up conference play at Graceland this Saturday.
The lone 3-0 team in the conference with two wins against HAAC foes, Baker made a considerable jump in the poll by moving from 18th into a share of 9th position. The Wildcats hit the road for the third time in four weeks as they face Central Methodist as they look to remain atop the league table.
A first regular season home loss in 28 games saw MNU become the only conference squad to slide in the rankings as the Pioneers dropped to #13 in the polls. MNU has a week off to recover before making the short trip to Avila next Saturday, September 22.
A fifth conference team also gained national recognition as Graceland was among the others receiving votes this week. With back-to-back wins including a 24-17 triumph at Briar Cliff (Iowa) this past week, the Yellowjackets face an important league contest at home against Benedictine this week in the HAAC Game of the Week.
| Rank | Last Time | School (First Place Votes) | Record | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) (14) | 2-0 | 314 |
| 2 | 3 | Marian (Ind.) | 3-0 | 301 |
| 3 | 4 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 20 | 291 |
| 4 | 8 | Morningside (Iowa) | 2-0 | 273 |
| 5 | 9 | Missouri Valley | 2-0 | 271 |
| 6 | 13 | Benedictine | 2-0 | 244 |
| 7 | 14 | William Penn (Iowa) | 3-0 | 241 |
| 8 | 16 | Eastern Oregon | 2-0 | 213 |
| T-9 | 20 | St. Ambrose (Iowa) | 2-0 | 199 |
| T-9 | 18 | Baker | 3-0 | 199 |
| 11 | 6 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 2-1 | 187 |
| 12 | 2 | Carroll (Mont.) | 1-2 | 186 |
| 13 | 5 | MidAmerica Nazarene | 1-1 | 185 |
| 14 | 19 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 2-0 | 154 |
| 15 | 15 | Grand View (Iowa) | 2-1 | 139 |
| 16 | 21 | Doane (Neb.) | 2-0 | 128 |
| T-17 | 7 | St. Francis (Ill.) | 1-2 | 112 |
| T-17 | 10 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 1-1 | 112 |
| 19 | NR | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 3-0 | 106 |
| 20 | NR | Montana Tech | 1-1 | 84 |
| 21 | 17 | Valley City State (N.D.) | 1-1 | 54 |
| 22 | NR | Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) | 2-0 | 52 |
| 23 | NR | Taylor (Ind.) | 2-0 | 22 |
| 24 | RV | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 2-1 | 21 |
| 25 | 22 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 1-1 | 19 |
Others receiving votes: Kansas Wesleyan 18, Hastings (Neb.) 13, Langston (Okla.) 11, Kentucky Christian 11, Faulkner (Ala.) 11, Menlo (Calif.) 8, McPherson (Kan.) 7, Friends (Kan.) 3, Graceland (Iowa) 3, Midland (Neb.) 3.
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