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To get to the Golf corse follow 627 South out of town, turn right on Quisenberry Ln. and right at th...read more...

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To the general public reading your article about the Equestrian Center sounds wonderful. But to tho...read more...

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Why are we as citizens of Winchester surprised at this. They let the football coaches wife get away ...read more...

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NASHVILLE — For the second-straight season five different Ohio Valley Conference schools received at least one first-place vote in the OVC preseason poll while Jacksonville State picked up the most first-place votes (11) and was tabbed the 2010 OVC preseason favorites in a vote of league head coaches and sports information directors.

The 11 votes were out of 18 total votes, putting the Gamecocks (120 points) atop the preseason poll for the third time since joining the league in 2003. Eastern Illinois, last year?s champion, picked up four first-place votes (114 total points) and were just six total points behind Jax State. Eastern Kentucky (102 points), Tennessee Tech (78 points) and Tennessee State (70 points) each received one first-place vote apiece and were picked third, fourth and fifth respectively. The preseason poll was rounded out by UT Martin (59), Austin Peay and Southeast Missouri tying for seventh (38) and Murray State (29).

Jacksonville State finished with the best record in the OVC last season (8-3 overall, 6-1 OVC) but was ineligible for the Conference crown because of a NCAA postseason ban due to an APR penalty.

The Gamecocks, however, are eligible for the title this season and will look to win its third OVC crown with a group of 46 returning letterwinners.

After being picked first in the past two seasons Eastern Kentucky was tabbed third this year. The Colonels (5-6) struggled down the stretch last year losing its last three games and four of its last five contests and suffered its first losing season since 1972.

Despite the late skid, EKU was in the thick of the OVC race and could have shared the overall championship with a win over Jacksonville State in the regular-season finale.

Eastern will look to sophomore quarterback T.J. Pryor to lead the offensive attack. Pryor picked up OVC Freshman of the Year honors last year after finishing fourth in the league with 2,153 passing yards and accounting for 10 total touchdowns.

Despite returning just five starters back on offense, Eastern has eight of 11 starters back on defense, a strength under defensive-minded head coach Dean Hood.

Cornerback Jeremy Caldwell has been named to the Sports Network’s Buck Buchanan Watch List, an award given to the nation’s top FCS defensive player. Caldwell had seven interceptions in 2009, a mark that ranked fourth nationally.

Preseason All-OVC

Offense

QB - Matt Scheible, Southeast Missouri

RB - Ryan White, Austin Peay

RB - Terrence Holt, Austin Peay

WR - Tim Benford, Tennessee Tech

WR - Marcus Harris, Murray State

TE - Cory Freeman, Jacksonville State

C - Willie Henderson, Eastern Illinois

G - Tylor Chambers, Jacksonville State

G - Slade Adams, Tennessee Tech

T - Curt Porter, Jacksonville State

T - Malcolm Jones, Tennessee Tech

Defense

DL - Andrew Soucy, Eastern Kentucky

DL - Perry Burge, Eastern Illinois

DL - J.J. Sanchez, Southeast Missouri

DL - Donte’e Nicholls, Tennessee State

LB - Josh Bey, UT Martin

LB - Jordan Dalrymple, E. Kentucky

LB - Nick Nasti, Eastern Illinois

DB - Eugene Clifford, Tennessee State

DB - T.J. Heath, Jacksonville State

DB - CJ James, Eastern Illinois

DB - Jeremy Caldwell, E. Kentucky

Specialists

RS - Terrence Holt, Austin Peay

K - Kienan Cullen, Murray State

P - Kienan Cullen, Murray State

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Terrence Holt (RB/KR), Austin Peay

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Josh Bey (LB), UT Martin.

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