McPHERSON, Kan. (macbulldogs.com) --- McPherson College Head Football Coach
Paul Mierkiewicz has announced the team's captains for the 2016 season. The announcement comes one day in advance of the Bulldogs' season opener at Nebraska Wesleyan University on Saturday.
Seniors
Kavoderic McIntyre (Dallas, Texas) and
Michael Rabara (Kona, Hawaii) and juniors
Ashton Serpas (Saucir, Miss.) and
Ed Crouch (Miami Gardens, Fla.) will lead McPherson into its first-ever meeting on the gridiron with the Prairie Wolves. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. at Abel Stadium in Lincoln.
"All four are great representatives of our team as we move forward," said Mierkiewicz. "These four have demonstrated great leadership skills during the course of our preseason drills."
McIntyre, a defensive back, ranked fifth on the team in tackles in 2015 with 46. He also picked off a pair of passes, broke up six others and recovered a fumble. A four-year player, McIntyre has played in 26 career games. He has racked up 94 tackles and five interceptions over that time while also recording one forced fumble, recovering another and blocking a kick.
Rabara started the 2015 season at strong safety before settling in as in impact player at outside linebacker. He tallied 101 tackles to rank second on the team and third in the KCAC. Rabara also pulled in two interceptions, forced two fumbles and recovered another en route to All-KCAC honorable mention honors.
Serpas, a defensive back who last played at MC in 2014, returns to the program after spending a year at Belhaven University. He played in all 11 games two years ago, ranking fourth on the team in tackles with 61, including 5.5 tackles for loss. Serpas also intercepted four passes, broke up nine others, and blocked four kicks.
While Serpas is a new face to many on this year's team, Crouch is the true newcomer of the group. Just a sophomore, Crouch – a transfer from Coffeyville Community College – is this year's starting quarterback.
About the Bulldogs
McPherson was picked 10th in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Preseason Poll by both the coaches and the media after going 0-10 a year ago and 0-9 in the KCAC. Nebraska Wesleyan is one of two nonconference opponents on this year's 11-game schedule.
Junior defensive back Braden Bush (Blanchard, Okla.), a second-team All-KCAC pick a year ago, was named to the 2016 Preseason All-KCAC Football Team.
Among last year's national leaders, Bush ranked fourth in the NAIA with six interceptions, was second in interceptions per game (0.6) and was 37th in tackles per game (9.0). Sophomore defensive back Alwin Crawford (Roanoke, Texas) ranked 11th in forced fumbles per game (0.3), while Rabara ranked 19th nationally in tackles per game (10.1) and forced fumbles per game (0.2).
About the Prairie Wolves
Nebraska Wesleyan is its first year as a full-time member of NCAA Division III and the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference after ending a longstanding relationship with the Great Plains Athletic Conference (and its predecessor, the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – later, the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference) and numerous years as a dual member of the NAIA and the NCAA.
The Prairie Wolves were 4-6 a year ago and placed seventh in the GPAC with a 3-6 mark. A total of 13 starters – seven on offense and six on defense – return from that team. NWU was tapped to finish seventh in the nine-team IIAC this season.
Mierkiewicz is very familiar with NWU and longtime head coach Brian Keller, going 5-5 in 10 meetings with the Prairie Wolves as the head coach at Hastings College from 2001-2010.
For those unable to make the trip to Lincoln, the game can be heard live locally on 96.7 KBBE-FM with Sports Director Matt Cole on the call. Live video can be found at
http://www.macbulldogs.com/gamecast.
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McPherson College is a charter member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
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