SEARCY – For the seventh time since 2012, the Harding football finished the season ranked in the American Football Coaches’ Association Top 25. The 2021 team landed 10th in the final poll, its third time to finish in the top 10.

Harding went 11-2 this season and won the Great American Conference championship with a 10-1 conference record. The Bisons advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the fifth straight season and reached the second round of the playoffs after defeating Washburn 30-14.

Harding’s highest postseason finish came in 2016 and 2017 when the Bisons were No. 6 in the final poll.

The only other GAC team in the top 25 was Ouachita Baptist at No. 23.

MasseyRatings.com had Harding No. 6 in its final ratings. D2Football.com has not released its final poll.

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WACO, Texas — Henderson State senior nickel Mercardo Anderson earned the biggest honor of his career on Tuesday morning when he was named a 2019 Second Team American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American.

Anderson, who was a 2019 First Team All-Great American Conference selection, received recognition from the nation’s coaches after a spectacular final season with the Reddies. The native of Ashdown, Arkansas and Ashdown High School collected 77 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions and six passes defended as he helped lead Henderson to a 9-2 record and a berth in the Live United Bowl.

His remarkable statistical season helped Anderson become just the second player in the history of the conference to win three GAC Defensive Player of the Week awards in a single year. He finished second in the league in both tackles for loss and interceptions, and recorded a tackle for loss in each of the final 10 games of the regular season for Henderson.

Anderson was one of just two players from the GAC, and one of five defensive players from Super Region 3, to earn a spot on either of the two AFCA DII All-American teams. He is the sixth Reddie ever to earn AFCA All-American honors, joining Cody Mikell (2017), Darius Davis (2014), Rob Thomas (1996), Chris Carter (1993) and Todd Jones (1990).

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WACO, Texas – Ouachita Baptist Football Coach Todd Knight wins the 2018 American Football Coaches Association’s Region 4 Coach of the Year Award.

Knight led the Tigers through their historic season in which they went undefeated for the second time in school history. The team won 11 games during the regular season and won their first playoff game in school history with a victory of the University of Indianapolis in the second round. The Tigers also took home the GAC Title for the second consecutive year, and it is the fourth time in the past eight years the title will stay with Ouachita. Knight’s team gave the National Champion runner ups Ferris State all it could handle in their Quarterfinal matchup, but Ouachita fell to the Bulldogs, 37-14.

The Tigers averaged 431 yards per game and 33 points while on average only giving up 150 yards and 11 points. Only once the whole year did a team score more that 21 points against Ouachita’s stingy defense. The defense finished the season second in Division II in scoring defense allowing only 18 touchdowns and 8 field goals. The team finished the season being ranked No. 6 in the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll.

Knight’s award continues to shine a bright light on the program that is forging its place at the top of DII football. Knight’s coaching and leadership has been noticed as the Tigers have racked in the accolades this offseason. Two players (Keandre Evans and Justin Gooseberry) were named Division II Conference Commissioners Association’s First Team All Americans. Evans is also a finalist for the coveted Cliff Harris Award (Defensive Player of the Year). Gooseberry and fellow Tiger Cole Antley were named  AFCA Second Team All Americans. Five Tigers were selected as D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Team members.

Knight, the longest standing college football coach in Arkansas, has been at the helm for the Tigers since the 1999 season. Coach Knight boasts a record of 112-95 as the head coach for the Tigers. He has led the Tigers to four Great American Conference Championships and over 100 All-Great American Conference Players in just eight years of being in the conference. Coach Knight also serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Football Coaches Association.

The last time that Knight received the Coach of the Year Award was following the 2014 season where the Tigers went 10-0 during the regular season. It was the first time that Ouachita had hosted a playoff game. The game remains an instant classic as Ouachita heartbreakingly lost in over-time to Minnesota Duluth.

Knight will be presented the award at the American Football Coaches Awards, on Tuesday, Jan. 8, during the 2019 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

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WACO, Texas – After losing their first game of the season this past Saturday to Southeast Oklahoma State in Durant, Okla., the Muleriders dropped seven spots in this week’s AFCA Coaches’ Division II poll and are now ranked 22^nd in the nation.

The Muleriders (6-1, 6-1 GAC) received 136 votes this week following a 21-0 loss to the Storm, and welcome East Central University (2-5, 2-5 GAC) to Wilkins Stadium this Saturday for Homecoming. The Muleriders, who currently sit second in the GAC, have won the past three meetings against the Tigers, beating them 35-28 last season in Oklahoma.

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WACO, Texas – The Harding football team ranked No. 6 in the final American Football Coaches Association Poll released Monday. The Bisons reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Playoffs before falling to the eventual national champions Texas A&M-Commerce.

Harding finished the season with an 11-4 record after going 11-1 after starting the season 0-3.

Rank School (1st votes)  Rec. Pts. Prev.  Post-season Results  Head Coach

1. Texas A&M-Commerce (33) 14-1 825 8 D. West Florida, 37-27, in national championship  Colby Carthel
2. West Florida  11-4 774  NR  Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 37-27, in national championship Pete Shinnick
3. Indiana (Pa.)  13-1 730 3 Lost to West Florida, 27-17, in semifinals Paul Tortorella
4. Minnesota St.  13-1 707 1  Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 31-21, in quarterfinals Todd Hoffner
5. Ferris St. (Mich.)  11-2 612 10  Lost to Harding (Ark.), 16-14, in quarterfinals  Tony Annese
6. Harding (Ark.)  11-4 574 NR Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 31-17, in semifinals  Paul Simmons
7. Central Washington  11-1 566 7  Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 34-31, in second round Ian Shoemaker
8. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) 11-1 533 4  Lost to No. 10 Ferris St. (Mich.), 31-21, in second round Chris Brown
9. Assumption (Mass.)  11-2 511 15  Lost to No. 3 Indiana (Pa.), 27-22, in quarterfinals  Bob Chesney
10. Ashland (Ohio)  11-2 493 9  Lost to Harding (Ark.), 34-24, in second round  Lee Owens
11. Midwestern St. (Texas) 10-1  472 5  Lost to No. 1 Minnesota St., 63-21, in second round  Bill Maskill
12. West Alabama  10-3 456 17 Lost to West Florida, 28-21, in quarterfinals  Brett Gilliland
13. Indianapolis (Ind.)  11-1 409 6  Lost to Harding (Ark.), 27-24, in first round  Bob Bartolomeo
14. Shepherd (W.Va.)  10-1 396 2  Lost to Findlay (Ohio), 29-17, in first round  Monte Cater
15. Winona St. (Minn.)  10-2 287 12  Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 20-6, in first round Tom Sawyer
16. Northwest Missouri St. 9-3  272 13 Lost to No. 9 Ashland (Ohio), 21-18, in first round  Rich Wright
17. Colorado St.-Pueblo  9-3 238 20  Lost to No. 1 Minnesota St., 16-13 OT, in first round John Wristen
18. Virginia St.  10-1 233  11 Lost to West Georgia, 35-9, in first round Reggie Barlow
19. West Georgia  9-4 230  NR Lost to West Florida, 17-14, in second round  David Dean
20. Sioux Falls (S.D.)  9-3 229 18  Lost to No. 5 Midwestern St. (Texas), 24-20, in first round Jon Anderson
21. Delta St. (Miss.)  9-4 212 NR  Lost to No. 17 West Alabama, 27-20, in second round Todd Cooley
22. Findlay (Ohio)  10-3 186 NR Lost to No. 15 Assumption (Mass.), 45-26, in second round Rob Keys
23. Bowie St. (Md.)  9-2 176 14  Lost to Delta St. (Miss.), 45-35, in first round  Damon Wilson
24. Wingate (N.C.)  9-2 159 16 Lost to West Florida, 31-0, in first round Joe Reich
25. Shippensburg (Pa.) 10-2 101 19  Lost to West Chester (Pa.), 27-6, in first round Mark Maciejewski

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With Thursday’s 28-20 win over No. 15 Harding, Henderson State moved into the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Poll with the Reddies ranked 23^rd in this week’s poll.

Henderson has been in the national rankings at one point during the season the last six years with a top ranking of No. 4 in 2014.

The win over the Bisons was the fourth straight for the Reddies in games played in Searcy. Henderson also extended its NCAA best road winning streak to 27 games.

Andrew Black threw for 246 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the victory, while Sheldon Watson totaled five tackles and had two interceptions to help on the defensive side of the ball.

Henderson will play its home opener on Saturday against Arkansas Tech at Carpenter Haygood Stadium/Ruggles Field with kickoff slated for 6 p.m.

The Wonder Boys are receiving votes in the week’s poll after last week’s victory over No. 22 Southern Arkansas.  

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