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COLORADO SPRINGS (Sept. 25, 2007) - Snow College (Utah) is the third team in as many weeks to climb to No. 1 in the NJCAA / JC Football.com rankings, released today by the two parties. Snow takes the top spot as last week's No. 1 team and defending national champion Blinn College (Texas) lost for the first time in 16 games Saturday to Kilgore College (Texas) 40-39. The loss dropped the Bucs to No. 8 in this week's poll.
The Snow Badgers received 102 total votes and four of seven first place votes to edge out Butler Community College (Kan.) who garnered 98 total votes and two first place votes for the No. 2 post. Both Snow and Butler did not play this Saturday and boast identical 4-0 records.
Snow and Butler also have two of the top defenses in the nation. The Badgers rank first in the NJCAA in total defense, allowing just 75 yards per game. Butler ranks seventh in total defense, surrendering just 165 yards per contest. The Grizzlies have also shutout their last three opponents.
Snow will next play at No. 12 Mesa Community College (Ariz.) on Sept. 29, while Butler will travel to Colorado Springs on the same day to take on Air Force Prep.
Moving up to No. 3 in the poll this week is Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The Bulldogs followed up their upset of then No. 1 Pearl River Community College (24-17 on Sept. 13) with a 61-0 defeat of previously 16th ranked Hinds Community College (Miss.). The win improves their record to 4-0.
The Bulldogs have the second-best defense in the country, surrendering just 128 yards a game to their opponents and will next face Copiah-Lincoln Community College Miss.) on Thursday, Sept. 27.
Eastern Arizona College moves up one spot in the poll this week to No. 4. The Gila Monsters boast a 5-0 record, which is the best start to a season in the program's history. The Gila Monsters recently defeated previously No. 20 Scottsdale Community College (Ariz.) 28-7 on Sept. 22. EAC quarterback Pat Riley was very efficient in the option attack, rushing for 122 yards and three touchdowns. He scored on runs of 75, 19 and 14 yards.
Up next for the Gila Monsters is a home bout with winless Arizona Western College on Sept. 29.
Also moving up one spot this week is Lackawanna College (Pa.) to No. 5. The Falcons improved to 3-0 on the season when they defeated Navy Prep 56-17 Saturday. The win was their 13th-straight dating back to last season. The Falcons next face Northeast Football Conference foe Nassau Community College (N.Y.) on Sept. 29.
Rounding out the top 10 this week is former No. 1 Pearl River Community College (Miss.) at No. 6, Jones County Junior College at No. 7, last week's No. 1 Blinn College at No. 8, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M at No. 9 and Rochester Community and Technical College (Minn.) at No. 10.
Place College Location Record Points 1st Pl Votes Last Week 1 Snow College Ephraim, UT 4-0 102 4 2 2 Butler CC El Dorado, KS 4-0 98 2 3 3 Miss. Gulf Coast CC Perkinston, MS 4-0 94 1 4 4 Eastern Arizona Thatcher, AZ 5-0 84 0 5 5 Lackawanna Scranton, PA 3-0 70 0 6 6 Pearl River CC Poplarville, MS 3-1 60 0 7 7 Jones County JC Ellisville, MS 4-0 57 0 8 8 Blinn College Brenham, TX 3-1 53 0 1 9 NE Oklahoma A&M Miami, OK 4-0 42 0 11 10 Rochester CC Rochester, MN 4-0 40 0 9 11 Glendale CC Glendale, AZ 3-1 34 0 10 12 Mesa CC Mesa, AZ 4-0 33 0 12 13 Georgia Military Milledgeville, GA 3-1 22 0 13 14 College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL 4-1 17 0 15 15 Grand Rapids CC Grand Rapids, MI 3-1 16 0 13 16 Cisco Junior College Cisco, TX 3-1 10 0 19 17 Iowa Central CC Fort Dodge, IA 3-1 9 0 NR 18 Erie CC Buffalo, NY 3-0 8 0 18 19 Coffeyville CC Coffeyville, KS 3-2 2 0 NR 19 Fort Scott CC Fort Scott, KS 3-1 2 0 NR
