Date: August 5, 2003
Magnolia, Ark—While defending Gulf South Conference champion Valdosta State University was picked to repeat, three Arkansas schools were selected to seriously challenge the favorite in the 2003 GSC football coaches pre-season poll.
VSU, the runner-up for the national NCAA Division II championship last year, received nine of 12 possible first place votes, one for second and one for third for 118 points with Southern Arkansas University picking up two votes to finish first and the University of Central Arkansas had one first-place vote. UCA, however, had 107 total points for second place with seven votes to finish second, two to finish third and one to finish fourth. SAU had two votes for second, four for third and three for fourth for 102 total points and a third-place finish. Harding University had 92 points on one vote for second place, three for third, six for fourth and one for fifth for fourth place.
The University of North Alabama was a fifth-place pick with 72 points. Ouachita Baptist University was sixth with 57 points, Delta State University seventh with 53, Arkansas Tech University eighth with 49, the University of West Alabama ninth with 48 and Henderson State University 10th with 46 in a tight race. Rounding out the 12-team league are the University of West Georgia with 35 points for 11th place and the University of Arkansas-Monticello was picked last with 13 points.
On the pre-season All-GSC team are three SAU players, wide receiver Nik Lewis on offense and linebacker DeVares Campbell and free safety Brian Davis on defense. Lewis, a 5-10, 190-pound senior from Jacksboro, Tex., was a first-team All-Conference choice last year and went on to make All-South Region and All-America. He is a pre-season choice to repeat All-America honors this year. Campbell, a 5-11, 210-pound senior from Houston, Tex., was second-team All-GSC last year. Davis, a 6-0, 167-pound senior from Longview, Tex., was a first-team All-GSC choice last year and was All-South Region.
SAU is represented by four players on the 2003 Top Newcomers list. They are quarterback Jabari Woods, a 6-0, 177-pound freshman from Alexander, La., linebacker Jabar Manning, a 5-11, 187-pound freshman from Madisonville, Tex., running back Justin Greene, a 5-7, 165-pound freshman from Lewisville, Tex., and cornerback Chris Ibezim, a 5-10, 185-pound junior from Duncanville, Tex., via Navarro College.