GNAC FB Overview and Team Capsules
 
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) released its 2016 Football Preseason Coaches' poll on Monday and Western Oregon University was tabbed in third place. The Wolves collected 17 total points, trailing defending league champion Humboldt State with four first-place votes and 23 points and Azusa Pacific with 18 points (and the other first-place vote). Central Washington placed fourth in the preseason poll with 12 points while Simon Fraser slotted in fifth place with five points.
 
Junior quarterback Phillip Fenumiai returns after starting the final five games and leading Western Oregon in the second half of its upset of North Alabama last season. He threw for eight touchdowns while rushing for four more, tying for second best in touchdowns via the ground. Sophomore running back Malik Braxton is the Wolves' leading rushing returner accounting for 634 yards and four touchdowns in his first season. Redshirt junior Daniel Harper also returns for the running backs. Paul Revis, Wesley Gray and Andy Avgi lead the pack of receivers returning for the 2016 season. Revis accounted for 710 receiving yards (6 TDs), 33 yards rushing and 625 return yards (including two punt return touchdowns). Gray had 251 catch yards in nine games while Avgi, who just completed a magnificent career on the basketball court for WOU, will return for a final season after making four TD catches last season.
 
The Wolves' offensive line returns four out of the five starters from the 2015 season finale, led by junior Bryson Dizon (GNAC Second Team in 2015). Seniors Leonard Wood and Ron Rose patrols the guard positions while another fourth-year man in Brad Christensen patrols the tackle spot opposite Dizon.
 
The Western Oregon defense returns six starters and half of their top-10 tacklers from last season. Junior linebacker Tyler Johnson will be the Wolves' leading stopper after tallying 65 tackles with three sacks and an interception in 2015. Senior lineman George Swartzlender was one of four players with more than 10 tackles for loss, totaling 51 overall tackles last year. Also returning on the defensive line are junior Michael Kluge and senior Jeremy Moore who had 37 and 35 tackles respectively while Kluge tied for the WOU lead with 12 tackles for loss.  WOU picked off 24 passes, highlighted by senior DB Danny Hankins's four picks, eight pass breakups and 12 pass deflections.
 
The Wolves are coming off a 7-4 campaign, their 10^th consecutive season with record above the .500-mark. Western Oregon was regionally ranked as high as No. 10 heading into the final week of the season and received votes in the AFCA Division II Preseason Poll this year.
 
WOU will open the 2016 season on the road against Division I-FCS Sacramento State on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. at Hornet Stadium. The following week, the Wolves will have their home and GNAC opener against Central Washington at McArthur Field beginning at 1 p.m.
 
GNAC 2016 FOOTBALL COACHES POLL
1. Humboldt State (4), 23
2. Azusa Pacific (1), 18
3. Western Oregon, 17
4. Central Washington, 12
5. Simon Fraser, 5