In CIAA, the South's stout

No offense to the CIAA North Division, but the best preseason buzz is in the South. There’s Fayetteville State, the 2009 champion looking to break the league’s sorry postseason record of playoff futility. Shaw, the resident bully, is always in the title hunt. Winston-Salem State is back after a failed engagement with Division I, with its sights set on establishing dominance with a first-year head coach.

Fayetteville went 8-4 in 2009, including 8-1 against league competition, but struggled outside the CIAA. The Broncos lost close decisions to South Atlantic power Catawba and independent UNC Pembroke early in the season, and took a 42-13 beatdown by California (Pa.) in the first round of the Division II playoffs. Can FSU improve on last year’s magic, especially after losing offensive coordinator Connell Maynor to Winston-Salem?

Shaw (8-2) had championship aspirations before a 29-28 at Fayetteville left the Bears in second place – a spot they weren’t accustomed to in recent seasons. The Bears have the offense (42.1 points per game last season) to move up a step, however, with preseason honorable mention all-CIAA running back Raymond Williams and a line anchored by Lindy’s all-America Markus McElveen.

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