W&L Football Earns Preseason Recognition

The Sporting News 2011 College Football Preview issue has hit the newsstands and Washington and Lee is ranked in the publication's Preseason Division III Top 25 Poll.  Additionally, junior defensive back Jake Pelton (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) was cited as a member of the Preseason All-America team.

Defending National Champion Wisconsin-Whitewater tops the poll, while the Generals are ranked 19th following last season's ODAC Championship season.

W&L completed the 2010 campaign with an 8-3 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.  The Generals received the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, falling to Thomas More in the opening round, 42-14.

Washington and Lee returns nine starters on offense and nine more on defense for the 2011 season.  The offense averaged 438.8 yards and 35.3 yards per game last year, while the defense forced 32 turnovers for an average of 2.9 turnovers per contest.

Pelton was named to the 26-player Preseason All-America team as a defensive back.  Last season he was named First Team All-ODAC, First Team All-State and Second Team All-South Region after finishing second on the team in tackles (82) and leading the conference with six interceptions.  A three-time ODAC Player of the Week honoree last year, Pelton also had five pass breakups, one fumble recovery and a half sack.

-- GENERALS --

SPORTING NEWS PRESEASON DIVISION III TOP 25

1. Wisconsin-Whitewater
2. Mount Union
3. Wesley
4. St. Thomas
5. Mary Hardin-Baylor
6. Linfield
7. North Central
8. Wittenberg
9. St. John's (Minn.)
10. Montclair State
11. Wheaton (Ill.)
12. Wartburg
13. Baldwin-Wallace
14. Thomas More
15. Bethel
16. Washington & Jefferson
17. Cal Lutheran
18. Hardin-Simmons
19. Washington and Lee
20. Johns Hopkins
21. Cortland
22. The Redlands
23. Coe
24. Rowan
25. Delaware Valley

SPORTING NEWS DIVISION III PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM