LINDALE — Ask Southwest Junior College Football Conference coaches what they think will change this football season, and they might say, “Not much.”

At least based on their vote in the coaches poll released Thursday at the annual SWJCFC Media Day held at Garden Valley Golf Club.

The coaches poll for 2011 nearly mimics the actual finish to the 2010 season, with Navarro at the top, followed by Blinn and Trinity Valley Community College. Those three teams, along with fourth-place Kilgore, qualified for the conference playoffs last season, with Navarro going on to win not only the conference crown, but the NJCAA Division I national championship.

Coaches predict the same order, with only Kilgore moving down a spot and Cisco moving up. Cisco, once a conference cellar dweller, started the season 5-0 last year before a season-ending injury to star running back Jamal Nero left them finishing 5-4.

The TVCC Cardinals have plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

The Cardinals finished 6-5 last season, but made a late-season surge that included a blowout win over then defending national champ Blinn in the first round of the SWJCFC playoffs.

The offseason only enhanced those optimistic feelings, as the Cardinals pulled in a solid recruiting haul that included the addition of six players who had either signed to play Division I football or who had transferred from a Division I program. Four are from the Big 12, while one is from the SEC.

TVCC head coach Brad Smiley says those players still have much to prove. But he added he is excited about a defense with eight returning lettermen in the secondary and a pair of quarterbacks (Tucker Carter from Allen and Deric Davis from Arlington Bowie) who will finally see playing time after spending a year in the system following highly-decorated high school careers.

Smiley hasn’t yet said who will get the first start of the season when the Cards open August 27 at Independence (Kan.). However, he said both are going to get a chance to play early on.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Smiley said. “ ... I feel good about where we’re at. Now the kids are just going to have to go out there and get it done.”

2010 Final Standings

    Season    SWJCFC

*Navarro    11-1    6-0

*Blinn    9-3    4-2

*TVCC    6-5    3-3

*Kilgore    4-6    3-3

Cisco    5-4    2-4

Tyler    3-5    2-4

NEO    1-8    1-5



* SWJCFC playoff qualifier

2011 SWJCFC COACHES POLL

    1st    2nd    3rd    4th    5th    6th    TOTAL

*Navarro    4    X    1    X    X    1    53

Blinn    1    1    3    X    1    X    49

TVCC    X    3    1    1    X    1    47

Cisco    2    X    2    X    X    2    46

Kilgore    X    X    X    4    2    X    40

Tyler    X    1    X    1    4    X    40

NEO    X    2    X    1    X    3    40

* defending NJCAA national champion

(Poll based on 10 pts for 1st place votes, 9 pts for 2nd, etc.)

A quick peek at ...

NAVARRO — Returning QB Adrian Nelson started only two games for the Bulldogs last year, but both were wins — in the SWJCFC title game and the national title game.

BLINN — New coach Ronny Feldman is a former TVCC coach.

KILGORE — Rushing attack could be led by former Palestine standout Olin Terry, who rushed for 470 yds and 10 TDs last year.

TYLER — Apaches have nine starters back on defense.

NEO — Former head coach Dale Patterson returns to program he led to 3 SWJCFC titles in late 90s and early 2000s.

CISCO — Will have under center Jacob Morgan, the reigning conference Offensive POY.