SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – The Shepherd University football team is ranked seventh in the D2Football.com Poll for August 28. Additionally, senior offensive lineman Lavonte Hights (N. Chesterfield, Va./Meadowbrook) and senior defensive end Myles Humphrey (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise) were selected to the D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team.
Hights, a first team selection, keyed an offensive line that enabled the Rams to average 37.4 points a game and rank second among NCAA II schools in team passing efficiency (168.26) in 2016.
Humphrey, a second team choice, anchored a Shepherd defensive line with team bests of 23.5 tackles-for-loss and 13.5 sacks in 2016. He recorded 64 tackles with 40 solo stops last season. He also topped the team with five fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles.
Shepherd will host Notre Dame College in the season opener on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for noon at Ram Stadium.
D2Football.com Top 25 Poll
August 28, 2017
|
Team
|
2016 Record
|
|
1
|
Northwest Missouri
|
15-0
|
|
2
|
Ferris State
|
12-3
|
|
3
|
Grand Valley
|
12-1
|
|
4
|
Emporia State
|
11-2
|
|
5
|
North Alabama
|
11-2
|
|
6
|
Texas A&M-Commerce
|
10-2
|
|
7
|
Shepherd
|
13-1
|
|
8
|
Minnesota Duluth
|
10-2
|
|
9
|
IUP
|
10-2
|
|
10
|
Harding
|
13-1
|
|
11
|
California
|
11-1
|
|
12
|
CSU-Pueblo
|
8-3
|
|
13
|
Valdosta State
|
8-3
|
|
14
|
Azusa Pacific
|
9-3
|
|
15
|
Sioux Falls
|
12-1
|
|
16
|
Minnesota State
|
8-3
|
|
17
|
Bemidji State
|
9-3
|
|
18
|
Ashland
|
9-2
|
|
19
|
LIU-Post
|
12-1
|
|
20
|
Central Missouri
|
9-3
|
|
21
|
Colorado Mines
|
10-3
|
|
22
|
Midwestern State
|
8-3
|
|
23
|
UNC-Pembroke
|
10-2
|
|
24
|
Southern Arkansas
|
9-3
|
|
25
|
West Chester
|
8-3
|
2017 D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team
August 28, 2017
|
First Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
QB
|
Luis Perez
|
6-3, 220, Sr.
|
Texas A&M-Commerce
|
|
RB
|
Marty Carter
|
6-0, 202, Jr.
|
Grand Valley
|
|
RB
|
Max Mickey
|
5-9, 185, Sr.
|
Sioux Falls
|
|
WR
|
Brody Oliver
|
6-3, 195, Jr.
|
Colorado Mines
|
|
WR
|
Damon Gibson
|
6-4, 230, Sr.
|
MSU-Moorhead
|
|
TE
|
Tanner Hudson
|
6-5, 206, Sr.
|
Southern Arkansas
|
|
OL
|
Alex Cappa
|
6-7, 285, Sr.
|
Humboldt State
|
|
OL
|
Jared Machorro
|
6-7, 280, Sr.
|
Texas A&M-Commerce
|
|
OL
|
Will House
|
6-7, 315, Sr.
|
Southern Nazarene
|
|
OL
|
Lavonte Hights
|
6-4, 296, Sr.
|
Shepherd
|
|
OL
|
Ty McCulley
|
6-5, 308, Sr.
|
CSU-Pueblo
|
|
|
|
|
|
DL
|
Brandon Jones
|
6-3, 290, Jr..
|
Texas A&M-Kingsville
|
|
DL
|
Marcus Martin
|
6-3, 245, Sr.
|
Slippery Rock
|
|
DL
|
Quincy Redmon
|
6-5, 240, Sr.
|
Fairmont State
|
|
DL
|
Zach Sieler
|
6-6, 275, Jr.
|
Ferris State
|
|
LB
|
Kevin Haynes
|
6-1, 228, Sr.
|
Central Washington
|
|
LB
|
Osband Thompson
|
6-0, 195, Sr.
|
Tuskegee
|
|
LB
|
Kyle Kitchens
|
6-2, 205, Sr.
|
Catawba
|
|
DB
|
Carlo Thomas
|
6-2, 185, Sr.
|
Johnson C. Smith
|
|
DB
|
Tavierre Thomas
|
5-11, 195, Sr.
|
Ferris State
|
|
DB
|
Drew Hebel
|
5-11, 172, Jr.
|
Black Hills
|
|
DB
|
Joshua Simmons
|
6-1, 200, Sr.
|
Limestone
|
|
|
|
|
|
K
|
Cole Antley
|
5-10, 150, Jr.
|
Ouachita Baptist
|
|
P
|
Carter Anchors
|
6-1, 190, Jr.
|
Pittsburg State
|
|
AP
|
Paul Revis
|
5-8, 155, Sr.
|
Western Oregon
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
QB
|
Barrett Renner
|
6-3, 192, Jr.
|
Southern Arkansas
|
|
RB
|
Bernard McDondle
|
5-9, 185, Sr.
|
CSU-Pueblo
|
|
RB
|
JaQuan Gardner
|
5-7, 205, Sr.
|
Humboldt State
|
|
WR
|
Charles Holland
|
6-4, 185, Sr.
|
Tiffin
|
|
WR
|
Trey Brock
|
6-3, 212, Jr.
|
Hillsdale
|
|
TE
|
Erik Fuller
|
6-3, 240, Sr.
|
Minnesota State
|
|
OL
|
Gavin De Los Santos
|
6-3, 280, Sr.
|
Harding
|
|
OL
|
Devon Johnson
|
6-7, 315, Jr.
|
Ferris State
|
|
OL
|
Brandon Schindler
|
6-6, 312, Sr.
|
Bemidji State
|
|
OL
|
Trent Fielding
|
6-3, 270, Sr.
|
Lock Haven
|
|
OL
|
Jake Daugherty
|
6-2, 298, Sr.
|
Ferris State
|
|
|
|
|
|
DL
|
Myles Humphrey
|
6-3, 236, Sr.
|
Shepherd
|
|
DL
|
Kahzin Daniels
|
6-4, 225, Jr.
|
Charleston
|
|
DL
|
Jarrell Bright
|
6-2, 235, Jr.
|
Winston-Salem
|
|
DL
|
Chris Gary
|
5-9, 210, Jr.
|
Bloomsburg
|
|
LB
|
Collin Schlosser
|
6-1, 230, Sr.
|
Grand Valley
|
|
LB
|
David Smith
|
6-1, 220, Sr.
|
Morehouse
|
|
LB
|
Brandon Lynch
|
6-1, 215, Sr.
|
Virginia State
|
|
DB
|
Jared Chester
|
5-10, 190, Sr.
|
LIU-Post
|
|
DB
|
Travon Blanchard
|
6-2, 205, Sr.
|
Texas A&M-Commerce
|
|
DB
|
Jay Watkins
|
5-10, 190, Sr.
|
IUP
|
|
DB
|
Yusef Sterling-Lowe
|
6-1, 170, Sr.
|
Texas A&M-Commerce
|
|
|
|
|
|
K
|
Ryan Sheehan
|
5-10, 180, Sr.
|
Colorado Mesa
|
|
P
|
Jonathan King
|
5-11, 200, So.
|
Carson-Newman
|
|
AP
|
Kamal Cass
|
5-11, 189 Sr.
|
Eastern New Mexico
|
