FREELAND, Mich. – In a preseason poll of seven Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) football coaches, Albion is predicted to capture the conference championship title for the second-straight season after receiving all first-place votes possible.

Hope (14 points) edged Trine (17 points) for the second-place spot.  Olivet totaled 20 points for fourth place, followed by Adrian in fifth place with 23 points.  Alma (31 points) and Kalamazoo (36 points) round out the poll in sixth and seventh, respectively.

The preseason poll for MIAA football awards one point for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, et cetera.  Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own programs.

Albion (3-0 overall, 3-0 MIAA in spring 2021) features First Team All-MIAA quarterback Jack Bush (Sr. | QB | Chelsea, Mich.) who was selected as the MIAA's Most Valuable Offensive Player following the spring 2021 season.  Bush led the Britons to the MIAA Championship title, while boasting a 161.2 efficiency rating.  The First Team All-MIAA wide receiver duo of Kolby Canfield (Sr. | WR | Stockbridge, Mich.) and Justin Thomas (Sr. | WR | Wixom, Mich.) both return for their senior seasons.  Other spring 2021 First Team players returning for the Britons include Mitch Arendsen (Sr. | DE | Zeeland, Mich.), John Wester, Jr. (Jr. | DB | Palmetto, Fla.), and Hunter Williams (Jr. | K/P | South Lyon, Mich.).  Phillip Jones-Price (Jr. | RB | Reed City, Mich.), Andrew Durand (Jr. | WR | Pinckney, Mich.), Jarret Nighswander (Sr. | OL | Onsted, Mich.), David Aukema (Sr. | DL | Holland, Mich.), Levi Ladd (Sr. | ILB | Petersburg, Mich.), and Ricky Pearson (So. | DB | Eastpointe, Mich.) all return to Albion after being named Second Team All-MIAA in the spring of 2021.

Hope returns to action after opting out of the spring 2021 season due to COVID-19.  Running back Kenyea Houston (Sr. | RB | Chicago, Ill.) had a standout campaign in 2019 and was selected First Team all-conference.  In 11 games played during his sophomore season, Houston totaled 11 touchdowns and 1,046 yards.  Jeremiah Purnell (Sr. | LB | Wyoming, Mich.) and Brady Eding (Sr. | OT | Hamilton, Mich.) will also be returning for the Flying Dutchmen after earning Second Team All-MIAA honors in 2019.

Trine (4-1 overall, 2-1 MIAA) will return a trio of First Team All-MIAA players including Xaine Kirby (Jr. | RB | Sweetser, Ind.), Kyle Naif (Jr. | ILB | Riverview, Mich.), and Keysean Amison (Sr. | FS | Sandusky, Ohio).  Second Team All-MIAA players Alex Price (Jr. | QB | Reading, Mich.), Connor Arthur (So. | WR | Bryan, Ohio), Jamon Gibson (So. | DT | Toledo, Ohio), Aaron Dean (Sr. | CB | Fort Wayne, Ind.), and Angel Sanchez (Sr. | CB | Valparaiso, Ind.) will also return for the Thunder.

Olivet (1-3 overall, 1-3 MIAA) will look to the MIAA's spring 2021 Defensive Most Valuable Player of the Year, Ta'Mar Heart-Wilkins.  Heart-Wilkins concluded conference play in the spring of 2021 as the leader in sacks (5) and sack yards (30).  Two-time All-MIAA honorees Seth Young (Sr. | TE | Jonesville, Mich.) and Anthony Merriman III (Sr. | DB | Ferndale, Mich.) will also return for Olivet, along with Jeremiah Sterling (So. | RB | Benton Harbor, Mich.), Akeem Benjamin (So. | WR | Houston, Texas), Deonte Higgins (So. | WR | Detroit, Mich.), and Andrew Sikkema (Sr. | OL | McBain, Mich.), who were all named First Team honorees in the spring of 2021.  David Curl (Jr. | DL | Decatur, Mich.), Spencer Tyler (So. | LB | East Lansing, Mich.), and Brendan Sine (Jr. | P | Charlotte, Mich.) will be on the Comet roster after earning Second Team All-MIAA accolades last season.

Adrian's (3-4 overall, 2-2 MIAA) quartet of First Team All-MIAA seniors -- including Ben Pelletier (Sr. | OL | Jackson, Mich.), Deandre Jennings (Sr. | DL | Houston, Texas), Kyle Minder (Sr. | ILB | Jackson, Mich.), and Brandon Kwiatkowski (Sr. | DB | Sterling Heights, Mich.) -- will headline the Bulldogs during the 2021 campaign, along with two-time All-MIAA quarterback Jack Wurzer (Sr. | QB | Pinckney, Mich.).  Second Team All-MIAA honorees returning for Adrian include Tyler Poirier (Jr. | HB | Holiday, Fla.) and Jonathan Sasiela (So. | DL | Milford, Mich.).

Alma's (1-1 overall, 1-1 MIAA) 2021 roster will feature Second Team All-MIAA players Alexander Dean (Sr. | OL | Shelby, Mich.), Patrick Hite, (Sr. | DL | Michigan Center, Mich.), Odin Soffredine (Jr. | LB | Traverse City, Mich.), and Zach Clements (Sr. | P | Clarkston, Mich.).

Kalamazoo (0-2 overall, 0-2 MIAA) will be headlined by wide receiver Bubba Wilson (Jr. | WR | Muskegon, Mich.), who earned Second Team All-MIAA honors following the spring season.

The 2021 MIAA football season gets underway Thursday, Sept. 2, when Trine travels to Manchester for a 7:00 p.m. game.  League play begins on Saturday, Oct. 2, with Trine hosting Adrian (1:00 p.m.), Hope hosting Kalamazoo (1:00 p.m.), and Alma hosting Olivet (2:00 p.m.).