7/26/2021 | Football MCKINNEY, Texas- The Eastern New Mexico football team was picked to finish sixth in the 2021 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll as voted upon by coaches and representatives across the league. The annual preseason poll was announced Monday at the LSC Football Media Day held at McKinney ISD Stadium.
With the departure of defending LSC Champions, Tarleton State, Texas A&M-Commerce took the top spot in the poll with 15 first place votes and 175 total points. Angelo State (152 points) and West Texas A&M (125 points) finished second and third respectively, while UT Permian Basin and Midwestern State tied for the fourth spot with 112 points each.
Eastern New Mexico earned 60 points, which was good for sixth place. Texas A&M-Kingsville (59 points) and Western New Mexico (33 points) rounded out the poll in seventh and eighth.
Texas A&M-Commerce’s Miko Smalls was named the LSC Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while the Lions’ Dominique Ramsey was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2019, the Greyhounds finished the season fifth with a 4-4 conference record. Eastern returns 61 student-athletes in total, with 13 starters coming back. Several key returners include senior offensive lineman and 2019 Second Team All-LSC selection Vili Fisiiahi as well as 2019 Second Team All-LSC honoree Mazin Richards.
The Hounds begin their 84th season of football in 2021 after the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. ENMU will face 11 opponents this season, with six home contests. In addition to squaring off with seven conference foes, the Greyhounds will take on four non-conference opponents in Central Washington University, Adams State University, Lincoln University (Calif.), and North American University.
ENMU kicks off the season on Thursday, September 2 when it welcomes Central Washington to Greyhound Stadium for a 6 p.m. contest.
