‘Jacks Rate Cut Above Grizzlies Northern Arizona Ranked Best In Nation By The Sporting News

Sports writers and broadcasters who cover Big Sky Conference football have picked last year’s runner-up, Northern Arizona, to end Montana’s two-year championship reign this fall.

Thirteen of the 24 media members who voted in this year’s Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff poll made the Lumberjacks, who are ranked No. 1 in the nation in The Sporting News Division I-AA preseason ratings, their pick to win the league title.

NAU collected 205 points in the voting, followed by Montana with 201. The Grizzlies, who lost to Marshall in last year’s Division I-AA title game, received the other 11 first-place votes.

Eastern Washington was picked third in the voting with 164 points, followed by Weber State (126), Cal State Northridge (118), Montana State (117), Portland State (66), Idaho State (46) and Cal State Sacramento (37).

Graying of the Big Sky

Eastern Washington coach Mike Kramer didn’t seem all that thrilled about the NCAA’s decision to grant Weber State senior defensive tackle Weston Weaver a sixth year of eligibility after he missed two seasons with injuries.

“I was really excited to hear Weaver is going to get a sixth year,” Kramer said, facetiously. “Let’s see. An LDS (Latter-day Saints) state, six years (of eligibility) and a two-year mission - what is he, about 30?

“I’m a little disappointed that a guy draws his pension before he (graduates).”

Any win will do

After watching his Portland State Vikings finish 3-8 overall and 1-7 against league opponents in their first season in the Big Sky last fall, coach Tim Walsh has learned to appreciate small victories - like this spring’s 42-0 win in PSU’s annual Alumni Game.

“Last year we lost our Alumni Game,” Walsh said. “And all those guys were out in their Winnebagos drinking a couple of beers before the game.”

Academic upgrade

First-year Idaho State Tom Walsh inherited a pile of academic problems - among others - when he took over the Bengals program in the wake of Brian McNeeley’s firing last fall.

He has apparently made great strides in fixing those problems, particularly in the classroom where 36 of his players posted grade-point averages of 3.0 or higher last semester.

“The (academic) probation list was that long previously,” Walsh said.

Fore-ever wary

Sacramento State coach John Volek played in the Big Sky’s Kickoff scramble golf tourney at Homestead Resort Golf Course on Monday, but wasn’t all that enthused about the prospects of winning the event.

Volek, in only his second season at Sacramento, won the same event last year while playing on a team that included Idaho State’s Brian McNeeley and Portland State’s Tim Walsh.

“I don’t know if I want to win again or not,” Volek said prior to the start of this year’s scramble. “One of the guys (McNeeley) on the winning team last year got fired and the other two of us finished eighth and ninth in the conference.”

Earlier in the day, Volek greeted members of the media attending this year’s Kickoff by explaining how happy he was to be here.

“Of course, I’m happy to be anywhere after going 1-10,” he added.

Quick kicks

Last year’s Payton Award winner Archie Amerson, who rushed for 2,079 yards for Northern Arizona, is currently playing for the Hamilton Tigercats of the Canadian Football League… . Cal State Sacramento has seven players on its roster from Stockton’s St. Mary’s High School, which went 37-3 the past three years… . Fifty-six of the players on Portland State’s roster coming out of spring practice were either freshmen and sophomores… . During two scrimmages this spring, Montana quarterback Brian Ah Yat was 17 for 17 passing. … The toughest nonconference schedule among Big Sky teams belongs to Northridge, which opens its season with road games against three Division I opponents - Boise State, Hawaii and New Mexico State.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: GOING POLLING The Big Sky Conference football polls. Total points are followed by first-place votes in parenthesis:

Coaches’ poll 1. Northern Arizona 61 (5) 2. Montana 59 (3) 3. Eastern Washington 50 (1) 4. Cal State Northridge 39 5. Montana State 34 6. Weber State 32 7. Portland State 22 8. Sacramento State 16 9. Idaho State 11

Media poll 1. Northern Arizona 205 (13) 2. Montana 201 (11) 3. Eastern Washington 164 4. Weber State 126 5. Cal State Northridge 118 6. Montana State 117 7. Portland State 66 8. Idaho State 46 9. Sacramento State 37