Roanoke, VA — The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and its Football Coaches Association announced the 2017 CIAA Football Predicted Order of Finish and the Preseason All-CIAA Team on Wednesday.
For the third consecutive season, the Rams of Winston-Salem State University have been selected as the predicted championship contender. The defending CIAA Champion Rams finished 9-3 last season with a 7-0 conference record. Bowie State University has been selected to finish second after falling to WSSU in the 2016 CIAA Championship.
2017 Predicted Order of Finish
- Winston-Salem State
- Bowie State
- Virginia State
- Virginia Union
- Fayetteville State
- Chowan
- Elizabeth City State
- Saint Augustine’s
- Shaw
- Johnson C. Smith
- Livingstone
- Lincoln (PA)
Predicted Divisional Order of Finish
Northern Division
- Bowie State
- Virginia State
- Virginia Union
- Chowan
- Elizabeth City State
- Lincoln (PA)
Southern Division
- Winston-Salem State
- Fayetteville State
- Saint Augustine’s
- Shaw
- Johnson C. Smith
- Livingstone
The 2017 Preseason All-CIAA Football Team is led by a standout group of student-athletes. Amir Hall, Bowie State quarterback, led the conference in passing yards per game (326.9 yds.) and touchdowns (30). VSU Trojans’ running back highlights the preseason team after completing his junior season ranked first in the CIAA with 18 rushing touchdowns and No. 4 with 110.4 rushing yards per game. The league promises a young group of play makers as sophomore linebacker Devon Hunt (Shaw) is tabbed to the team after being named 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year and finishing the season second in tackles per game (8.9) and third in total tackles (89). Fellow sophomore Jarrell Bright (Winston-Salem State) ranked second in the CIAA last year with 12 sacks on the season.
2017 Preseason All-CIAA Football Team
Offense
| TE | #17 | Aaron Linen | SAU | 6-4 | 210 | Sr. | Oakland, CA |
| OL | #78 | Victor Tamba, Jr.* | BSU | 6-5 | 335 | Sr. | District Heights, MD |
| OL | #61 | Daris Johnson* | BSU | 6-3 | 275 | Sr. | Waldorf, MD |
| OL | #78 | Donald Boone | CU | 6-5 | 290 | So. | Duluth, GA |
| OL | #70 | Tim Samuels | WSSU | 6-3 | 240 | Jr. | Charlotte, NC |
| OL | #59 | Josh Wormley | WSSU | 6-1 | 295 | So. | Sacramento, CA |
| WR | #47 | Lavatiae Kelly* | VUU | 6-2 | 190 | Jr. | Miami, FL |
| WR | #1 | Sam Boyd | SAU | 6-4 | 250 | Sr. | Houston, TX |
| QB | #6 | Amir Hall | BSU | 6-4 | 180 | Jr. | Bowie, MD |
| RB | #25 | Trenton Cannon* | VSU | 5-11 | 175 | Sr. | Hampton, VA |
| RB | #2 | Robert Chesson | BSU | 5-10 | 179 | Jr. | Annapolis, MD |
| PK | #39 | David Lamb | FSU | 6-0 | 199 | Sr. | Pineville, NC |
| KR | #47 | Lavatiae Kelly* | VUU | 6-2 | 190 | Jr. | Miami, FL |
Defense
| DL | #34 | Jarell Bright* | WSSU | 6-2 | 235 | So. | Charlotte, NC |
| DL | #41 | Chasz Cosby | SAU | 6-3 | 280 | Sr. | Charlotte, NC |
| DL | #46 | Armond Cox | LC | 6-3 | 240 | So. | Teaneck, NJ |
| DL | #56 | Darius Darden | FSU | 6-3 | 258 | Jr. | Greensboro, NC |
| DL | #45 | Nate Wyche | CU | 6-1 | 240 | Sr. | Suffolk, VA |
| LB | #14 | Brandon Lynch* | VSU | 6-1 | 215 | Sr. | Norfolk, VA |
| LB | #34 | Devon Hunt | SU | 6-1 | 220 | So. | Rockingham, NC |
| LB | #32 | Jayron Rankin | WSSU | 6-0 | 215 | So. | Reidsville, NC |
| DB | #8 | Carlo Thomas* | JCSU | 6-2 | 185 | Sr. | East Orange, NJ |
| DB | #21 | Rahman Kamara | BSU | 6-0 | 190 | Sr. | Bowie, MD |
| DB | #20 | Basir Wright | JCSU | 6-0 | 166 | Jr. | Douglasville, GA |
| DB | #26 | Sterling Hammond | VUU | 6-1 | 195 | Fr. | Caret, VA |
| P | #38 | Matthew Trau | FSU | 6-2 | 170 | Jr. | Montross, VA |
| PR | #47 | Lavatiae Kelly* | VUU | 6-2 | 190 | Jr. | Miami, FL |
*2016 All-CIAA First Team Members
The 2017 CIAA football season opens on Thursday, August 31, with the CIAA Football Championship scheduled for November 11, 2017 in Salem, Virginia. The nationally televised championship game will be played at Salem Football Stadium and feature the CIAA Northern and Southern Division champions.
CIAA Football Media Day kicks off at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 20, 2017 in Salem, Virginia.
Courtesy: CIAA
