(Black PR Wire) ROANOKE, VA – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) announces the 2019 All-CIAA preseason football team, as voted on by the CIAA Football Coaches Association and the Sports Information Directors Association, and the predicted order of finish as selected by the head football coaches. The preseason team and predicted order were both announced during the CIAA’s annual football media day.

The 2019 team features 18 returning players from last year’s All-CIAA first team, including Virginia Union running back Tabyus Taylor, Shaw linebacker Devon Hunt and Fayetteville State kick returner Brandon Smith, as well as four members from the 2018 second team.

A native of Hopewell, VA and now a rising junior, Taylor led the nation in 2018 with 196.2 total yards per game and ranked second nationally with 13.8 points scored per contest while finishing among Division II leaders with 1546 rushing yards (8th), 154.6 yards per game (4th), 1962 all-purpose yards (5th), and 138 point scored (21 rushing, two receiving and 4th in DII), leading the CIAA in all the aforementioned categories. Hunt, a senior-to-be from Hamlet, NC, was the 2018 CIAA Defensive Player of the Year after finishing with a league-leading 98 tackles while Smith, a native of Red Springs, NC, was the league’s top Special Teams player after averaging a CIAA-best 29.2 yards per kick return (12th in DII) and returning two kicks for touchdowns (tied for 4th in DII) last season as a sophomore. Virginia Union leads the preseason team with six selections followed by Shaw and Chowan with five players each.

Bowie State and Fayetteville State were picked by league coaches to repeat as Northern Division and Southern Division champions, respectively, and meet in the 2019 CIAA Football Championship Game, scheduled for November 16th, 2019 in Salem, VA (Salem Stadium), with BSU predicted to repeat as conference champions. The predicted finish would set-up a rematch from last year’s title game that saw the Bulldogs defeat the Broncos, 30-10.

Led by Head Coach Damon Wilson, Bowie State finished last season with a 10-3 overall record (5-1 in the CIAA) and finished fourth in Super Region Two, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs after defeating West Alabama (41-35) in the first round. Fayetteville State, coached by Richard Hayes, also posted a 5-1 conference record (6-3 overall) to finish 10th in Super Region Two in 2018.

2019 CIAA Football Predicted Order of Finish

1. Bowie State
2. Fayetteville State
3. Virginia Union
4. Chowan
5. Virginia State
6. Winston-Salem State
7. Shaw
8. Elizabeth City State
9. Saint Augustine’s
10. Livingstone
11. Johnson C. Smith
12. Lincoln (PA)

Northern Division

1. Bowie State
2. Virginia Union
3. Chowan
4. Virginia State
5. Elizabeth City State
6. Lincoln (PA)

Southern Division

1. Fayetteville State
2. Winston-Salem State
3. Shaw
4. Saint Augustine’s
5. Livingstone
6. Johnson C. Smith

2019 All-CIAA Preseason Football Team

Tight End
Kevonta Moses, Shaw

Offensive Linemen
Keanu Gonzales, Shaw *
Donald Boone, Chowan *
Frank Ball, Virginia State *
Tyrese Bobbitt, Shaw
Justin Smith, Virginia Union

Wide Receivers
Montez Clay, Bowie State +
Daniel Bender, Shaw

Quarterback
Bryce Witt, Chowan +

Running Backs
Tabyus Taylor, Virginia Union *
Tyrell Freeman, Chowan *

Kick Returner
Brandon Smith, Fayetteville State * #

Place Kicker
Jefferson Souza, Virginia Union *

Defensive Linemen
Solomon Bassett, Lincoln (PA) *
Oluwaleke Ajenifuja, Bowie State *
Joshua Pryor, Bowie State *
Rafiq Abdul-Wahid, Chowan +

Linebackers
Devon Hunt, Shaw * $
Joseph Harris, Saint Augustine’s *
Taj Conway, Virginia Union +

Defensive Backs
Sterling Hammond, Virginia Union *
Elvin De La Rosa, Fayetteville State *
Daryus Skinner, Winston-Salem State *
Quantaye Battle, Virginia Union +

Punt Returner
Tyeous Sharpe, Fayetteville State *

Punter
John Kight, Chowan *

* –  Returning All-CIAA First Team selection
+ – Returning All-CIAA Second Team selection
# – Returning CIAA Special Teams Player of the Year
$ – Returning CIAA Defensive Player of the Year 

Courtesy: CIAA