OKLAHOMA CITY – OUAZ enters the 2022 season as the No. 1 team in the Sooner Athletic Conference preseason football poll.
League coaches named Keaton Dudik of Southwestern Assemblies of God the preseason SAC offensive player of the year.
Southwestern Assemblies of God had the conference's preseason defensive player of the year (Drake Rodriguez) and preseason special teams player of the year (Kieran Woodley).
Dudik, a senior running back from China Springs, Texas, became the 2021 SAC offensive player of the year. Last year, Dudik accumulated 1,586 yards and 22 touchdowns rushing to spark the Lions. Dudik stood No. 2 in the NAIA in rushing yards and carries (238) while ranking third in touchdowns and fourth in yards per game (132.2) rushing last season. He ran for 191 yards and two touchdowns vs. Texas Wesleyan on Oct. 9. He turned in at least 120 yards rushing in eight contests in 2021.
Rodriguez, a senior defensive lineman from Georgetown, Texas, reeled in first-team all-conference acclaim last season. Rodriguez bulled his way to 58 tackles, 13½ tackles for loss and seven sacks for 2021. He picked up a fumble recovery, forced fumble and a blocked kick. Rodriguez landed one SAC defensive player of the week award.
Woodley, a senior kicker from Aptos, Calif., took second-team all-conference honors last fall. Woodley scored 91 points while making 11 of 15 field-goal attempts and 58 of 61 point-after tries. Woodley booted through two 50-yard field goals, including a career-best 52-yard field goal at Arizona Christian on Sept. 25. He grabbed two weekly SAC special teams awards in 2021.
OUAZ notched the top spot in the preseason SAC poll with 79 points and eight of the 10 possible first-place votes. The Spirit (8-2, 8-1 SAC) snagged the league title to advance to the NAIA Football Championship Series. OUAZ captured the SAC championship and made the NAIA postseason for the second time in three years, garnering the 14th spot in the national top 25 entering the playoffs.
Texas Wesleyan owned the second slot among the preseason SAC poll with 67 points. Arizona Christian nabbed the third spot at 63 points, while Langston collected a No. 1 vote and 60 points to be No. 4.
Louisiana Christian accumulated 44 points to stand fifth, and Southwestern Assemblies of God racked up 42 points, good for sixth. Panhandle State was seventh with 39 points.
In eighth was Lyon at 24 points. Wayland Baptist (23 points) and Texas College (nine points) rounded out the poll.
The NAIA Football Championship Series starts off Nov. 19 with the first round and finishes with the national title contest Dec. 17 in Durham, N.C. The season begins Aug. 27.
| 2022 Sooner Athletic Conference Preseason Football Coaches Poll |
| No. |
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
Pts. |
| 1. |
OUAZ |
8 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
79 |
| 2. |
Texas Wesleyan |
|
7 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
67 |
| 3. |
Arizona Christian |
|
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
63 |
| 4. |
Langston |
1 |
|
4 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
60 |
| 5. |
Louisiana Christian |
|
|
|
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
|
|
44 |
| 6. |
SW Assemblies of God |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
1 |
1 |
42 |
| 7. |
Panhandle State |
|
|
|
|
5 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
39 |
| 8. |
Lyon |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
3 |
5 |
|
24 |
| 9. |
Wayland Baptist |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
4 |
|
23 |
| 10. |
Texas College |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
9 |
Preseason offensive player of the year
Keaton Dudik, RB, SW Assemblies of God |
Preseason defensive player of the year
Drake Rodriguez, SW Assemblies of God |
Preseason special teams player of the year
Kieran Woodley, SW Assemblies of God |