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Heart of America Athletic Conference
November 8, 2011

HAAC Teams Shuffle in Latest Football Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Three of four Heart of America Athletic Conference teams saw their rankings shift, but all four remained among the NAIA elite when the latest Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll was released on Monday evening.

A head-to-head matchup between Baker and Benedictine saw those teams make opposite moves in the polls. The Wildcats, who earned the 10-7 win over the Ravens on Saturday afternoon, moved up one spot to #24 thanks to a three-game winning streak.

The Ravens, meanwhile, slipped to #16 in the rankings after the loss despite boasting a stellar 8-2 overall record. Benedictine needs a win its regular season finale to strengthen its resume for the upcoming NAIA Football Championship Series. The 16 teams for the postseason will be announced on Sunday, November 13 no later than 5:00 p.m. (CDT)

The two teams at the top of the HAAC standings saw minimal movement this week as they each remained in the top 10. MidAmerica Nazarene coupled its 24-8 win over Peru State with a loss by previous #1-ranked Saint Xavier (Ill.) to move up to #4 in the latest poll. The ranking is important in allowing the Pioneers to maintain home field advantage through the opening two rounds.

The loss by the Ravens proved most beneficial to Missouri Valley, which saw its ranking stay the same at #7, but owns the tiebreaker at the top of the league standings with MNU. A win in its regular season finale coupled with a 26-21 win over MNU back on September 10 would give the Vikings an automatic berth into the 16-team postseason tournament.

Click here to see the entire poll.