Oskaloosa–Despite losing a heartbreaker over the weekend, the Statesmen football team is still in contention for the playoffs as the eighth NAIA top-25 rating was releasedMonday.

Due to its double-overtime loss to Benedictine (Kan.) last Saturday, William Penn (6-3, 2-1 North) is now on the outside looking in at #19 with 105 points.  Heart of America Athletic Conference foes Baker (Kan.) at #3, Grand View at #4, and Benedictine at #12, are ranked ahead of the navy and gold.

A co-North Division crown is still available, but the Statesmen will likely have to come in the back door to make the playoffs and it is uncertain at this time how many teams the Statesmen will need to jump to order to grab one of the final at-large berths.  Fortunately, several teams ahead of WPU still have ranked opponents on their schedule, leaving that option a viable one.

The nation’s top five remains unchanged with Southern Oregon (334 points, 8 first-place votes), Morningside (six top votes), Baker, Grand View, and Doane (Neb.) (1 first-place vote) leading the NAIA.

WPU travels to Lamoni Saturday to face Graceland in a Heart North Division contest at 2 p.m.

NAIA Football Rating #8 – November 2, 2015
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Southern Oregon (8)
2. Morningside (6)
3. Baker (Kan.)
4. Grand View
5. Doane (Neb.) (1)
6. Saint Francis (Ind.)
7. Reinhardt (Ga.)
8. Marian (Ind.)
9. Montana Tech
10. Tabor (Kan.)
11. Saint Xavier (Ill.)
12. Benedictine (Kan.)
13. Montana Western
14. Kansas Wesleyan
15. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
16. St. Francis (Ill.)
17. Campbellsville (Ky.)
18. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)
19. William Penn
20. Cumberlands (Ky.)
21. Point (Ga.)
22. Northwestern
23. Robert Morris (Ill.)
24. Dickinson State (N.D.)
25. St. Ambrose

Others receiving votes: Arizona Christian 6; Faulkner (Ala.) 5; Carroll (Mont.) 3.

Story provided by Wade Steinlage