2017 Centennial Conference Football Online Guide | Official 2017 Centennial Preseason Poll Release

LANCASTER, PA - Johns Hopkins earned 18 of 20 first-place votes and grabbed 162 points to earn the top spot in the 2017 Centennial Conference Preseason Football Poll of head coaches and athletic communications directors it was announced today. Individuals were not permitted to vote for their own team, which made the Blue Jays a unanimous selection among the 18 coaches and athletic communications directors at the other nine schools.

Johns Hopkins earns the top spot in the poll for the ninth consecutive year and the 12th time since 2004. The Blue Jays went on to win the Centennial title in 10 of the previous 11 years in which it topped the preseason poll, including each of the last eight years.

Muhlenberg picked up one first-place vote and totaled 138 points to finish second in the poll, while Franklin & Marshall (122 points), Susquehanna (117) and Moravian (104) round out the top five. Gettysburg (73), Ursinus (65), McDaniel (51), Juniata (44) and Dickinson (24), ranked sixth through 10th. Susquehanna also picked up one first-place vote.

The Blue Jays have won eight straight Centennial Conference titles, including outright championships in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 and a shared title in 2010. In all, Johns Hopkins has won a league-record 12 CC championships since claiming its first title in 2002.

Head coach Jim Margraff, the winningest coach in Johns Hopkins history, welcomes back 10 starters from last season's team, which spent the entire season ranked in the top 10 in the nation in the AFCA Poll and the top 15 in the D3football.com Poll. The Blue Jays have been ranked by the AFCA for 60 consecutive weeks and 62 consecutive weeks by D3football.com.

Johns Hopkins opens the 2017 season on Friday, September 1 when the Blue Jays travel to Washington & Lee.

2017 Centennial Conference Preseason Football Poll
Rk. School (1st place votes) - Points (2016 record)
1. Johns Hopkins (18) - 162 (11-1 overall, 9-0 CC)
2. Muhlenberg (1) - 138 (9-2, 8-1)
3. Franklin & Marshall - 122 (7-4, 6-3)
4. Susquehanna (1) - 117 (6-4, 6-3)
5. Moravian - 104 (5-5, 4-5)
6. Gettysburg - 73 (3-7, 3-6)
7. Ursinus - 65 (2-8, 2-7)
8. McDaniel - 51 (3-7, 3-6)
9. Juniata - 44 (4-6, 3-6)
10. Dickinson - 24 (1-9, 1-8)

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