UNCP tailback Rashon Kennedy rushed for 784 yards in 2009.
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke coach Pete Shinnick wants his football team to focus on the season ahead, not on past success, starting with Saturday's opener against CIAA-favorite, Fayetteville State.
The 23rd-ranked Braves renew their cross-county rivalry with the Broncos in the second installment of their Two Rivers Classic, a matchup that pits two of Division II's top teams in the Southeast region.
"We look at this game as an opportunity to see where we are as a program," Shinnick said "There's no hiding in this game. There's no easing into the season and finding out where you're at."
Coming off back-to-back nine-win seasons, The Sporting News' applauded the Braves' efforts by sliding UNCP in at No. 8 in its preseason Top 25 poll this summer. Preseason polls are beauty pageants according to Shinnick and this fresh group of players can't rely on past success. Despite 24 seniors on the two-deep depth chart, they have to earn it as each season poses a new challenge.
"They (players) have not been together like that other team," Shinnick said. "This is a different team. We have 30 new guys. We are not going to spend a lot of time talking about that (ranking). When those first polls came out, it was a great time for our program to get some recognition. Other than that, we haven't done anything yet."
FSU also has been highly-decorated with preseason laurels this summer. The Broncos are on the outskirts of the DII Top 25 and are projected to win the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association for the second straight year.
"Like Coach (Shinnick) said, we don't worry about what other people say about us," said FSU coach Kenny Phillips said. "We just need to focus on what we have to do as a team to win football games. However, I would rather be the ones with a target on our backs than being the other way around."
Phillips, who is entering this 11th year as FSU coach, admits last season's Classic was a bitter pill to swallow after his team fell on their home turf in double-overtime. FSU bounced back with eight wins over its next 10 games before falling in the first round of the playoffs to California, Pa.
Phillips assures the FSU faithful this year's game will be different since the Broncos are taking the short trip down Interstate 95 with a star player that was unavailable for last season's battle — Richard Medlin.
Medlin, a 5-11 senior with 26 career touchdowns, shielded his eyes during the Broncos' 41-34 overtime loss to the Braves a year ago. He was suspended one game by the NCAA for his role in a scuffle against Livingstone during FSU's final regular-season game in 2008.
"I couldn't watch," Medlin said. "It hurt to see my teammates out there and I knew I couldn't help."
Shinnick said Medlin makes every opposing coach re-evaluate his game plan to pinpoint his position on the field — at all times.
"He has proven, over the course of his career, you've got to account for him, wherever he's at," Shinnick said.
The Braves counter with a prolific offense of their own, a veteran-laden unit that's racked up more than 30 pointer per game the last two seasons. Senior quarterback Cory Smith and junior tailback Travis Daniels accounted for 28 touchdowns in 2009.
Smith says the Braves are focused on getting back to the playoffs, an experience that the Indian Trail native called, "eye-opening".
"We went down to Arkansas and saw where we needed to get to," Smith said. "Stuff like that is what drives you. First-round exits in the playoffs are never great. We want to get back and win."
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