Defending champion UW-Oshkosh was selected to win the 2018 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) football championship, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league’s eight head coaches and sports information directors.
UW-Oshkosh returns eight defensive and six offensive starters from last year’s team that captured its second WIAC title in three seasons and 10th overall. The Titans won all seven of their WIAC contests a year ago while compiling a 12-1 overall record and advancing to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Championship for the second straight season.
UW-Oshkosh was followed in the league’s preseason poll by second-place UW-Whitewater (7-3, 6-1 WIAC in 2017), third-place UW-Platteville (7-3, 4-3), fourth-place UW-La Crosse (8-2, 5-2), fifth-place UW-Stout (5-4, 3-4), sixth-place UW-River Falls (4-6, 2-5), seventh-place UW-Stevens Point (4-6, 1-6) and eighth-place UW-Eau Claire (1-9, 0-7).
The Titans, who have defeated 38 of their last 42 WIAC opponents, return Brady Heimer (Jr. • DE), Brandon Hughes (So. • NT), Trenton LaCombe (So. • DE), Scott Skornicka (Sr. • LB), Derrick Jennings Jr. (Sr. • LB), AJ Plewa (Sr. • CB), Cole Yoder (Sr. • FS) and Taylor Ripplinger (Sr. • SS) as defensive starters from 2017.
Jennings Jr. and Yoder were All-WIAC first team selections last season while Heimer, Plewa and Skornicka were all-league second team members.
Jennings Jr. also received D3football.com All-America first team honors in 2017 after producing a WIAC-best five pass interceptions with 64 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 quarterback sacks. Skornicka was second in the WIAC with 15 tackles for loss last season and ranked second on the Titans with 81 tackles. Yoder totaled 58 tackles last year while listing second in the WIAC with four pass interceptions.
UW-Oshkosh’s offensive starters returning from a year ago are Dom Todarello (Sr. • WR), Cody Moon (Sr. • TE), Alex Wipperfurth (Jr. • OT), Austin Summers (Sr. • OT), Tyler Powers (Sr. • OG) and Alex Wendorf (Sr. • OG).
Powers, Todarello and Wendorf were All-WIAC first team picks last season.
