2008 Woodie Awards
Recognition for OU Athletics
Athletic rankings play role within university
Emily Loughary
Issue date: 11/18/08 Section: News
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The outcome, however, was not what they had hoped for: a 17-13 loss, dropping the team to 20th in the national rankings, just short of making the playoffs.
The team finished with a 8-2 record overall, 7-2 in the KCAC. The season stands as head coach Kent Kessinger's most winning season during his five-year career at OU.
Ending the season ranked 20th in the postseason poll for NAIA Div. II says a lot about the squad and the program's future.
"We'll definitely gain a lot of respect around the conference but the guys still have more to prove. We were expecting to go to the playoffs this year and we didn't make it. We didn't finish the season undefeated. These factors alone will play into next year and the years to come. It's disappointing when you want something that you don't achieve but I do think that we reached more goals and broke more records than we ever thought we could have," Evander Williams, senior safety, said.
Williams compared the transition from last year to this year as being the difference of stronger team comrade, especially after the passing of fellow teammate Jono Krystiniak.
"We played with more attitude on the field but most importantly, this season was inspiring. Losing Jono not only inspired us to be better football players but better people off of the field as well," Williams said.
This spark inspiration held true looking at the end of season record and season accomplishments for the Braves.
National rankings can provide an array of opportunities for an athletic team as well as the university. The football team moved throughout the polls all season but they aren't the only athletic team getting national recognition.
The men's basketball team was ranked 10th in one NAIA Div. II preseason poll and 9th in another for the 2008-2009 season.
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