KVOA

Posted: Nov 10, 2009 10:34 AM

KINGSVILLE - The final national rankings prior to the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs have been released and Texas A&M-Kingsville moved up a few spots in both polls. The Javelinas are now ranked No. 13 in the American Football Coaches Association and No. 17 in D2Football.com.

The Javelinas enter the playoffs coming off a 9-2 season in which they picked up their 27th Lone Star Conference title, but first since the 2004 season. They take on No. 12 Tarleton State at 1 o'clock on Saturday at Javelina Stadium in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

The Javelinas have a balanced offensive attack that averages over 425 yards per game. They have had four games in which they rushed and passed for over 200 yards each. The offense is directed by Harlon Hill candidate Billy Garza (Brownsville/Porter HS) who is averaging 231.5 yards passing per game while completing 60.5 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns. He has seven receivers with at least 15 receptions and over 150 yards on the year.

When not passing, Garza hands the ball to two exceptional running backs in Fred "Hollywood" Winborn (N. Hollywood, CA/Grant HS) and Connell Davis (Portland/Gregory-Portland HS). Winborn leads the Lone Star Conference with 1,072 yards on the ground while averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Davis is averaging 6.2 yards per carry and has gained 494 yards on the ground. The two have combined for 25 touchdowns this year.

The Javelina defense has battled injuries the last few weeks, but will be called upon to stop the Texans for the second time this year. In the first meeting, the Hoggies forced six turnovers, including three in the final five minutes to clinch the 34-20 win.

The winner of the game will play at No. 1 Central Washington on November 21 in Ellensburg, WA.