A pair of big wins in the first three weeks of the season have elevated the William Penn football team to #12 as the NAIA released its first top-25 poll of the year.

WPU (2-1) moved up seven slots from 19th in the preseason and now has 183 points. #6 Baker, which defeated the navy and gold last Saturday, heads a group of six teams from the Heart of America Athletic Conference in the rating.

Preseason co-#1 Marian (Ind.) is now a unanimous #1 with 340 points and all 15 first-place votes. Morningside, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Southern Oregon, and Faulkner (Ala.) round out the top five.

The Statesmen’s ranking is their highest since being #10 in the October 29, 2012 poll.

William Penn hosts Central Methodist Saturday in a Heart North-South Crossover game at 6 p.m.

NAIA Football Rating #1 – September 14, 2015
(Number in parentheses is first-place votes)
1. Marian (Ind.) (15)
2. Morningside
3. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
4. Southern Oregon
5. Faulkner (Ala.)
6. Baker (Kan.)
7. Carroll (Mont.)
8. Saint Xavier (Ill.)
9. Northwestern
10. Grand View
11. Robert Morris (Ill.)
12.William Penn
13. Missouri Valley
14. Doane (Neb.)
15. Montana Tech
16. Valley City State (N.D.)
17. Saint Francis (Ind.)
18. Benedictine (Kan.)
19. Montana Western
20. Webber International (Fla.)
21. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
22. Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)
23. Langston (Okla.)
24. Tabor (Kan.)
24. Reinhardt (Ga.)

Others receiving votes: Ottawa (Kan.) 40; Georgetown (Ky.) 35; Siena Heights (Mich.) 11; Eastern Oregon 9; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 6; Kansas Wesleyan 3.