BRENHAM, TX -- The four-time national champion Blinn Buccaneers will open the season ranked No. 5 in the nation after the NJCAA announced its preseason football rankings Wednesday.

The Bucs’ first game of the season will give them the opportunity to climb even higher, as Blinn will take on second-ranked Butler (Kan.) Community College at 7 p.m. Sept. 1 in El Dorado, Kan. Butler has finished second in the NJCAA’s national poll each of the last two seasons.

Fresh off a 9-2 record in their first season under head coach Ronny Feldman, the Buccaneers are looking to build upon two decades of unparalleled success. Since 1994, the Buccaneers have posted a 145-47 record, winning four national championships, 14 conference championships and making 12 bowl appearances, including last year’s showing in the Mississippi Bowl hosted by Biloxi, Miss.

Last week, the Southwest Junior College Football Conference coaches’ poll picked Blinn and Trinity Valley as the favorites to take home the league title.

“We’ve got a heck of a tradition here and the players know they’re a part of something special,” Feldman said. “There’s a lot of history here. We’ve got to finish what we’ve started and play well to the last snap.”

The Buccaneers return four all-conference selections from last season. Sophomore place kicker Kurt Walker (Hebron) was a first-team all-conference selection after he finished second in the nation with 67 kicks made in 68 attempts in 2011. He was 8-of-9 in field goals, including an NJCAA-best 56-yarder in Week 4.

Sophomore quarterback Eric Mathews (Brookshire Royal) completed 139 of 206 passes last season for 2,388 yards and 20 touchdowns. He posted a 194.9 pass efficiency while throwing just two interceptions all year. Sophomore defensive back Tevin Broussard (Beaumont Central) earned second-team honors after posting 46 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery, and sophomore linebacker Brandon Thornton (Conroe) was also named to the second team after recording 76 tackles – including nine for a loss – and two sacks.

Top 20 National Poll | August 01, 2012

Rank
College
Region
Record
Points
1st
Votes
Last
Week

1
East Mississippi Community College
23
12-0
0
0
0

2
Butler Community College - KS
6
11-1
0
0
0

3
Arizona Western College
1
11-1
0
0
0

4
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
23
10-2
0
0
0

5
Blinn College
14
9-2
0
0
0

6
Hinds Community College
23
7-3
0
0
0

7
Trinity Valley Community College
14
8-3
0
0
0

8
Iowa Western Community College
11
9-2
0
0
0

9
Snow College
18
9-3
0
0
0

10
Hutchinson Community College
6
9-3
0
0
0

11
Northwest Mississippi Community College
23
6-3
0
0
0

12
Navarro College
14
10-2
0
0
0

13
Eastern Arizona College
1
8-3
0
0
0

14
Dean College
21
8-1
0
0
0

15
New Mexico Military Institute
5
9-3
0
0
0

16
Tyler Junior College
14
7-4
0
0
0

17
Coffeyville Community College
6
6-4
0
0
0

18
Iowa Central Community College
11
6-4
0
0
0

19
Rochester Community & Technical College
13
11-1
0
0
0

20
Nassau Community College
15
8-2
0
0
0