Hoping to get back to the proud football tradition Baker University was built upon, head coach Mike Grossner has worked to transform the program back to its promising history.

While the past few seasons have seemed to be an effort to build for the future, it is obvious that the future is now.

The Wildcat football team enters the 2012 season as a top contender in not only the Heart of America Athletic Conference, but also in the NAIA. Grossner’s veteran squad has reloaded and earned a national preseason ranking of No. 18 along with a projected third-place conference finish.

Although it has been 19 seasons since Baker has brought home a conference title, this is the year the Wildcats will do it again.

In order to build a winning program, a coach must build a strong foundation. In Grossner’s eight seasons as head coach, the team has improved in nearly every aspect of the game. Grossner has put together five consecutive winning seasons, each with its own national recognition.

In 2011, the Wildcats’ high-powered offense averaged more than 35 points per game and ranked 11th nationally in scoring offense.

The Wildcats return all-HAAC quarterback Jake Morse who will enter his junior season. As a sophomore, Morse led the HAAC in passing yards per game with 212 yards per outing. Seniors Jordan Robertson, Aaron Rieschick and Joel Murphy return with preseason All-America honors at center, right tackle and tight end, respectively.

The receiving corps also looks exceptionally strong for Baker. Seniors Jake Green, Tyler Hatcher, and Kyle Bolton are expected to have milestone seasons.

But what may be some of the Wildcats strongest weapons are the new faces to the program. Freshman Jermaine Broomfield and University of Southern California transfer Dillon Baxter are two new components added to the Wildcats’ already explosive offense. Baker will have high expectations for Broomfield and Baxter after losing junior Scott Meyer to a knee injury in a preseason scrimmage against Fort Scott Community College. The Wildcats appear to have a handful of weapons, backed by more depth than the program has seen in years.

The offense isn’t the only positive light for Baker. The defensive unit also has its fair share of stars entering in 2012. Senior Ryder Werts will lead the attack with an experienced corps of linebackers and a veteran defensive line. Up front, senior Mike Faison returns at the nose tackle with senior Mario Armstrong and sophomore Andre Jolly at the end positions.

What stands in the way for the Wildcats is a decade of dominance. MidAmerica Nazarene University and Missouri Valley College have owned the Heart of America, winning six out of the last 10 conference championships.

This season, the Wildcats have plenty of talent and experience to change history and capture their first conference title since 1993.