Juniors battle for the starting QB job

~ Samuel has yet to decide which quarterback will open against Cincinnati.

Southeast Missouri State opens its season in nine days at Division I-A Cincinnati.

Second-year coach Tony Samuel has that much time to decide who will start the game at quarterback -- and he hinted Monday that he might use all of it.

Samuel, speaking at his weekly media briefing, said the battle between juniors Houston Lillard and Victor Anderson is too close to call right now.

But according to Samuel, that's not unlike many other positions on the Redhawks roster as the Aug. 30 game with the Bearcats, who went 8-5 last year and won a bowl game, approaches.

That's what happens when so many young and inexperienced players fill up a roster, as is the case with the Redhawks.

Southeast's roster lists 87 players -- 57 of them having never played at a level above junior college. The Redhawks have only nine seniors, while there are a combined 56 freshmen and sophomores.

"Competition across the board is very stiff. That's good," said Samuel, whose first Southeast team last year went 4-7 overall and 2-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

At no position is the competition more fierce than at quarterback as Lillard and Anderson compete for No. 1. Both have never taken a snap above junior college.

Not that Samuel appears concerned.

"We have not made a decision [on the starter], but we are in great shape," he said. "Both guys are doing well."

Samuel has said often that he is not adverse to playing more than one quarterback on a regular basis if there is little separation between the two.

"We still have to make a decision if we're going to play both or not," he said, adding that was still up in the air even for the season opener.

Samuel also had praise for Southeast's other two quarterbacks, walk-on redshirt freshman Steve Callanan and true freshman Jared Van Slyke. Samuel said he has been particularly impressed with Van Slyke, who is likely to redshirt.

"I like Van Slyke as an athlete. He's very poised," Samuel said.

Regardless of who starts behind center, Samuel said he likes the Redhawks' potential, despite their youth and inexperience.

"We have a lot of work to do, but I think we have a good chance if we continue to jell," said Samuel, whose squad is now done with its two-week fall camp as classes started Monday.

"We're a much more athletic team. Are they ready to play and execute? That's the question we have to get answered."

Kicker's status uncertain

Samuel said place-kicker Colin Schermann's status for the season is still up in the air.

Schermann, a Cape Girardeau Central High School graduate who has been Southeast's regular kicker the past two years, suffered a skull fracture after falling off a ladder just before the start of fall practice.

Samuel said there is "no real timetable [for Schermann[']s return]. They're still running tests to find out when he can come back."

Samuel said he has confidence in sophomore Doug Spada, who was impressive as the Redhawks' kickoff man last year.

Spada will handle all of Southeast's kicking -- at least for the time being -- as well as take over at punter for graduated all-American David Simonhoff.

Samuel on TV, radio

Samuel's weekly television show begins this week, while his weekly radio show starts next week.

The 30-minute TV show on WQWQ will air each Friday beginning at 11:05 p.m., although due to this Friday's St. Louis Rams preseason game on WQWQ, the first show will air at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

KFVS sports director Todd Richards will host the program, which will also be shown on Charter cable channel 11 in Cape Girardeau each Saturday at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. and noon.

The 60-minute radio show on-1220 KGIR will air each Wednesday live from Port Cape Girardeau restaurant beginning at 6:30 p.m., although the first show will be Tuesday, Aug. 28, because the Redhawks will be traveling to Cincinnati on Aug. 29.

Erik Sean, the play-by-play voice of the Redhawks, will host the radio show that includes audience participation and call-ins.

More media news

For the second straight year, all Southeast football games will be broadcast in the St. Louis area on 1380 KSLG in St. Louis.

Also, the opener at Cincinnati will be produced by ESPN and be available on ESPN360, which is a customized broadband service available on computers via a high-speed data connection. For more information on ESPN360, log on to www.ESPN360.com.

Football fundraiser

The Southeast football program will hold a fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Cape Girardeau Wal-Mart.

Hamburgers and hot dogs will be on sale, while Southeast football players, along with the university's cheerleaders and Sundancers, will sign autographs.

A hamburger or hot dog, along with a bag of chips and a soft drink, will be available for $4. All proceeds go to the Southeast football program.

Jones stands out

Edgar Jones, who led the nation in quarterback sacks last season as a senior defensive end for the Redhawks, had 1 1/2 sacks Sunday night during the Baltimore Ravens' 13-12 preseason loss to the New York Giants.

Jones, an undrafted rookie who plays linebacker for Baltimore, is one of five former Southeast players currently in NFL training camps.

Offensive lineman Eugene Amano is in his fourth season with the Tennessee Titans, while offensive lineman Dan Connolly is in his third season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Cornerback Dimitri Patterson, who last played for Southeast in 2003, is with the Kansas City Chiefs, and tight end Kyle Hunt is with the Philadelphia Eagles after playing defensive end for the Redhawks last season.

Amano was the only player among the five who was drafted. He was taken in the seventh round in 2004.