McComas picks Southeast; Hicks to CMSU

When you find a good mascot, you stick with it.

That's what Jackson's Matt McComas plans to do.

The Indians' senior lineman will sign today with the Indians of Southeast Missouri State University.

McComas, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, was a two-year starter at Jackson. He relishes the opportunity to help the Indians build on their best season in 23 years. Southeast finished last season with an 8-4 record in coach Tim Billings' third year.

"There were others schools I was interested in, but not enough," McComas said. "I wanted to got to SEMO, especially after they turned their season around."

While he had other schools courting him, McComas recently made his only official visit to Southeast. The Indian players impressed him with their plans for the future.

"They have a lot of willpower there," McComas said. "When I went there for my official visit, they seemed very confident in next year's success. They told me if I want to play for a championship team, come play for the Indians."

At Southeast, he'll join former Jackson players Caleb Daniel, Ray Goodson and Seth McDowell.

He'll also get to play in front of his parents, Mike and Jennifer, and his older brother Patrick, who recently transferred to Southeast after playing football at Southwest Baptist University.

McComas was the only junior who started for Jackson when the Indians reached the Class 5 semifinals in 2001. A defensive end as a junior, he expanded his duties to include offensive guard his senior season.

"He played both ways every snap," Jackson coach Carl Gross said.

McComas is also a workhouse in the weight room. He benches 330 pounds and squats 630.

McComas is also relatively young for his grade. He won't turn 18 until May.

"The future is in front of him because he's just now starting to mature, and he was a really good football player for us," Gross said.

McComas said he's been told he'll also play defensive end at Southeast and will likely be redshirted next season.

Hicks plans to sign today with Central Missouri St.

Central all-state running back/defensive back Monroe Hicks plans to sign today with Central Missouri State University, an NCAA Division II school in Warrensburg.

Hicks was a versatile player at Central, where he was chosen all-state as a defensive back in his junior year and a first-team running back as a senior. He was last season's Southeast Missourian player of the year.

He rushed for 1,569 yards and had 558 yards receiving in helping the Tigers to a 10-2 record in 2002. He also had five interceptions and returned punts and kickoffs.

CMSU has no set role in mind for Hicks.

"They say they can play him anywhere," Central coach Lawrence Brookins said. "They like his versatility."

There had been speculation in recent weeks that Hicks might sign with Southeast, but Hicks did not have enough high school core classes to qualify to play at the Division I level next season.

Central's all-state linebacker, Jeremiah Dukes, also may sign with Joliett Junior College after receiving considerable interest from Division I programs.

"If not for some academic concerns, they very well could have been swept up by some Division I schools," Brookins said.

Brookins said he hopes to have four to six other players sign soon.

jbreer@semissourian.com

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