OVC gives Redhawks football team no respect

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tony Samuel said he never has paid much attention to preseason polls.

That's why Samuel had little reaction Monday after the Ohio Valley Conference released its predicted order of finish for 2009.

Southeast tied for the basement with Austin Peay. The poll, along with the preseason all-conference team, was voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

"It's all just speculation. I don't put much stock into it," Samuel said. "It's a preseason poll. I'm just glad we get the opportunity to prove people wrong."

The Redhawks were picked to be last in the OVC's 2008 preseason poll and wound up tied for seventh in the nine-team league. Southeast went 4-8 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

Samuel enters his fourth year at Southeast still seeking the type of breakthrough season that has been rare since the program moved up to Division I-AA in 1991.

Southeast has not won more than four games in any year since 2003, and the Redhawks' last winning record came in 2002, one of only two winning seasons on the Division I-AA level.

Samuel, 11-23 overall and 5-18 in the OVC during his Southeast tenure, said he feels "good" about his team entering fall camp. Players report Aug. 5 with the first practice set for Aug. 7.

The Redhawks, who lost quite a few key seniors from last year but return 15 starters, open the season Sept. 3 against Division II Quincy.

"We're looking forward to getting started," Samuel said.

Southeast placed two players on the preseason all-OVC team, senior wide receiver Walter Peoples and senior punter Doug Spada.

Peoples had a breakout 2008 season, his first as a full-time receiver. He caught 65 passes for 903 yards and six touchdowns. He led the OVC in receiving yards and made the all-conference second team.

Spada is among the nation's top punters, having earned All-American honors the past two seasons. Spada, a two-time first-team all-OVC pick, ranked third nationally with an average of 44.7 yards per punt last year.

While Southeast is not expected to contend for an OVC title, the race for the championship is predicted to be tight.

Five of the eight teams eligible for the crown received at least one first-place vote, with two-time defending champion Eastern Kentucky emerging as the favorite.

The Colonels (8-4, 7-1 OVC in 2008), who have won a record 20 OVC championships, are 15-1 in league play over the past two seasons. They received 10 first-place votes.

Tennessee-Martin (8-4, 6-2), which tied for second place last year, was picked second with four first-place votes.

Eastern Illinois (5-7, 3-5) was tabbed third with two first-place votes, followed by Tennessee State (8-4, 5-3), Murray State (5-7, 4-4), Tennessee Tech (3-9, 1-7), Southeast and Austin Peay (2-9, 2-6).

Tennessee State and Murray State both got one first-place vote.

The team missing from the poll, Jacksonville State (8-3, 6-2), might have been the preseason favorite after the Gamecocks tied for second a year ago.

But because of repeated shortcomings under the Academic Progress Rate formula, Jacksonville State is banned from postseason play and not eligible for the OVC title this season under league bylaws. Therefore the Gamecocks were not included in the poll.

The Gamecocks, led by star quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, still will play a full conference schedule with wins and losses counting. They also will be eligible for national polls.

The Gamecocks will be listed at the bottom of the conference standings each week regardless of how they fare.

Thompson, Lane at top

Tennessee-Martin senior quarterback Cade Thompson and Murray State senior defensive end Austen Lane were voted the OVC preseason offensive and defensive players of the year.

Thompson was the 2008 OVC offensive player of the year after throwing for a league-best 2,680 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Lane ranked fourth nationally in sacks last year with 12.

Murray State had the most individual selections on the all-OVC preseason team with six.

Tennessee-Martin was next with five, followed by Jacksonville State with four and three apiece from Eastern Kentucky and Austin Peay.