Redhawks enter final season for program

Southeast Missouri State's Redhawks begin what is looking more and more like their final season today with the Pizza Hut Classic in Philadelphia, Miss. Jackson State University is hosting the two-day event that ends Monday.

Because of budget cuts, the university plans to eliminate golf after this year. There had been some talk about the program possibly continuing through private funding, but Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman said that appears unlikely.

"I know there's been a lot of discussion in the community, but it couldn't be just a one-year commitment," Kaverman said. "Being able to identify that kind of funding on a long-term basis is not something it looks like we'll be able to come up with."

So if this is indeed the swan song for Southeast golf, the Redhawks hope to go out with a bang, and particularly to fare much better than 2004's last-place showing at the 11-team OVC Tournament, when no Southeast individual finished among the top 20 at that season-ending meet.

"We played pretty well all year, but we just didn't play well in the conference tournament," Southeast coach Carroll Williams said. "It's like anything else, you do what you can do, and when you go into the conference tournament over those few days, you either play lights out or you can't find the face of the club."

Southeast returns eight players from a year ago, including three seniors: Brandon Couch (Sikeston), Matt Hillis (Poplar Bluff) and Brian Sheehan.

Also back are juniors Justin Setser and Nathan Sprague; and sophomores Matt Litzelfelner (Jackson), Zack Decker and Mark Schmitz.

Williams said Hillis, who had an impressive fall season and continued with a strong preseason, enters as the Redhawks' No. 1 golfer.

"He had a great fall, and he's really playing well," Williams said.

Joining Hillis in the primary five-player rotation this weekend -- and likely for the majority of the year -- will be Schmitz, Decker, Couch and Sheehan.

"We've got some experience, and we had a really good fall, with two seconds, two thirds and a fifth," Williams said. "They're really working hard, and I know they would love to finish really strong this year and leave a good impression."

Couch agreed.

"We've talked about trying to end it on good terms, try to win as much as we can, put our best foot forward," he said. "We had a good fall and we're going to try to pick up where we left off. I think the consensus among the guys is that we're a better team this year, we have more depth and we have so much more confidence.

"We feel we have as good a shot as anybody at winning the conference tournament."

Williams said he believes that many of the Redhawks' non-seniors will look into transferring after this season in order to continue their college golf careers.

"I think most of them will try to find a place to play," he said.