Redhawks get a boost by winning OVC opener

The season obviously wouldn't have been over if Southeast Missouri State had lost at Murray State in Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference football opener.

But it sure would have put a damper on Southeast's hopes of posting a winning record.

Those hopes received a boost with the Redhawks' 30-17 victory that evened their overall record at 1-1 and made them 1-0 in league play for the first time since 2004 and the first time under fifth-year coach Tony Samuel.

There were plenty of heroes for the Redhawks, topped by junior quarterback Matt Scheible, sophomore kicker Drew Geldbach -- who made three field goals, all from at least 37 yards -- a stout offensive line and a defense that held strong against the Racers' no-huddle, spread attack.

Scheible, whose decision-making has improved by leaps and bounds since early in his college career, seemed to make all the right decisions as he rushed for a career-high 134 yards and passed for 140 yards. He has not thrown an interception in his last five games.

You never want to label any contest a must-win so early, but considering Southeast's rugged stretch to start the year, Saturday's affair was pretty close to that.

After losing at Division I-A Ball State in their opener and then facing a Murray State squad picked to finish last in the OVC, the Redhawks play their third straight road game Saturday at Division I-AA power Southern Illinois.

The home opener follows Sept. 25 against Tennessee Tech, projected by many as a dark-horse OVC contender, before another road test Oct. 2 against defending OVC champion Eastern Illinois.

Against a rebuilding Murray State, the Redhawks scored the final 17 points to erase a 17-13 deficit early in the second half.

And, if the Redhawks keep putting together the type of crisp, clean play that marked Saturday's game -- no turnovers and only three penalties -- and if Scheible continues to make solid decisions and takes care of the ball, then I can see quite a few more wins in their future.

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It looks like a good bet that Southeast football's "money" game for the 2013 season will be at the University of Mississippi.

Southeast director of athletics John Shafer told me last week that the contract had not yet been signed, but he said negotiations are going well and he expects the matchup to become official soon.

If things do come to fruition, that would mark the second time Southeast will have played a Southeastern Conference team. The first was at Arkansas in 2006.

That Arkansas squad was coached by Houston Nutt, who is currently the Mississippi coach. Houston Nutt is the older brother of Southeast men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt. Shafer is also a former director of athletics at Mississippi.

I don't know what Ole Miss will pay Southeast, but I've heard it will be quite a bit more than the school-record $315,000 the university will receive for its contest at Purdue in 2011.

Shafer also told me he is talking to several SEC schools about a game for the 2012 season, but nothing has been finalized.

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Southeast's football program once again had four former players on NFL rosters as the season kicked off.

The most established among that group is Eugene Amano, solidly entrenched as a starter on the Tennessee Titans' offensive line. Amano is in his seventh season after being drafted in the seventh and final round.

Amano, a Southeast All-American, started 31 games the past two seasons at left guard before being moved to center this year, a position he also has played for the Titans. He has appeared in all but one game during his NFL career.

New England offensive lineman Dan Connolly, in his sixth NFL season, never had started a game on that level until he made four starts last year. With Pro Bowler Logan Mankins holding out, Connolly entered the campaign as the Patriots' starter at left guard.

Baltimore reserve linebacker/defensive end Edgar Jones is back to his natural defensive position that earned him All-American honors at Southeast after he split time between linebacker and tight end last year. He is in his fourth NFL season.

Dimitri Patterson, another former Southeast All-American, is a reserve cornerback with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has played for several teams since joining the NFL in 2005.

Connolly, Jones and Patterson originally made the NFL as undrafted free agents.

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Former Southeast All-American catcher Jim Klocke started his professional baseball career slowly but finished his rookie season with a bang.

Klocke, selected by the Phillies in the 31st round of this year's major league draft, ended the campaign with a .290 average after being mired in the low .200s not long ago.

Klocke, with the Williamsport (Pa.) Crosscutters, the Phillies' Class A short-season team, had one home run, five doubles, two triples and 17 RBIs in 100 at-bats.

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I wrote a few weeks back that I wouldn't be surprised if the Central High School football team had a pretty decent season after last year's 0-10 record.

The Tigers appear well on their way as they have opened the year with three straight wins for the first time since 2002. And they have been very impressive in doing so.

I hate to see any local team endure the rough times that hit the Tigers the last several seasons, so I'm happy they're having success.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.