Southeast football to play intrasquad game today

The Southeast Missouri State football team will conclude spring practice today with a 1 p.m. intrasquad game at Houck Stadium.

Instead of splitting up its team, Southeast's spring contest will pit the offense vs. the defense under a scoring system that allows both units to compile points.

Southeast coach Tony Samuel, who will be entering his third season, said he expects a competitive game much like last year's affair, which was won by the offense 22-18.

"We have good experience on both sides of the ball, which should make for a tight contest," Samuel said. "It will be good to see how our squad reacts to game-type situations and conditions."

The Southeast offense will be led by returning senior starting quarterback Houston Lillard.

Despite missing several weeks with broken ribs last season, Lillard completed 100 of 173 passes (57.8 percent) for 1,350 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was intercepted six times.

Lillard ranked fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference in passing yards per game and sixth in total offense. He was third in passing efficiency.

"Houston has been very comfortable at the top spot this spring," Samuel said. "He is a very accurate passer when he has time, and with what appears to be an improved offensive line, we are expecting him to have a great senior season."

Also seeing time at quarterback will be returning sophomores Steve Callanan and Jared Van Slyke, along with junior college transfer Dustin Powell.

Callanan and Van Slyke both saw limited action for last season's 3-8 squad.

Southeast's top returning tackler is junior linebacker Jared Goodson, who had 98 tackles a year ago, including 5 1/2 for loss.

Samuel said senior twin safeties Victor and Vincent Anderson probably will not play today because of nagging injuries.

The Andersons both began last season on offense -- Victor at quarterback and Vincent at wide receiver -- before moving to defense midway through the year.

Another position switch has taken place this spring, with senior Ben Gugler -- a tight end in 2007 -- moving to defensive end, which he played in junior college before coming to Southeast last year.

Samuel said Gugler could possibly move back to tight end in the fall. Gugler caught nine passes for 71 yards as a junior.

Junior Doug Spada, who handled all the Redhawks' kicking and punting last season, will handle those roles today.

Spada, an honorable-mention All-American, connected on 14 of 22 field goals and averaged 42.5 yards per punt.

• The Southeast football coaching staff will hold its annual spring party tonight at Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson. There will be free food and drink for adults, courtesy of area restaurants. The event, which begins at 6 p.m., is open to the general public.
• Joseph Tuineau, who completed his eligibility in 2007, has an outside chance of being selected in this weekend's NFL draft, but more likely will sign as a free agent. Tuineau is a 6-foot-8, 280-pound tight end. He was Southeast's second-leading receiver last year with 21 catches.

Also having a shot at signing a free-agent contract following the draft is linebacker Adam Casper, another senior from last season. He was the OVC's top tackler with 112 and made honorable-mention All-American.

Softball plays at home

The Southeast softball team only has home games remaining as the Redhawks try to make a push into the OVC tournament.

Southeast (23-23, 10-11) hosts Tennessee-Martin (24-22, 8-8) in a three-game series this weekend. There will be a 1 p.m. doubleheader today and a 1 p.m. contest Sunday.

The Redhawks are sixth in the 10-team OVC, while the Skyhawks are fifth. The top six finishers make the conference tournament.

Southeast continues to be led by its senior trio of Megan McDonald, Michelle Summers and Elaine Fisher.

McDonald, a Central High School graduate, is the OVC's No. 2 hitter with a .410 average, while Summers is third at .386.

McDonald and Summers are tied for the OVC doubles lead with 13. McDonald leads in hits (59). Summers is third in hits (56), second in runs scored (36), third in home runs (12) and third in RBIs (38).

Fisher is 18-16 on the mound with a 2.20 ERA. She leads the league in innings pitched (207), shutouts (six) and appearances (40), while ranking second in wins and strikeouts (147).

As a team, the Redhawks rank fourth nationally in home runs per game. They have 36 homers, including eight by McDonald.

UT-Martin comes to Cape Girardeau with an eight-game winning streak.

Southeast's final OVC series will be May 3 and 4 at home against first-place Jacksonville State.

Ishee tabbed for clinic

Southeast women's basketball coach John Ishee has been chosen to speak at the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches spring clinic on May 4 in Sugarland, Texas.

TABC is the largest coaches association in the nation.

Ishee will be a keynote speaker, and the only coach from Missouri speaking at the clinic. Other speakers will include men's coaches Scott Drew of Baylor, Tom Crean of Indiana and Brad Stevens of Butler, along with women's coaches Mike Carey of West Virginia and Gary Blair of Texas A&M.

"I'm really honored and excited about the opportunity to share Southeast Missouri State University and its women's basketball program with hundreds of high school, middle school, and junior high school coaches," Ishee said.