Southeast Football

Southeast Missouri State will take the field in its season-opening game against Southern Illinois Thursday (6:30 p.m. at Houck Stadium) as the underdog.

If Southeast Missouri State fifth-year quarterback Daniel Santacaterina is going to be able to orchestrate another victory over rival Southern Illinois in the Redhawks’ season-opening game, he’s going to do it with his hands tied.

With his sixth season at the helm of Southeast Missouri State football about to begin, the word "alignment" is on the mind of head coach Tom Matukewicz. "From the Board of Regents, to the president and the administration, the student body, the community, and right down to our program, it seems as if we're as aligned as we've ever been," Matukewicz said. "Every person who picks up a brick makes the load lighter."...

The Southeast Missouri State football team had its most successful season in its NCAA Division I history in 2018. So the Redhawks have this success thing all figured out now. Nope. Southeast wrapped up its 15-practice fall training camp with a two-hour scrimmage Saturday at Houck Stadium, so it NOW has all of the answers...

Every football season is a “work in progress” throughout it. That is why teams still are practicing – and improving - right up until their final game. However, from a defensive perspective, the 2018 season for the Southeast Missouri State defensive secondary truly was a work in progress as a group of inexperienced defenders gained knowledge and ability with each passing day.

If you ever need to know a good diner to stop and grab a bite at between Nishnabotna, Mo. and Pacific Junction, Iowa, it wouldn’t be a waste of time to ask one of the Southeast Missouri State football coaches. The Redhawk staff is well traveled along that stretch of I-29 as they have made the trip many, many, many times heading up to the Omaha area in search of football talent.

There are eight running backs on the 2019 Southeast Missouri State football roster, so trying to standout among the group, particularly if you are a true freshman, is extremely challenging. However, it is no more so daunting of a task than trying to run through a 400-pound wall of defense with the entire program watching.

Summers are supposed to be centered on beaches, baseball, and barbecue, but certainly NOT biology. However, when you are a student-athlete at Southeast Missouri State, summer may mean several things, but classwork IS a part of it.

Southeast Missouri State senior inside linebacker Zach Hall doesn’t lack for notoriety and with good reason.

If Southeast Missouri State senior linebacker Zach Hall wasn’t going “ga-ga” over being honored with numerous awards AFTER his spectacular junior season, then you shouldn’t be shocked that he isn’t overly concerned about receiving preseason awards BEFORE the Redhawks have even played a game this year. “It was just so fun,” Hall said of the 2018 season.

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz celebrated his 46th birthday earlier this week on Aug. 5, but his best gift might come two months later on Oct. 5. Injured redshirt junior tight end Austin Crump may be able to play by the time the Redhawks enter Ohio Valley Conference play, according to Matukewicz, which would be Oct. 5 against Tennessee Tech...

The impact of Southeast Missouri State offensive coordinator Jeromy McDowell had on the Redhawk program in his first season in 2018 was statistically incredible. His offense set four school records including points scored (482), points per game (37.1), touchdowns (63), and total plays (891).

It’s still relatively early in the recruiting process for the Class of 2020 for most FCS football programs and Southeast Missouri State isn’t different from most in that regard.

There has not been a lot of adversity experienced in the three days of Southeast Missouri State football training camp but the tight end position is one of those areas that hasn’t exactly gone to plan.

Even before training camp started for the Southeast Missouri State football team it had to deal with challenges to its depth. Starting tight end Austin Crump tore his pectoral muscle, so the number of available players at that position was cut.

When Drew Forbes walked out of the Rosengarten Athletic Complex for the final time as a Southeast Missouri State football player, there were a lot of forlorn looks on the faces of the Redhawk coaching staff.

The good news for the Southeast Missouri State football fans is that the Redhawks return 129 of their receptions by their wide receiver corps in 2019, including Third Team Preseason All-American selection Kristian Wilkerson.

There are a lot of lessons that the Southeast Missouri State football coaches preach but when a message becomes real and not just philosophical it carries more meaning.

Having lived in Cape Girardeau just a few months, there are things that have become clear despite my short time as a resident. Humidity is a way of life in these parts, not just something that comes in stretches.

There is an inordinate amount of pressure that has been placed onto the 6-foot-1, 208-pound frame of Daniel Santacaterina but what is surprising is where those expectations emanate from.

Semoball.com sports editor Tom Davis will breakdown each position group through the opening days of the Southeast Missouri State football training camp. Today: Offensive Line Friday: Wide Receiver Southeast Missouri State graduated four starting offensive linemen from its highly-successful 2018 campaign, including left tackle Drew Forbes, who became the highest NFL Draft selection in program history when he was chosen with the 189th pick (sixth round) by the Cleveland Browns in May...

The Southeast Missouri State football program enjoyed a historic nine-win campaign in 2018 and the Redhawk players and coaches have since enjoyed a multitude of postseason and of late, preseason accolades being heaped upon them.

There will be many storylines to follow throughout the next month as the Southeast Missouri State football program goes through training camp in preparation for its 2019 season.

It’s easy to have confidence in the Southeast Missouri State football program today. The Redhawks are coming off a historic 9-win season in 2018, including advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division I Playoffs. But it wasn’t that long ago that the Redhawk fans were skeptical of whether the program could ever succeed, and according to their coach, the Southeast players weren’t entirely sure of themselves either.

Southeast Missouri State fifth-year senior football players Bud Hilburn and Ryan Ochoa are both excited about the present. The Redhawks open training camp Thursday and it will be their final go-around as student-athletes.

The recruiting process between Southeast Missouri State football and Illinois high school athlete Justin Prusko didn’t take long. It seems both knew what they liked in each other when they saw it. “There is always that saying,” Prusko said, “there is no place like home. When I went (to Southeast Missouri State), it felt like home.”

Anyone who has driven through the heart of Cape Girardeau has seen the guy. The middle-aged man lumbering along Broadway Street with his earphones in and an “I’m thinking” look about him. Sixth-year Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz calls his daily jaunt his “sanity walk” and it is where he contemplates ways in which he can get the Redhawk program to a place it has never been before. Again...

A year ago, the Southeast Missouri State football program wasn’t given much thought as the Ohio Valley Conference conducted its annual media day activities. The Redhawks were picked to finish seventh in the nine-team league, and individually, Southeast quarterback Daniel Santacaterina wasn’t a blip on anyone’s radar after transferring from Northern Illinois.

Garret Baker waited 20 months to make his college football debut and his first season didn’t last 20 seconds.

Through time, faith, perseverance and persistence, Aaron Adeoye has landed with a potential job in the NFL. The former Southeast Missouri State basketball player is hopeful a dream opportunity becomes a full-time reality and he'll soon be chasing quarterbacks for the Baltimore Ravens. He's recently completed the team's rookie mini-camp and is now gearing up for training camp. Rookies, like Adeoye, will report to camp today...

The numbers put up by Southeast Missouri State fifth-year senior quarterback Daniel Santacaterina easily catch your attention.

Thursday will be a day where the citizens of this country gather to celebrate the freedom that living in the United States of America affords each and every one of us.

The Southeast Missouri State football program had its most successful season ever in 2018, as it won nine games, the last of which occurred in the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The Redhawks had six starters that are Missouri natives contribute to that success and several more in reserve capacities.

A lot of football fans jumped behind the Southeast Missouri State football program last fall as the Redhawks enjoyed historic success in winning nine games, including an NCAA FCS Playoff victory. However, the Gohn family has been cheering on their beloved school for decades and for the second time, the family has not only chosen to vocally support Southeast athletics, but Redhawk alumni Adam and Shvetha Gohn, as well as Adam’s uncle, Michael Gohn, have put their money where their mouths are and endowed an athletic scholarship in the memory of Adam’s late father and Mike’s brother, Terry Gohn.

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz hired Jason Zerbach in January for the available position of Head Strength and Conditioning coach. However, the Redhawk program has received a lot more than simply that from the Wisconsin native.

In order to truly appreciate the magnificence of Southeast Missouri State senior linebacker Zach Hall, you have to study his play very closely.

When you wake up each day at 5 a.m. -- without an alarm -- to rise and undertake the first of multiple workouts, it is safe to say that you are a person with goals. Southeast Missouri State fifth-year wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson is definitely a driven young man and he has immersed himself in the "process" of becoming successful on and off the football field...

You can be assured that at 6:30 p.m. on August 29 at Houck Field, the score of the Southeast Missouri State vs. Southern Illinois football game will be 0-0. The fact the Redhawks were ranked 19th nationally Tuesday in the Athlon Sports Preseason Poll won't help them in any way...

The Southeast Missouri State football program had its best season in eight years last fall, as the Redhawks won nine of 13 games and were 15th nationally in the final poll. It was a fantastic season. And it means nothing as it pertains to winning football games in 2019.

Drew Forbes has spent months preparing for this moment. Since his college career ended this past fall following a historic season, Forbes has been training, attending multiple pro days and visiting the facilities of seven NFL teams. Now, the former Southeast Missouri State offensive lineman is simply playing the waiting game as the NFL draft continues tonight with the second and third round. ...

Southeast Missouri will wrap up the spring with its spring game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Houck Field. Senior defensive back and former Cape Girardeau Central alumnus Al Young spoke a familiar theme after one of the scrimmages, "taste." That taste was defeat in the second round of last season's playoffs to Weber State. It's also a taste head coach Tom Matukewicz said his players now expect after being in the postseason for the first time since 2010...

The Redhawks wrapped up their final team scrimmage Saturday at Houck Field in preparation for this week's spring game to close out practices. Head coach Tom Matukewicz seemed very pleased with the team's overall performance. "One thing that I was pleased is the effort from our specialists." he said. "We punted the ball very well and were perfect on two field goals." Place kickers Kendrick Tiller and Jake Reynolds were successful making 47-yard and 37-yard attempts, respectively...

Baseball season is here. The St. Louis Cardinals' season, an unofficial marker of spring for many in Southeast Missouri, is underway. That means summer, and more baseball, is that much closer. There's always been plenty of local baseball in June and July to satisfy area connoisseurs, from the Capahas to legion and Babe Ruth baseball. This summer, add a new team to the mix...

It's a small margin: less than a tenth of a second. But when preparing for the NFL draft as a prospect from a lesser-known program, every little detail matters. So Drew Forbes' goal heading into Tuesday was simple: get his 40-yard dash time down from 4.98 to 4.90. He did just that at the Southeast Missouri State football pro day at Houck Field, running a 4.9-flat...

The start of the football season is still months away, but much will be determined in the next four weeks as Southeast Missouri State football kicked off spring practice Monday afternoon at the Rosengarten Athletic Complex. For one, the first and second-string players will largely be set during the spring. It's also a period when new faces can gel, which is especially important for an offensive line unit losing four of its five starters...

For the first time since 2014 and for the second time in coach Tom Matukewicz's tenure, the Southeast Missouri State football team is playing a 12-game regular season schedule this fall. Southeast Missouri State football released its 2019 schedule Monday and it includes six home games and four non-conference games, including a Thursday night season opener against rival Southern Illinois and a Week 3 matchup at Football Bowl Subdivision program Missouri. ...

Two months ago, Southeast Missouri State announced a contract extension for football coach Tom Matukewicz. Coming off a season in which the program tied the school record for wins and won a Football Championship Subdivision playoff for the first time, it seemed like a logical decision...

National Signing Day doesn't carry quite the same significance as it has in the past with many recruits signing to a college program during the early signing period in December. Still, for fans across the country, including in Southeast Missouri, Wednesday represented the start of a new season...

A historic playoff victory led to the highest-ever ranking for the Southeast Missouri State football team. The Redhawks came in at No. 15 in the final Football Championship Subdivision STATS Media poll, released Monday. That's a new program record. Southeast was also No. 16 in the Coaches poll...

Zach Hall made history Friday night without even stepping onto a football field. The Southeast Missouri State linebacker, who just completed his junior season, became the program's first Football Championship Subdivision STATS Buck Buchanan Award winner, handed out annually to the nation's best defensive player...