Ogbonna ready to lead SEMO FB once again, if need be

Southeast Missouri State senior quarterback CJ Ogbonna attempts a pass during a public scrimmage in August at Cape Central High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

A year ago, Southeast Missouri State quarterback CJ Ogbonna was THE man.

He started 11 games in 2021, including a season-ending beating of then-No. 8-ranked UT Martin, a game in which he threw for over 200 yards and three touchdowns.

However, he lost the starting job in training camp this fall to super-sophomore Paxton DeLaurent and has been relegated to sporadic duty in five games, thus far.

That MAY change this Saturday.

“Paxton was injured (against Tennessee State),” ninth-year Redhawk coach Tom Matukewicz said. “What I am being told is that it will be a game-time decision.”

An injured DeLaurent could mean Ogbonna will run the offense on Saturday at Eastern Illinois (2-7, 1-2 Ohio Valley Conference) at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

“(DeLaurent) has a foot injury,” Matukewicz said. “We will all see how it goes on Saturday.”

Matukewicz has already seen how Ogbonna has gone this season in his new role, and he has very much appreciated the work ethic, maturity, and attitude of the senior.

“Paxton and CJ have made each other better,” Matukewicz said. “It was really good competition. The number one statistic in life is that CJ is an unbelievable human being.”

Ogbonna has prepared each week as if he is going to play a lot, which against Tennessee State, he did after DeLaurent got hurt in the first half.

Ogbonna’s numbers aren’t impressive this season, because he has played in routs, where he mostly hands the ball off to runners, or just in spurts. However, he was productive enough last year (1,500-plus passing yards and a dozen touchdowns) to earn a place on the OVC All-Newcomer Team.

“He is one of the top five teammates,” Matukewicz said of Ogbonna’s locker room presence. He is really, really consistent. You don’t have bad days with CJ.”

On the road again… so what?

SEMO is coming off one of its most impressive wins in recent memory, let alone it being an impressive road win.

The Redhawks (7-2, 3-0 OVC) shut out Tennessee State 42-0 in Nashville, which was the first time in 95 games that the Tigers failed to score.

“I was really impressed with how our team played,” Matukewicz said.

Much like Ogbonna has a consistent air about him, SEMO has done the same as a team this season.

Whether they are playing at Houck Field or on the road, as they will on Saturday in Charleston, Ill., the Redhawks have consistently played well.

“It all goes back to leadership,” Matukewicz said of his team being a mature group. “Our leadership council has done a good job. Our six captains have really communicated well about the expectations.”

SEMO has dominated Lindenwood (49-28), Northwestern State (51-16), and Tennessee State, all on the road this season, as well as beating then-No. 17-ranked Southern Illinois in Carbondale.

“We’ve got another tough road trip coming,” Matukewicz said. “We left Cape Girardeau at 8 a.m. and got back at 1 a.m., so that is a tough road trip, and so will this one.”

The Panthers have lost four consecutive games, but one was in double overtime to a six-win Lindenwood squad, and another was a 3-point loss to Tennessee Tech.

“The guys understand, it is how you manage it,” Matukewicz said. “We’re not going to sit around and have pity parties or feel bad about ourselves or ‘Hey, it’s 40 degrees and cold in Illinois.’

“It is not who we play, it is how we play. There is a standard that you need to meet every time that you touch the field.”