Southeast Missouri State University's senior class, while not large, has deservingly received plenty of the credit for the Indians' breakthrough season.

But the bulk of the Indians' starters this year were underclassmen -- and those players were already excited about next season even as the 2002 campaign had only been over for a few minutes following Saturday night's 48-24 home win over Samford.

The Indians, who are still holding out faint hopes of an NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth, finished the regular season with an 8-4 record, their best record since 1969 and their first winning mark since 1994.

At 4-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference, Southeast is also assured of at least matching its best-ever finish of third place and the Indians could still wind up as high as second.

And, with only a handful of senior starters -- although that group includes record-setting wide receiver Willie Ponder and several other key players -- the future certainly looks bright.

"It's a great feeling to end the season this way and there should be a lot more great things for the program in the future," junior defensive end Ryan Roth said. "Everybody is already really excited for next season."

Said sophomore linebacker O.J. Turner, a Cape Girardeau Central High School product, "It feels good to have the kind of season we did. We definitely raised our standards and we're very fired up for the future. We've got a great weight program going, we're getting a new weight room and everybody is getting bigger, faster and stronger."

Added sophomore tight end Ray Goodson, a Jackson High School graduate, "When we (the younger players) came here we thought we could turn the program around. And now we've got a lot to look forward to for the future."

Said third-year coach Tim Billings, "The seniors have helped us raise the bar for the program and now it's up to the younger guys to take it from here."

Those were the thoughts of Ponder, one of 11 Southeast seniors.

"We helped get us to this level and now it's up to them to take it even further," Ponder said. "They have all those guys coming back. They'll be all right."

Ponder, who caught 11 passes for 195 yards Saturday to finish the year with 87 receptions for 1,453 yards and 15 touchdowns -- all school records, while the yardage and TDs are also OVC marks -- now will set his sights on a possible NFL career.

"That's what I'm shooting for, but it's up to the main upstairs," Ponder said.

Tomco wins OVC award

Junior quarterback Jack Tomco won the OVC's newcomer of the week award Sunday for the fourth time this season. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns Saturday.

Tomco finished the year with 3,132 yards and 29 touchdowns, both school records. The 29 TDs are also second only to Eastern Illinois' Tony Romo's current mark of 31 on the OVC single-season list.