Southeast may be OVC team to beat after all

RICHMOND, Ky. --On Sept. 27, after losing its Ohio Valley Conference opener at Samford, Southeast Missouri State University's football team was 0-5 and reeling big-time.

But now, after Saturday's stirring, courageous -- and unbelievably wild -- 41-38 victory at Eastern Kentucky, the Indians are looking very much like the OVC favorites they were predicted to be in the preseason.

In fact, although there are still five league games remaining and so much can happen, Southeast might very well be in the conference driver's seat after its second consecutive win at Roy Kidd Stadium.

Two straight victories have lifted the Indians -- 2-5 overall -- to 2-1 in OVC play. And a look at Southeast's remaining schedule shows five very winnable games.

Murray State, the next opponent Saturday night at home, is a far cry from what it was last year after losing star quarterback Stewart Childress to a recent injury. Southeast should be a solid favorite in that one.

On paper, perhaps the two toughest remaining opponents -- Tennessee State and Jacksonville State -- come to Houck Stadium, giving the Indians a solid chance to win both contests.

And the two road games left -- against Tennessee-Martin and Tennessee Tech, which also has lost its star quarterback, Robert Craft, to injury -- should find Southeast as the favorite.

But that's jumping way too far ahead. For now, no matter what happens the rest of the season, the Indians should be lauded for Saturday's performance that saw them rally from a 21-7 first-half deficit and stay mentally strong after EKU stormed back from a late 14-point hole to tie.

A team of lesser character might very well have folded in both instances. And a team of lesser character might very well have folded after that dismal loss at Samford was added on to four non-conference setbacks at the start of the season.

The Indians displayed plenty of character during last year's breakthrough 8-4 season, and they're continuing to show it now.

Fans attending Saturday night's game against Murray State will receive an added bonus.

The second class of Southeast's athletic hall of fame will be honored at halftime, following an induction ceremony on campus earlier in the day.

Twelve individuals and three teams will make up the school's second class of inductees. And if the induction ceremony is anything close to as classy and well done as last year, it should be a real treat.

I'll have more about this in the coming weeks, but the optimism that prevailed at Monday's Southeast basketball media day appeared to be legitimate -- and not just wishful thinking -- for the first time in three years.

Gary Garner appears to finally have the physical talent to make another strong OVC run, with a major key being how well the Indians mesh as a unit.

It figures to be an interesting and exciting hoop season in Cape Girardeau, because not only do the Indians appear to be vastly improved, but Southeast's women look pretty loaded.

I don't know about curses or hexes, but maybe there is something to all that after the Cubs saw the Marlins storm back from a 3-1 deficit to win a thrilling National League Championship Series.

I personally know quite a few Cubs fans who haven't slept much since the stunning defeat.

And speaking of missing sleep, I'm sure Steve Bartman hasn't gotten much rest in recent days. He's the fellow who deflected the foul ball Moises Alou was about to catch during Game 6.

Even the most diehard Cubs followers who would love to choke Bartman have to feel at least a little pity on the young man whose life probably will never be the same just because he did what millions and millions of baseball fans have done over the years -- try to catch a foul ball.

What a wild, wacky series it was. And ditto for the ALCS, which also was decided in seven spine-tingling games before the Yankees finally prevailed.

You never know, the World Series might turn out to be anticlimactic -- a lot of people are picking the Yankees to roll -- but I've got a hunch the Marlins are going to give them a rugged battle.

Central High School graduate Craig Scheer made quite a debut with the St. Louis Steamers of the Major Indoor Soccer League.

Scheer, a 27-year-old midfielder who played last season for the MISL champion Baltimore Blast, won the MISL's defensive player of the week award after he recorded four blocks and scored a goal during the Steamers' season-opening 7-4 win over Kansas City last Saturday.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian