Redhawks' OVC opener was a wild success

You would have to look long and hard to find a wilder, crazier college football game than what took place Saturday at Houck Stadium.

Southeast's 41-38 double-overtime win over defending Ohio Valley Conference tri-champion Tennessee Tech in the Redhawks' league opener was a blast to watch.

The lively Houck Stadium crowd, announced at more than 8,300 on Southeast's Family Weekend, certainly got its money's worth with a contest that featured six lead changes, three ties and numerous highlight-reel plays.

Just watching Tech junior wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers would have been worth the price of admission. I got to see him play and didn't even have to pay -- how lucky am I?

Rogers is a former all-Southeastern Conference performer who was suspended indefinitely by Tennessee for an undisclosed violation of team rules. He transferred to Tech the week of the season opener, and he put on quite a show at Houck.

Rogers, big and fast with tremendous hands, set school records with 18 receptions for 303 yards. But the Redhawks did a decent job on him following a first half that saw him catch 12 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns.

Watching Rogers, I kept thinking, "Now this is what an NFL receiver looks like." He's regarded as a solid NFL prospect, and I'll be surprised if he doesn't reach that level.

Things appeared bleak for the Redhawks much of the first half as Tech's potent passing attack picked Southeast apart.

Southeast was outgained in total yardage 405 to 146 during the opening two quarters but trailed just 24-21 at the break thanks to a pair of interception returns for touchdowns.

Those "pick-sixes" kept the Redhawks within striking distance, and Southeast played much better in the second half both offensively and defensively before pulling out the victory.

I'm not sure if you can come away from the game thinking that the Redhawks are legitimate OVC contenders -- the jury is still out on that -- but it certainly was an uplifting way for Southeast to begin its conference schedule.

Things won't get any easier for the Redhawks (2-2) when they face another of last year's OVC tri-champions, Jacksonville State, on the road this week.

The Gamecocks (1-2) no doubt will be in a bad mood after getting crushed in their OVC opener. Preseason conference favorite Eastern Kentucky, the other defending OVC tri-champion, led 34-8 at halftime and routed JSU 51-21.

Southeast lost to JSU 22-21 last year in Cape Girardeau as the Gamecocks rallied from a 21-9 halftime deficit.

---

Southeast's battle with Tech wasn't the only wild and crazy OVC game over the weekend.

Eastern Illinois, which finished last in the league a year ago and has been among the early surprises of the conference so far this season, beat visiting Murray State 50-49 in overtime.

The Panthers won on a two-point conversion in the extra period.

If people watching Southeast's game thought Rogers had a big night, they should have seen Eastern Illinois junior receiver Erik Lora. He set an OVC record by catching 21 passes for a school-record 269 yards.

Lora capped his huge day by throwing the winning two-point conversion pass in overtime.

Southeast, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee-Martin and Tennessee State are all 1-0 in OVC play. Tennessee Tech, Jacksonville State and Murray State are all 0-1. Austin Peay is 0-2.

Tennessee State is the conference's only undefeated squad at 4-0.

---

The area high school football regular season has reached its halfway point, and Jackson's remarkable resurgence under first-year coach Brent Eckley continues to take center stage.

Jackson improved to 5-0 with Friday's thrilling 29-26 victory at archrival Central in front of more than 6,500 fans at Tiger Stadium.

The Indians, who scored the go-ahead touchdown with under three minutes left, have matched their win total from the previous two seasons combined and continue to suggest that they just might be a factor come playoff time.

While I would have loved to see the game, I witnessed a fairly decent rivalry battle, although it did not come close to matching the dramatics of Jackson-Central.

I covered Scott City's 27-12 victory over visiting Chaffee in a game that was closer than the score suggests. The Rams led 7-6 at halftime, and they were ahead only 20-12 until scoring the clinching touchdown with under seven minutes left.

While Jackson is the big surprise among teams in our newspaper's immediate coverage area, how about what Portageville is doing this year? The Bulldogs are 5-0 after winning two games in 2011.

And then there is Sikeston, which continues to field one of the region's most consistent programs since coach Kent Gibbs took over.

Sikeston is rolling at 5-0 -- and the Bulldogs host Jackson this week in what should be a tremendous matchup as Gibbs faces his alma mater.

---

Let me be the latest to offer condolences to the family and friends of Meg Herndon, who died Thursday following a Sept. 9 motor vehicle accident that left the Southeast senior in critical condition with a severe brain injury.

Meg was a four-year member of the Southeast soccer team, a key defender who started all 19 games when the Redhawks won the 2011 OVC regular-season title and had started all seven matches this year prior to her accident.

I didn't know Meg well, but by all accounts she was a super young lady. She not only was a soccer standout, but she also starred in the classroom, earning multiple academic honors.

Meg's funeral is today in the St. Louis area. Southeast will hold a campus memorial service Thursday at 7 p.m. in Houck Stadium.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.