Southeast Missouri State seniors to play their final football game at Houck Stadium

~ Southeast looks to build winning streak against Eagles

The Southeast Missouri State football team will carry some extra incentive into Saturday's 1 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference matchup against Tennessee Tech at Houck Stadium.

Not only do the Redhawks appear to have a solid shot at their first two-game winning streak of the season, they also want to send their seniors out with a victory in their final home appearance.

"Playing their last home game, there's a certain degree of finality for those kids. You always wish them the best, want to see them have some success in their last [home game]," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said. "They'll have family members here. ... Everybody wants to go out looking good."

Southeast, after saying goodbye to a large senior class of 23 last year, is in a different situation during Senior Day this time around.

The young, inexperienced Redhawks have a roster littered with freshman and sophomores.

There are just 11 seniors, only three of them current starters and only a couple others major contributors. All will be recognized on the field before Saturday's kickoff.

"I'm thinking it's the smallest senior group I've ever been associated with," Samuel said.

Two of the seniors have been stalwarts in the defensive secondary the past couple years: cornerback Cantrell Andrews, a Central High School graduate; and safety Ben Kargbo, one of Southeast's co-captains.

D.J. Foster has been among Southeast's top wide receivers the last few seasons although he has been coming off the bench this year.

Tyler French is Southeast's starting tight end, while Art Mueller also sees action at that position.

Joe Vucic was among the OVC's premier punters the past several years but hasn't seen action since early in the season.

Other seniors, who have seen limited action in their careers, are linebacker Derek Gohn, tight end Wyky Jean, safety Zach Levy, fullback Josh Nicks and offensive tackle Conrad Schmid. Gohn and Nicks have missed this season with injuries.

"It's a small [senior] group, but it's a good group," Samuel said. "We as coaches, we get the honor to see them grow as players and as young men. All senior groups are special."

As for Saturday's matchup, Southeast (2-7, 1-4 OVC) is coming off a wild 37-35 comeback win over Division II Urbana. Tennessee Tech (3-7, 0-6) has lost five straight during which its closest margin of defeat is 11 points.

The Eagles have suffered seven consecutive OVC losses dating back to last season and they have dropped 13 of their last 14 conference games since winning the OVC title in 2011.

"What I'm seeing with us is that we have lost our spirit and our confidence. I just don't see that same spirit as we had earlier in the year. Losing five in a row will do that to you," Tech coach Watson Brown told the Herald-Citizen newspaper of Cookeville, Tenn. "We have to focus on the positive things throughout the season, and there have been some. I'm proud of our kids because they keep hanging in there. I'm disappointed because I thought we'd be better."

Southeast had a five-game losing streak to start the year against tough competition. Since then the Redhawks have gone 2-2, with both wins at home.

But Samuel knows better than to expect an easy time against the Eagles, who Southeast outlasted 41-38 in double-overtime a year ago at Houck. Nine of the last 10 meetings between the squads have been decided by seven points or less.

The Eagles, like Southeast, have been hampered by injuries. And, like the Redhawks, Tech has used two quarterbacks extensively in junior Darian Stone and redshirt freshman Jared Davis.

"They're a very good team, young like us," Samuel said. "We always seem to play them close games."