Flag is ready to drop on OVC race

The 'new' season of Ohio Valley Conference play is just about ready to start for Southeast Missouri State University and it can't come at a better time for the Indians, who have struggled to a 2-8 record so far.

SEMO will have one more non-conference game -- Wednesday at Western Illinois -- but then it's nothing but OVC action for the Indians, beginning Saturday at Eastern Illinois. Their first league home contest will be Jan. 7 against Tennessee State.

While the Indians aren't expected to contend for an upper-division OVC finish -- they were picked seventh out of nine teams in the conference's official preseason poll -- they have shown at least some signs of being able to compete with quite a few league squads.

OVC teams also play such different kinds of schedules, it's often hard to get a good read on how things shape up entering conference action.

Right now, some of the best squads appear to be preseason favorite Tennessee Tech, Murray State and upstart Tennessee-Martin, which has really improved its program over the last couple of years.

Eastern Illinois, Morehead State and Austin Peay also look to be fairly decent, with SEMO, Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State -- which has already lost to Murray State 103-72 in one of only two OVC game played so far -- appearing to bring up the rear.

But the above is simply speculation right now. Things could definitely shake out much differently when all is said and done.

If you're a SEMO fan, you're certainly hoping that's the case.

SEMO's Jan. 12 home game against Morehead State will feature Kerry Robinson Night, with an autograph session and various presentations.

Robinson is a former SEMO baseball star who now plays with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fans should plan on attending the contest to honor Robinson, who is really a class act and has represented SEMO very well since entering the professional baseball ranks in 1995.

Another exciting University High School Christmas Tournament wrapped up Saturday night at the Show Me Center.

As usual, there were plenty of fantastic games featuring dramatic finishes.

Also as usual, the entire tournament committee did a fantastic job making sure things ran plenty smooth.

And as far as the controversy regarding the officials, I think it was blown way out of proportion.

There are always going to be a fair share of debatable calls, but by and large I thought the officiating was decent enough and not noticeably different from in past years.

The Notre Dame High School girls basketball team made quite a statement in winning the recent HealthSouth Holiday Classic and ending Poplar Bluff's four-year hold on the title.

Notre Dame's girls have been close to winning state before -- including last year, when they finished second -- and this season just might be the one in which the Lady Bulldogs finally get over the hump.

Congratulations to former Notre Dame boys coach Don Maurer, who is now at MICDS in St. Louis and recently notched his 300th career victory.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian