July 28, 2008

St. Louis, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State coaches Tony Samuel, Scott Edgar and John Ishee spoke to media and fans at a Monday luncheon at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.

Ron Hines, sports information director, also announced that Team 1380 in St. Louis will again carry the live broadcasts of Southeast Missouri football and men's basketball. Team 1380 will also feature Redhawks reports three times each Friday.

Samuel will welcome his Redhawks football team to fall camp on Sunday and was optimistic in his remarks to the St. Louis media. "We are in the third year of our program and this could be a break through season for us," Samuel said. "The breakthrough may have started in our final game last season when we beat a very good Jacksonville State team. Nearly 60 players stayed in Cape Girardeau this summer to get ready for the season and I know they will give us great effort in every game."

The Redhawks who open the season on Thursday, Aug. 28, at Houck Stadium against Southwest Baptist, will play the highly touted Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field in Columbia on Saturday, Sept. 6.

"Evderybody asks me about the Missouri game," Samuel said. "Missouri has us vastly outmanned, but it is only one game and anything can happen. We will go up there to win."

Edgar said his team faces a very tough schedule with road games at New Mexico, Ksansas State and Iowa but that he was looking forward to the upcoming season with more of a team concept. "We are going to emphasize the team, not individuals this season," he said. "This year's team may not be as individually talented as our last two teams, but it will be a team of character that will have enough talent to win if they play together."

Ishee also indicated his women's team would face a very tough schedule. "I need to talk to my assistants about our scheduling," he said. "We play at Florida State, at Missouri and we play Providence at a tournament in New Orleans.

"I like this year's team on paper," Ishee said. "We have a nice blend of veterans and newcomers and I'm anxious to see what we can do."