CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The tandem of Greg Brune (quarterback) and Chuck Koerner (wide receiver) teamed up for touchdowns on the gridiron to lead the Southeast Missouri football team in the 1960s and now their granddaughters, Emma Brune and Cayla Koerner, are currently adding their own chapters to their family legacies as members of the Redhawks women's soccer team. 
 
The family connection came full circle in SEMO's most recent soccer game at Eastern Illinois on Sept. 22 with Emma Brune hooking up with Cayla Koerner for a goal in the 15th minute. 
 
Brune, a junior midfielder from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, dispossessed a Panthers player before passing to Koerner, a freshman forward from Mahomet, Illinois, who slotted a shot through the legs of goalkeeper Daniela Bermeo.
 
For the duo of Brune and Koerner, the goal-assist combination was the first of hopefully many in their careers as Redhawks. 
 
Cayla Koerner currently leads SEMO through 10 games this season with two goals on 16 shots (7 SOG) and looks to pick up where her grandfather Chuck Koerner left off offensively.
 
Chuck Koerner was a star wide receiver for Southeast Missouri football from 1963-1966. He was awarded the team's Vogelsang Award in both 1965 and 1966. 
 
In 1966, he was also named the team's MVP, leading Southeast Missouri with 699 receiving yards that season (26.9 yards/catch) and seven touchdowns.
 
For Emma Brune, the Red and Black of SEMO is in her DNA, and she has been a fixture on the pitch for the Redhawks soccer team ever since she arrived on campus in 2020. 
 
She is a rare fourth-generation Southeast Missouri student-athlete following in the footsteps of her grandfather, Greg Brune (Football and Baseball, 1964-68), as well as her late great grandfather, Charlie Brune (Football, 1940-41), great uncles, Brad Brune (Golf, 1967-70) and Lance Brune (Football, 1969-73), uncles, Brian Brune (Football, 1991-95) and Bobby Brune (Football, 1998-2001), aunt, Emily Scannell Brune (Volleyball, 2000-05), and father, Brent Brune (Football, 1989-93).
 
Grandfather Greg Brune ranks among Southeast Missouri football's all-time career leaders in passing yards, pass attempts, passing touchdowns, pass efficiency percentage, average yards per pass, average yards per completion, punting yards and punt attempts. 
 
Greg Brune was inducted into the Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 and earned a total of seven varsity letters. He was a two-time All-Conference quarterback (1966, 1967), who was awarded football's Vogelsang and MVP Awards in 1967. Greg Brune was also a four-year starting infielder on the baseball team.
 
Great grandfather Charlie Brune played football at SEMO in 1940-41 before serving in the Navy in 1942. He was a lifetime booster and is in Southeast Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame. SEMO's annual Athletics Golf Tournament is named in his honor. 
 
Emma Brune and Cayla Koerner will look to continue to keep adding to their family's intertwined legacy at SEMO this fall and for the foreseeable future. 
 
The Redhawks next host Lindenwood at Houck Field on Sunday. First kick is set for 1 p.m., CT.