Nashville, Tn. - For the first time ever, Southeast Missouri State University has been picked to win the Ohio Valley Conference football title, according to a poll of the league's head football coaches.
Southeast received five first place votes and a total of 60 points to edge ahead of Murray State with four first place votes and 58 points. Eastern Illinois was picked third, Eastern Kentucky fourth, Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech tied for fifth, Tennessee State seventh, Samford eighth and Tennessee-Martin ninth.
Southeast, ranked 16th nationally in two different preseason polls, ended last season 8-4 and ranked 23rd nationally in the final ESPN/USA Today poll.
"It is a credit to our assistant coaches and players that we have been picked as the top team in the OVC," said fourth year head coach Tim Billings. "It is good to know that the other coaches feel we have improved enough to compete for the conference title. My first three years here we were always picked to finish next to last and so this is a big move up for us. Being picked first is a place we've never been before and we will just have to see how we handle it.
"It is a big honor, but it is really just a challenge," Billings continued. "Polls don't mean anything. It is where you end up at the end of the season."
Southeast had a league-high seven players named preseason all-OVC and another three players earned honorable mention in voting by the OVC head coaches and sports information directors.
The Southeast offense that established 28 new school records last season has four players on the preseason all-OVC squad. Quarterback Jack Tomco who threw for 3,132 yards and 29 touchdowns, running back Corey Kinsey who rushed for over 1,000 yards and two offensive lineman, tackle Dan Connolly and center Eugene Amano were named all-OVC.
On defense, defensive end Ryan Roth and defensive backs Dimitri Patterson and Marco Tipton were honored.
Earning honorable mention were linebacker Ricky Farmer, defensive back Mike Miller and offensive guard Dan Bieg.
"The Southeast players selected are certainly deserving," Billings said. "My assistant coaches have done a great job of finding and recruiting great players."
2003 PRESEASON ALL-OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
(Selected by OVC Head Football Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
OFFENSE Player/School Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown
Jack Tomco, Southeast Missouri# QB 6'5 240 Sr. Anchorage, Alaska
Corey Kinsey, Southeast Missouri# RB 5'9 185 Jr. Miami, Fla.
Andre Raymond, Eastern Illinois* RB 5'11 201 Sr. Hialeah, Fla.
Deandre Green, Murray State* WR 6'2 215 Sr. Prichard, Ala.
C.J. Johnson, Tennessee State# WR 5'10 175 Sr. Nashville, Tenn.
Nick Eller, Eastern Illinois* TE 6'4 270 Sr. Hubbard, Iowa
Eugene Amano, Southeast Missouri# OL 6'3 315 Sr. San Pedro, Cal.
Frank Castagnoli, Eastern Illinois# OL 6'4 283 Sr. Channahon, Ill.
Dan Connolly, Southeast Missouri# OL 6'4 292 Jr. St. Louis, Mo.
Levet Jones, Jacksonville State OL 6'4 260 Sr. Prichard, Ala.
Larry Turner, Eastern Kentucky* OL 6'3 290 Sr. New Carlisle, Ohio
Joey Hudak, Tennessee State# PK 5'11 160 Jr. Miami, Fla.
Cortland Finnegan, Samford RET 5'10 165 So. Milton, Fla.
DEFENSEPlayer/School Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown
Chad Dewberry, Eastern Kentucky# DL 6'1 218 Jr. Griffin, Ga.
Mike Dunn, Eastern Kentucky DL 6'4 256 Sr. Alexandria, Ky.
Kory Lothe, Eastern Illinois DL 6'4 250 So. Sun Prairie, Wis.
Ryan Roth, Southeast Missouri# DL 6'4 270 Sr. Naperville, Ill.
Nick Ricks, Eastern Illinois* LB 6'0 200 Sr. Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Justen Rivers, Eastern Kentucky* LB 5'11 232 Jr. Columbus, Ga.
Daniel Wentzel, Tennessee Tech# LB 5'10 195 Sr. Ellenwood, Ga.
Scott Cunningham, Tennessee State* DB 5'10 175 Sr. Orlando, Fla.
Deon Giddens, Tennessee State* DB 5'10 180 Sr. Nashville, Tenn.
Dimitri Patterson, Southeast Missouri# DB 6'0 195 Jr. Orlando, Fla.
Marco Tipton, Southeast Missouri# DB 5'9 170 Sr. St. Louis, Mo.
Demetrick Westbrook, Murray State# DB 6'2 212 Jr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Richie Rhodes, Jacksonville State P 6'1 195 Sr. Alexander City, Ala.
Honorable Mention: Stewart Childress, Sr., QB, Murray State; Charles Anthony, Jr., RB, Tennessee State; Dan Bieg, Jr., OL, Southeast Missouri; Lee Lawrence, Sr., OL, Tennessee-Martin; Burt Shurette, Sr., OL, Tennessee Tech; Deon Taylor, Sr., DL, Tennessee Tech; Mark Tibbs, Sr., DL, Jacksonville State; Darold Williams, Sr., DL, Samford; Ricky Farmer, Sr., LB, Southeast Missouri; Bobby Sanders, Sr., LB, Murray State; David McMahan, So., DB, Tennessee Tech; Mike Miller, Jr., DB, Southeast Missouri; Adam Smith, Sr., PK, Eastern Kentucky; Andre Raymond, Sr., RET, Eastern Illinois.
* - 1st team All-OVC in 2002
# - 2nd team All-OVC in 2002
