SE Opens Season at Henderson State

Football | 8/31/2016 6:30:00 AM

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern will look to embrace its underdog role after being picked eighth in the league's preseason poll when it faces preseason Favorite and No. 9-ranked Henderson State on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. in Arkadelphia, Ark.
 
You can catch the call of the game on the Southeastern Sports Network with pregame starting at 6:30 p.m. on Mix 96.1 or any of the affiliates with a listening area ranging from Ardmore, Okla., to DeQueen, Ark.  Jay Lindly will have the play-by-play, with Joey McWilliams providing color commentary and Ed Meacham on the sidelines.
 
The Savage Storm were picked eighth in the Great American Conference preseason poll following a 6-5 season a year ago, but one that featured three losses settled by a touchdown or less, including the season opener to the Reddies.
 
In that contest SE scored in the fourth quarter to close the gap to 23-16 and had the ball with a first-and-goal on the five yardline, but would turn the ball over on downs.
 
SE threw for 295 yards and ran for 112, outgaining HSU 407-to-272 overall.
 
The Savage Storm return 20 starters total and 42 letterwinners from a season ago, including Nicholas Sierra and Raheem Wilson who both earned All-GAC honors.
 
The offense ranked fourth in scoring at 33.4 ppg and fifth in total yardage at 431.8 ypg.
 
Defensively SE was third in the league, leaning on the strength of its league-best pass defense which allowed just 173.8 passing ypg.
 
SE returns its entire offensive line as well as a pair of starting receivers to go with one of the GAC's best running back tandems in Ronnie Green and Devlon Wortham.
 
Green led the squad with 772 yards on the ground with 10 touchdowns, while Wortham added 361 yards rushing and six scores.
 
The biggest new face on the field is 6-3, junior quarterback CB Cantwell who will be stepping into the starting job after a pair of years behind Ryan Polite who finished fifth on the all-time passing career list in only two seasons.
 
The Reddies are coming off an 11-2 season and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs, relying heavily on its defense.
 
A defense which help opponents to 15.8 ppg, while the HSU offense managed 27.9 ppg which was ninth in the league.
 
In all, the Reddies return 15 starters and 51 letterwinners from a year ago.