SE Hits the Road to Open Season versus SAU

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern football opens the 2023 season on the road as it travels to Magnolia, Ark., to take on Southern Arkansas at 6 p.m. on Aug. 31.
 
The League at Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant, Okla., will be hosting a watch party for the game beginning at 6 p.m.
 
Southeastern fans can listen live via the Southeastern Sports Network on GoSoutheastern.com/SESportsNet or across the largest DII radio network in the area with Jay Lindly and Rob Johnson on the call. Local fans can pick up the game on 96.1 FM, while fans across southeastern Oklahoma and north Texas can pick up the games on 94.7 FM in Valliant, Okla., 97.7 in Ardmore, Okla., 99.5 in Rattan, Okla., 102.1 in Atoka, Okla., and 107.5 in Atoka.
 
The Savage Storm enter the 2023 season picked to finish fifth in the Great American Conference Preseason Poll, finishing one-point behind its Thursday night opponent in SAU who was fourth.
 
SE is coming off a 6-6 season and a fifth-place a year ago and welcomes Bo Atterberry back to helm the program for his second stint. He guided the Savage Storm from 2014-18 before stepping away and ultimately returning last December.
 
Southeastern will be led by returning All-American Marquis Gray who set single season records for receiving yards with 1,463 yards, total receptions with 79, and receiving touchdowns with 17.
 
He would earn first team All-GAC honors and go onto pick up a trip of All-American selections.
 
Gray is joined by a pair of All-GAC offensive returnees for the Storm in Kaleb Whitley who picked up honors as a return specialist but is also on the SE receiving corps as well as lineman Stephane Zabie.
 
SE will be looking to a pair of transfers to contribute on offense as Nate Omayebu comes to Durant for his final season of eligibility after rushing for back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Angelo State. It is a homecoming of sorts for Omayebu who starred for the Sherman HS in Sherman, Texas.
 
He is joined by Bryce Field who will step under center as a grad transfer from North Greenville in Tigerville, S.C.
 
Defensively, Cameron Tate is the only returning All-GAC selection after tallying 76 tackles a season ago with 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
 
The Storm offense returns six players who started multiple games a season ago, while on the defensive side of the ball brings back two players who had multiple starts last year.
 
SAU enters the opener off a 5-6 season a year ago, finishing tied for sixth but will return their starting quarterback from last season in OB Jones as well as running back Jariq Scales who has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns.