As fall camp comes to a close, the Southeastern football team said it feels ready to take on the new season.
During pre-season, Head Coach Frank Scelfo said leadership is their niche. He looks to lead Southeastern to a successful season alongside a roster of experienced players, including a certain group of seniors known as the Sixth Year Six.
Those players are defensive back Blayne Delahousaye, linebacker Justin Dumas, wide receiver Da’Shaun Hugley, tight end Cade Collider, offensive linemen Javin Turner and Noah Devlin.
For the Southland Conference Opening Drive, he brought in Collider and senior defensive tackle Kaleb Proctor, who is a leader on the defense.
“All of them contribute a lot on and off the field, but I chose them (Collider and Proctor) because they best represent who we are and our culture,” Scelfo said.
Last year, the Lions missed the playoffs after they ended the season with a 7-5 overall record and a 6-1 SLC record.
The main reason they weren’t in the playoffs was their lone conference loss to the University of the Incarnate Word. Still, they also struggled early in the season against non-divisional teams.
This year, the Lions have a better chance of making a playoff run if they can win their first game against LA Tech in Ruston. Compared to last season, when they took a huge loss against Tulane in New Orleans, they are likely to face a less formidable team in Tech.
The last time the Lions and the Bulldogs played each other was in 2021, when the Lions fell short 45-42 with veteran talent. This year, SLU has a better chance of winning with its veteran players.
After facing the Bulldogs, the Lions will play Murray State and Mississippi Valley State. They have a better chance of defeating them, as both teams are coming off losing seasons.
To start conference play, they will face off against the highly anticipated newcomer to the SLC, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
SLU’s most challenging conference games will be against UTRGV, Nicholls, and UIW, since these teams can recruit higher-caliber talent than most in the conference.
Before then, Southeastern will start its season this Saturday, Aug. 30, at 6:30 p.m. against Louisiana Tech in Ruston. Tune in to ESPN+ to watch the game live or listen to it on Kajun 107.1 FM.
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