Monday morning papers

Here's the latest news on the OVC, delivered fresh to your screen:

Everett Withers hasn't spent much time on the campus of Austin Peay State University since he was an assistant coach for the Governors from 1988-1990, according to a story in
The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle . But Withers has enjoyed his time there over the last couple weeks as defensive backs coach of the NFL's Tennessee Titans, who are holding their preseason camp at APSU. Withers says he's happy the Govs are returning to scholarship football.

The Nashville City Paper says Tennessee State's transfers from the Carolinas had a big first day of camp for the Tigers on Sunday. Quarterback Antonio Heffner, a transfer from South Carolina, and wide receiver Mike Mason, late of North Carolina, both looked sharp, the paper said, with Mason turning a five-yard out route into a 40-yard touchdown run and Heffner likely getting tapped as the Tigers' starter this fall.

A Carolina transfer also leads the Eastern Kentucky news in today's Richmond (Ky.) Register. Quarterback Allan Holland comes to the Colonels from Wake Forest, though it could be argued he's coming back. The Hazard, Ky., native commited to play at EKU coming out of high school, but then a phone call from Wake Forest lured him to the Demon Deacons instead. He'll be behind starter Josh Greco in the depth chart, but with three years of eligibilty left he's got plenty of time. EKU opened fall practice Sunday.

Columnist Matthew Martin, of The Gadsden (Ala.) Times , says Jacksonville State coach Jack Crowe is predicting another OVC title, though his boss, AD Jim Fuller. apparently forbids him from speaking negetively. But Crowe's prediction is a tall order, Martin says; the OVC has stiffened up since JSU steamrolled its way to consecutive titles in 2003 and 2004.

No OVC team is mentioned in Birmingham News columnist Ray Melick's offering from Saturday, but it's a glaring omission. Melick raises the question of where UAB's program might be if it had scheduled more "winnable" I-AA games over the last 10 years, mentioning only that venerable instutition, Little Sisters of the Poor, as an example. Well Ray, the Sisters probably already have their schedule filled out for the the next few years, but the last time UAB played a I-AA team - Jax State, just last season - the only thing guaranteed was the check the Gamecocks took home for scaring the hell out of the Blazers 35-28 (and yes, I'm a JSU homer, I'll admit). If I were the Blazers, I'd definitely stay on the other side of the money games for now.

Here are official athletic department reports on some of the OVC teams opening practice Sunday & Monday: Jax State, Murray State (there's a 43-picture photo album), and Tennessee Tech.

EDIT (9:15 a.m.): Forget to add one earlier - The Decatur (Ala.) Daily has a story on John Scott, a junior noseguard for Jax State, who - like JSU defensive coordinator Greg Stewart, graduated from Austin High near Decatur. The Daily also had a short item on the departure of JSU junior linebacker Ben Atchison. Doctors tell him he must leave football behind before he suffers a fourth concussion. (On a side note, the name of the writer of both JSU pieces is "Dennis Victory." Interesting.)