With 5:06 to play in the Ohio Valley Conference football game, Lindenwood University running back Steve Hall scored on a 5-yard touchdown run and the Lions trailed Southeast Missouri State University 38-27.
LU trailed by two scores, had all three of its timeouts and there was plenty of time to kick off, play defense, get the ball back and try to get within striking distance in the game’s final few minutes at Hunter Stadium in St. Charles on Oct. 10.
But the Lions never got the ball back. The Redhawks (3-3) used 11 plays to grind out 29 yards and keep the chains moving enough times to take a kneel down and end their OVC opener with the 11-point road victory over LU (1-4, 1-1).
During that final drive, 5-9, 203-pound senior running back Cole Ruble carried the ball six times, twice moving the chains with short runs up the middle. When SEMO needed one more first down on fourth-and-1, Ruble netted two yards to officially seal the win on the game’s final contested play.
A 2023 Seckman High graduate, Ruble was entrusted with icing a conference game on the road.
“That means everything, especially coming off an injury,” Ruble said. “I had a hip problem the last two weeks, so the coaches having that trust in me and believing in me to get the last play and end the game means a lot.”
SEMO’s coaches kept feeding Ruble at the end of the game despite a turnover earlier in the second half that directly led to a LU touchdown. The Redhawks were leading 21-14 and were looking to double that margin after having driven to the Lion 1-yard line. Three times Ruble lined up in the shotgun, took the snap and plunged into the line of scrimmage. On the third-and-goal, the snap was high, Ruble couldn’t latch onto the ball, and Brayon Crawford returned the fumble 86 yards for the tying TD.
“I’m going to take full responsibility for that play,” Ruble said. “I stepped forward on the snap, and I know better, especially from running that all through high school.”
Ruble’s high school career at Seckman culminated in him setting most offensive records playing QB and a state wrestling championship. Before Ruble and Jaguar head coach Nick Baer arrived, Seckman was mired in a pattern of 1-9, 0-10 seasons. With Ruble routinely rushing for 80-, 90-yard TDs and over 200 yards per game, the Jaguars started winning conference titles and district home games, which included a legendary seven-TD performance by Ruble against St. Louis University High. That success laid the foundation for Seckman to build a record of 33-6 since Ruble’s last season there.
Against LU, Ruble finished the game with 15 carries for 48 yards, both season highs. SEMO gashed the Lions for 215 yards on the ground and running back Khyair Spain led the Redhawks with 85 yards.
Ruble redshirted at SEMO in 2023 and played in three games. In 2024, he played in 13 games and made three starts at RB and gained 330 yards rushing and receiving. Last year, Ruble was a second-team OVC selection as a kick returner.
Ruble is majoring in professional studies.
“I think every kid dreams of playing D1 football,” he said. “SEMO’s been amazing for giving me that opportunity. Coach Tuke (SEMO head coach Tom Matukewicz) is one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. There’s not much more I can say other than I love this team.”
As for Ruble’s future?
“Being in the moment, being where my feet are, is what I’ve been thinking about.”
Seckman hosts Jennings on Friday night and then travels to Parkway North on Oct. 23 in its final game before the Class 6 District 1 tournament begins.
“I miss you guys, and I’ll be back for a Seckman game,” Ruble said.
Sophomore Hudson Brewer (6-1, 310) is a starting guard for SEMO. Brewer is from Arnold and a graduate of De Smet Jesuit High.
A 2024 Hillsboro graduate, junior Payton Brown (6-0, 218) made a huge splash as a freshman RB for the Redhawks in 2024 when he ran for 97 yards and scored three TDs in a win over North Alabama in the FCS Kickoff. Brown did not dress against LU because of an injury. As a Redhawk, he has played in 17 games, has 691 yards of total offense and scored eight TDs.
In 2022, when Ruble rushed for 2,524 yards and 26 TDs for Seckman, Anthony Westervelt was the leading receiver for the Jaguars. Westervelt (6-2, 203) is a senior receiver at SEMO, and he did not dress against the Lions. After playing in 13 games mainly on the Redhawks special teams in 2024, Westervelt started the first two games last year before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. This season, he’s played in four games and has caught three passes for 72 yards.