Paxton DeLaurent likely out for season, Heitert to start at quarterback for Southeast Missouri State

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Patrick Heitert admitted to being quite nervous before his first start as a collegiate quarterback, which came in Southeast Missouri State’s 2022 regular-season finale against Murray State. 

And despite those nerves, Heitert led the Redhawks to a 52-22 victory, capping off SEMO’s undefeated conference season. 

But as he prepares for his second career start, which will come this Saturday at Nicholls State, most of those nerves are in the rear-view mirror. 

“I feel much more prepared and just ready for the opportunity this year,” Heidert said after practice on Wednesday.

After Paxton DeLaurent left in the second quarter of the Redhawks’ last game against Tennessee Tech with a shoulder injury, Heitert took over and completed 12 of his 14 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown in a 28-3 Redhawks win. 

With DeLaurent likely out for the season, this is Heitert’s team now, and he and head coach Tom Matukewicz said the team has rallied around Heitert as the guy. 

“Everyone’s just pretty well connected, so I knew that from the moment Paxton went down that I had the team’s support, and there wasn’t going to be any time to slow down. Just keep going,” Heitert said.

“He’s got a lot of credibility on the team,” Matukewicz said. “He’s just one of those types of guys you love to root for.” 

A challenge for a new quarterback can be that QB-wide receiver relationship, getting on the same page with players you haven’t gotten a lot of reps with. 

Receiver Ryan Flournoy said the connection between he and Heitert has progressed nicely. 

“It’s always going to be hard at first. We probably had some balls on the ground first practice, but now, it’s just natural, second nature with him, watching that ball come out of his hands and watching the ball hit my hands,” Flournoy said.

And does Heitert seem nervous? Flournoy doesn’t think so. 

“We have conversations all the time. He said [against] Murray he was kind of nervous, but now he’s ready to rock.”