Warrensburg, Mo. (Sept. 26, 2000) -- Seniors Andy Ball and Tommy Harris are the 2000 recipients of the Coach E. A. Markey Football Scholarship at Central Missouri State University. This is the first time two players have been selected to receive the honor. The pair will receive the award at halftime of Saturday's football game with Washburn University.

A graduate of Macomb (Ill.) High School, Ball is in his second season with the Mules and is the team's long snapper on all punts, field goals and extra-point attempts. He is majoring in physical education and is the son of Randy and Sandi Ball of Springfield, Mo., where Randy is the head football coach at Southwest Missouri State University.

Harris is a three-year letterman and starting defensive end for the Mules. A graduate of Nimitz High School in Irving, Texas, Harris is majoring in computer information systems and is the son of Jackie Lane of Dallas, Texas.

Established in 1984, the Markey Scholarship is awarded through a fund established in honor of the late Eph Markey, a 1921 Central Missouri State graduate. Markey was a standout football and basketball player for the Mules and also competed on the track team.

Following his graduation from Central Missouri, Markey was a successful high school coach in Missouri for 33 years, 29 of which were spent at Kansas City's Northeast High School. In 1995 he was inducted posthumously into the Central Missouri State Athletic Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Missouri High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1994.

The memorial scholarship fund was established by Coach Markey's widow, Mary Jane Markey, and his daughter, Janne Markey Walker of Norfolk, Va. Mrs. Markey died in 1994.

The Markey Scholarship recipient must have a record of distinguished scholastic achievement and must have exemplified skill, dedication and team contributions to Mules' football. Past recipients include: Robin Fisher (1984), Steve Huff (1985), Wil Myers (1986), Doug Dahman (1987), Elliott Eley (1988), Jay Slusher (1989), Shawn Schmelzle (1991), Chance Wistrom (1992), Carl Lawrence (1993), Tim Schulte (1994), Dan Kanzler (1995), Jason Shoars (1996), Brett Sramek (1997), Mike Orlando (1998) and Clint Steiner (1999).