By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
As the 54th annual Mayor’s Cup gets underway on Friday night, all eyes across the state of Kansas will be, as they often are, on Salina Stadium for another South vs. Central battle.
The Mustangs, who are coming off a stellar 8-3 campaign, will be in search of their third straight series victory, and their fifth in six years under head coach Mark Sandbo.
“If you win this game you’re the champion of Salina for 365 days,” Sandbo said. “The experience is elevated and the level of play is always faster and heavier which is what you expect out of such a great rivalry.”
On the other side of the matchup, the Cougars will be in search not just of their first Mayor’s Cup win since 2020, but of their first win period since September of 2021, as they look to snap a 15-game losing streak.
“This rivalry is a unique thing,” South head coach Sam Sellers said. “There are plenty of other great rivalries in the state of Kansas but the fact that these are the two big schools in one town and these kids grow up and play sports together breeds a familiarity that’s very rare. Historically this is rarely an uneven game and I think the familiarity plays into that.”
Despite the Cougar’s recent struggles, Salina Central is gearing up for a real battle, as South finally gets an opportunity to put a fully healthy squad, with several key returners, on the field to open the year.
“We don’t have to worry about our guys taking anyone lightly, least of all a big rival like South,” Sandbo said. “Over the course of three weeks, we’ve built a good intensity and we know that there’s a high expectation of success in this community not just to win but to go get South every year.”
While the quality of football in this matchup is always high, the fact that such heated rivals square off in week one adds an additional wrinkle, and shifts the focus within for both teams.
“It’s definitely different having this game in week one but it’s easy to get the kids up for the season opener regardless of who you play,” Sellers said. “You always go in a little blind even if you return everybody because dynamics change but it really puts the emphasis on the basics and fundamentals of the game.”
With a healthy squad, and high aspirations on the Cougar sideline, the Mustangs could very well have their hands full early in this one, as they get their newcomers settled in alongside a stable of returning vets.
“South returns quite a few guys from last year and any time you return your quarterback that’s a big positive,” Sandbo said. “They return a really powerful outside linebacker and a few guys on the D-line and in the secondary as well. There are always athletes over there at South and we’ll account for those guys the best we can.”
Meanwhile, Central returns the biggest piece of their offensive puzzle from a season ago in Gunnar Gross, who torched opposing defenses for over 3,300 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2022.
“Central returns a lot on both sides of the ball just like we do,” Sellers said. “You can’t talk about their offense without talking Gunnar first, he proved himself to be the real deal last year and really proved his toughness. He can throw and run the ball very well and he’s such a physical kid. It’s rare that you see a high school quarterback run with the physicality that he does.”
Kickoff of this year’s Mayor’s Cup matchup is scheduled for 7:00 at Salina Stadium.
For continuing coverage of both programs, stay tuned to the Salina Post.