By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Fresh off a monumental 22-17 win over a 3A power in Clay Center, the Southeast of Saline Trojans will be on the road once again this week, squaring off with a vastly improved Hillsboro squad.
Southeast (5-0) enters this contest still ranked as the #4 team in 2A while the Trojans of Hillsboro come in at 3-2, having just picked up a big win of their own over Halstead.
With perhaps their biggest regular season hurdle already out of the way, confidence is at an all-time high in Gypsum, and SES will be eager to take that confidence back on the road this Friday.
“We beat a very good football team in Clay Center and we had to go through some adversity in that game,” Trojan head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “Momentum was on their side but our guys took it back and a win like that boosts our confidence. Our kids understand how good they were and to beat a team like that is great for us.”
Much like their week one opponent in Rock Creek, Hillsboro isn’t afraid to throw the ball around, and with senior quarterback Dawson Boldt at the helm, currently own the top passing offense in Class 2A (233 yds/g).
“Hillsboro has a lot of athletes all over the field,” Gebhardt said. “They’ve got good receivers, their quarterback does a good job of spreading it out and they have a back that runs hard. They also have an athletic, physical defense and they’re a good, all-around football team.”
To limit the playmaking ability of Boldt, the Trojan defense, a unit that allows the 5th fewest points in Class 2A (7.2/g), will need to be disruptive in the backfield once again, which could present opportunities for a team with 11 sacks already.
“We have to put pressure on the quarterback, he can really scramble around and extend plays and we have to make sure he’s uneasy when he’s throwing the football,” he said. “We also need to slow down their run game and offensively we need to make sure we’re picking up those first downs and scoring when we need to.”
This game will present SES with an opportunity to inch one step closer to another district title, as things are shaping up for another district championship game with Ellsworth in week eight.
The Trojans and Bearcats are the last two undefeated teams standing in District 5 and each will be favored in their two remaining matchups before they meet in the regular-season finale.
Kickoff between these two Trojan teams is scheduled for 7:00 in Hillsboro and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video HERE on the Salina Post.