By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
Coming into a quarterfinal matchup with Hoisington, the top-ranked, undefeated Southeast of Saline Trojans have looked relatively unbothered for the better part of ten weeks.
They handed 3A Rock Creek, one of the best offenses in the state of Kansas, a 38-26 loss in week one.
They thumped now 8-2 Beloit 43-6 in week two, and now sit opposite the orange Trojans in the 2A bracket.
They handed now 7-3 Clay Center, who remain alive in the 3A bracket a 26-14 loss in week five.
They bludgeoned the Bearcats in a 46-7 evisceration of then-undefeated #5 Ellsworth in week eight.
And most recently, they steamrolled their first two postseason opponents in Haven (53-12) and Chaparral (50-14).
Next up on the docket is an 8-2 Cardinals squad that is designed from top to bottom to give the Trojans a real run for their money, but as many teams before them have learned, design means very little without execution.
To beat a team like Southeast of Saline you need two things. A defense capable of slowing one of the most versatile and potent offensive attacks in Class 2A, and an offense capable of matching pace with that unit, ideally while keeping them off the field entirely.
Statistically, Hoisington possesses both of these things, with the #2 scoring defense in 2A allowing under nine points per game in the regular season, and the #3 rushing offense posting just under 300 yards per contest.
“Hoisington’s offensive and defensive lines are huge,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “They do a good job of controlling and running the football. They have three guys that run the ball really well and defensively they’re big up front so we’ll have to take care of the ball ourselves.”
In many ways, the Cardinals share traits with a front-heavy, run-happy Clay Center team that kept things interesting with Southeast until the second half earlier this season.
“Over the years we’ve played several teams like this,” Gebhardt said. “Clay Center is a good example, Halstead and Beloit ran similar things as well but every team runs it a little differently and we have to be fundamentally sound tonight.”
Fortunately for Southeast, the Trojans do not rely on defense alone, and players like Luke Gebhardt, Nathan Friesen, Michael Murray, Jake Gebhardt, Landen Allen, and others have been giving opposing defenses fits all season.
“Having so many playmakers on the field is a big weapon for us,” he said. “We’ve got six or seven guys that can make big plays and that we can rely on to get a first down from anywhere.”
When you pair those playmakers with an increasingly stout offensive line, and a defensive unit that allowed the fewest yards per game out of anyone in 2A, you get a Trojan team peaking at the perfect time, looking to make their deepest run in over a decade.
“Our offensive efficiency has been good to see,” Gebhardt said. “We’ve done a great job of spreading to ball around to different guys and staying balanced. Defensively we’ve done a good job of taking away what our opponents want to do and we’ve played great team defense against some really good athletes.”
Part of the key to Southeast’s success has come in their locker room mentality, focusing on individual roles, playing together as a team, and refusing to look past the weekly task of going 1-0, something the Trojans have done ten times in ten weeks.
“This team is emotionally balanced,” he said. “We’re confident in what we’re doing which plays a key role in our ability to go out and execute what we want to do. Our kids do a great job of understanding that they have a role on this team and that they need to do their job in order for us to succeed.”
To overcome a team like Hoisington, setting the tone early will be crucial, and if SES can deliver the first blow, the Cardinals may be forced out of their ground-and-pound comfort zone, something they struggled with in losses to Hesston and Pratt.
“First downs for our defense are going to be huge,” Gebhardt said. “We need to put them in situations that they don’t want to be in. They’re built to pick up 4-5 yards on every play and we need to make sure we make them uncomfortable in their run game but to do that we have to play fundamentally sound and we can’t make mistakes or they’ll take advantage.”
Kickoff between the Trojans and Cardinals is set for 7 pm at “The Fritz” on the campus of SES, with the winner moving on to face either 10-0 Kingman or 8-2 Beloit in the semifinals.