By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
After an incredibly successful 9-1 campaign in 2020, the Southeast of Saline Trojan football team will look to reload and run it back in 2021.
The dynamic backfield of Jaxson Gebhardt and Bryant Banks, who combined for over 3,000 yards in 2020, as well as one man wrecking crew Sterling Harp and several other seniors graduated this offseason, but the torch has been passed to the next generation.
“We lost some really good leaders from last year's team and for a little while we were waiting to see who those new leaders would be,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “We’ve had some guys step up here in the last three or four weeks and that’s so important.”
Taking over quarterback duties will be junior Luke Gebhardt, who will be joined in the backfield by senior running back Matthew Rodriguez.
The new duo takes over with a lot of chemistry formed while waiting in the wings these last two years.
“We were lucky that those guys were able to get practice reps together in 2020 and they seem to have a pretty good bond in that backfield,” Gebhardt said.
SES will still have a killer combo at wide receiver where Chase Poague and Michael Murray return for another year, fresh off leading SES to a state track championship last spring.
The Trojan O-Line will return a great deal of experience as well, with five seniors in Eli Jackson, Dalton Bunch, Braxton Blake, Evan Nickelson, and Dawson Adams building a wall for the new backfield.
“With the experience we have on our offensive line that should help some of our younger guys who don’t have as much experience at the skill positions to settle in,” Gebhardt said.
While the SES offense looks to build around a core of young new stars, the defense looks formidable again this season, returning a good portion of one of the most feared groups in 2020.
Jasper McDowell will join Adams and Bunch on the line, while Jake Gebhardt joins Murray, Poague and Luke Gebhardt to wreak havoc in the secondary.
The linebacking corps will be anchored once again by Matthew Rodriguez, who led the team with 95 tackles including a staggering 20 for loss last season.
Around Rodriguez will be Caden Isaacson, Landen Allen and a rotation of Jude Golden, Luke Obermeyer and Jase VanAmburg.
“I think our defense will be a big focal point again this year,” he said. “We got a lot of guys back from that group last year and if we can put everything together I think we’ll be solid on that side of the ball.”
While the new offense takes shape, Gebhardt is confident that the team will be able to once again maintain a balance between the pass and the run.
“We want to continue to be balanced on offense if we can,” he said. “I think we still have a good power run game but we can still throw the football around if we want”
The Trojans will open their season hosting Minneapolis on September third before a road trip featuring Beloit and Ellsworth.
Three of SES’ final five games will be at home as the team hosts Russell, Colby, and Smoky Valley, split by a road trip to Goodland on October 8th before the regular-season finale at Scott City.
For continuing coverage of the Trojan football team in 2021, stay tuned to the Salina Post.