By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
After laying claim to the top spot in the 3A rankings following a takedown of the two-time defending state champs in Hesston, the Southeast of Saline boys’ basketball team made a statement on Tuesday with a 70-38 decimation of Smoky Valley.
The Trojans have quickly developed a reputation for having one of the deepest rosters in Class 3A, something that was on full display in the team’s first two games of the season.
“The best thing I’ve seen has been our ability to go deep into the bench and to be confident in each and every one of those guys,” SES head coach Bryson Flax said. “Our bench has been good so far and that’s something I anticipate will continue. We have the luxury of being able to wear opposing players out while staying fresh and that’s a big deal.”
While the Trojans have put on shows in their first two games, Southeast continues to pick themselves apart on film, tirelessly working to become the best version of themselves.
“There are still a lot of offensive issues that we’re running into,” Flax said. “That’s hard to say after you score 70 points but our spacing in both games wasn’t great. We have to continue to hone in on that.”
While many teams have felt the pressure of the #1 target on their backs, Southeast of Saline has chosen to see things differently, as they prepare for everyone's best shot night after night.
“We don’t look at our ranking as a pressure point but from a competition standpoint, everyone is juiced to play you,” he said. “You can get hit in the mouth and fold or you can get hit in the mouth, take care of business and stay true to yourself. That’s what we’re focused on night in and night out and so far we’ve done a pretty good job of that.”
To continue putting that into practice, SES must prepare for the first edition of this year’s Trojan War in Beloit with a rival Trojan team that would love nothing more than to be the ones to hand Southeast their first loss.
“There’s a level of excitement any time you play a team like Beloit,” he said. “We look at it from a league standpoint but they’re also in our sub-state so it’s an opportunity for us to take a game up on a sub-state competitor.”
Beloit has been on the cusp of winning each of its first two games this season, falling to Concordia 51-48 and to Clay Center 65-59.
As a surprise to very few fans of NCAA basketball, the orange Trojans have once again been led in scoring by Bryce Beisner, who has averaged double-digits alongside Wyatt Broeckelman.
“Beloit plays a lot of zone which can slow your pace down a little bit and they shoot the three well,” Flax said. “Beisner is a solid player and they have three pretty big bodies that give them a size advantage over most of the teams that they play. We’ve got to be good on the glass and be patient against that zone.”
Tip-off in Beloit is set for 7:30 pm following the girl's game at 6:00. Both contests can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live audio and video on the Salina Post.