By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
With a record of 20-2 over the last two seasons and trips to the 3A state quarter and semifinals, expectations are high for Southeast of Saline as the Trojans reclassify this year.
“We do drop to 2A this year but every division has some awfully good football teams,” Trojan head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “We know we’re going to face some really good competition at the end of the season and we want to make sure we’re playing our best football by the time we get there.”
To live up to the preseason hype, SES will need to fill a number of holes left by a big graduating class, but will have a solid core of returning veterans to build around in 2022.
“We have seven guys back on defense that started last year and I think our strength lies with them,” Gebhardt said. “We do have some kids with experience but we also have some kids who have waited their turn. Their time is now so we’ll see what they can do.”
One of the biggest returners from last year’s 11-1 campaign is quarterback Luke Gebhardt, who threw for over 2,300 yards last season, completing 31 touchdown passes compared to just five interceptions.
“It’s always great to have your quarterback back,” he said. “Luke had a great season and he’s still progressing and getting better. He does a great job of running our offense and he understands a lot of the finer details better with more experience.”
Luke will be joined in the backfield by a new face in junior Nathan Friesen, who will bring a different style to the Trojan rushing attack.
“Nathan is faster than the backs we’ve had in the last few years,” Gebhardt said. “He had a great winter and he doesn’t have a lot of varsity experience but he has really good speed.”
In the receiving corps, SES will return several of Luke’s favorite targets including Michael Murray, Jake Gebhardt, Landen Allen and Tucker Thaxton.
Up front, Southeast will be anchored by Mac Chambers, Nathan Weller, Wade Rutheford, and Caden Isaacson who will play an instrumental role in maintaining the Trojan's philosophy of balance.
“We’ll always work to be balanced,” he said. “You have to take what a defense is giving you but I really feel like we’ve got some guys that can make some big plays running the football and we have a lot of good receivers and a quarterback back that can open up our passing game.”
On defense, SES will have a tough act to follow after allowing just 12 points in an entire eight-game regular season. Fortunately, the Trojans return seven players from that unit to anchor this year’s group.
Luke Gebhardt and Danny Kejr will repose their roles as safeties with Michael Murray and Jake Gebhardt locking down opposing receivers from the corners.
Mac Chambers and Caden Isaacson will both return at inside linebacker with Landen Allen and Cameron Witte joining them on the outside.
Slade Johnson and Trevor Keller will slot into the trenches while positional battles rage on to see who will join them on the front.
As with any Southeast of Saline football season, there is only one thing that Coach Gebhardt and company are focused on.
“We have high expectations but it all starts with going 1-0 every week,” he said. “We’ve got Rock Creek week one and we want to do everything we can to play a good game against them. We’ll continue to take things one game at a time throughout the season.”
SES will host the Mustangs in Gypsum for week one with a 7:00 kickoff slated for Friday, September 2nd.
For more coverage of Southeast of Saline football all season long stay tuned to the Salina Post.