By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
South and Central have shared Salina since 1863, but the city has never felt big enough for the two of them.
For over 150 years, fierce battles between the Mustangs and the Cougars have delighted Salina on the gridiron, the court, and the diamond, and tonight, the next chapter in this storied rivalry will be written.
In week one of the high school football season, Central defeated South 31-21 to claim the Mayor’s Cup for a fifth-straight year.
When the Cougars finished the regular season 1-7, few around the 5A world could have fathomed that the two would meet in the state quarterfinals, but despite the odds, that’s exactly where we stand.
Central’s path to this moment has been one of triumph.
On the heels of a disappointing 4-5 campaign, the Mustangs rallied behind junior quarterback Griffin Hall and bruising tailback Cooper Reves to right the ship and post a 7-1 record in the regular season against an identical schedule.
The Mustangs picked up right where they left off in the first two rounds of the playoffs, dominating Topeka West 68-22 and doing the same to Goddard 62-32 to reach the sectional round.
For South, this run has been rightfully defined as one of destiny.
The Cougars had won just four games in the five seasons leading up to this one, and won just one contest, a lopsided affair against a hapless Campus team, to finish the 2025 regular season at 1-7.
Then, the pieces that had spent the entire season floating around their intended targets began to snap into place.
South needed to play their best football to survive against an Andover team that just three weeks prior rolled over the Mustangs 48-21.
They did just that, holding the Trojans well under their averages in a stunning 24-20 upset.
The Cougars would have to play another nearly-perfect game of football on the road at Liberal the following week, and yet they found a way, handing the Redskins their third loss of the season in a thrilling 22-16 victory.
Those four wins for two schools have led us here, to the first postseason meeting between South and Central football since 2005.
Anyone who has lived in Salina for long knows the story, but there was an era where the road to a 5A state title ran through Salina.
From 1999-2005 the Mustangs and Cougars met in six-straight playoffs with the winner appearing in the state championship game every year, and a champion from Salina being crowned in five of those six seasons.
Now, for the first time in 20 years, that road will be re-paved in Salina’s quest for a return to immortality.
Central’s stars will be on full display today, led by quarterback Griffin Hall and tailback Cooper Reves, who combined have accounted for over 4,300 yards of total offense, 53 touchdowns, and just three turnovers.
That tandem will need to outpace a South passing attack anchored by sophomore standout Izzy Telles, who has over 2,000 yards passing and 22 touchdowns, thanks in large part to a combination of star wideouts Jaxon Myers and Jae Curtis.
This game has everything, from a made-for-Hollywood script with primetime-level stars to a title-starved community eager to show out and support their teams at the top of their game.
Tonight’s game will be streamed live on Salina Post and on the Salina Post YouTube page 100% free to the public. This game will also be available to watch back on-demand any time.
You can tune in tonight in the window below.