By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
Of the 17 remaining undefeated teams in Class 2A, only two will meet each other in week three, with the Southeast of Saline Trojans and Minneapolis Lions on a collision course for Friday night.
The Minneapolis defense stole the show in the first two weeks, holding a pair of league opponents in Republic County and Sacred Heart to just six total points en route to a 2-0 start.
“Defensively we’ve played pretty well,” Lions head coach Tom Flax said. “Our two opponents have had some struggles but any time you come out and shut down a team that’s going to be a benefit.”
On the other side of that coin, the SES offense has moved the ball at will in 2022, taking down a top-five 3A squad from Rock Creek before decimating Beloit in week two.
“We made improvements from week one getting to where we needed to be especially defensively,” Trojan head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “I think our kids are understanding what we want and that’s been a big step for us.”
Southeast has dominated this league rivalry as of late, winning the last five contests dating back to 2013, but both teams will look much different than the ones that took the field in a 50-0 Trojan victory last season.
“We have to continue to get better because we know Minneapolis will, and hopefully we’ve done that in practice this week,” Gebhardt said. “Our offensive and defensive line play are still coming along but we’re on the road again and we know we’re going to get Minneapolis’ best so we have to be prepared to handle that.”
One of the biggest keys for SES this week will be in handling junior quarterback Ryan Parks, who has been steady for the Lions with four touchdown passes and no picks so far in his varsity debut season.
“Ryan has matured greatly from last year,” Flax said. “He’s stepped into the starting role and he has a lot more poise and maturity to him. He continues to get better each and every week and I’m looking forward to seeing how he steps up to this challenge.”
In addition to the solid passing numbers, Parks can be a problem for opposing defenses on the ground, something the Trojan defense will need to stay alert to on Friday night.
“Their quarterback is an awfully talented athlete and we have to make sure that we keep him pinned in and don’t allow him to make plays with his feet,” Gebhardt said. “They run the ball well behind some big linemen and defensively they’ve shut their opponents down.”
While SES tends to Parks, Minneapolis will have their hands full with Luke Gebhardt, who has racked up just under 600 yards of total offense in just two weeks.
“You have to find a way to pressure a guy like Gebhardt and you have to slow down their running game as much as they want to spread you out,” Flax said. “He’s very patient and you have to force him to make decisions early. If we can do that I think we might be right there in the end.”
With their recent success against the rest of the NCAA, the Trojans remain the team to beat, and Southeast will continue to get everyone’s best shot in the long leadup to district play.
“They’re the guys with the targets on their backs,” Flax said. “They’ve dominated the league for the last several years and they look ready to make another run this year. There’s familiarity between the guys but this is a league rival, we want to come out, play well and get a win.”
Kickoff between the Trojans and Lions is set for 7 pm at Minneapolis High School with free admission for fans of both teams courtesy of Bennington State Bank.
For those who cannot make the game in person, the action can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) or streamed with live video and audio on the Salina Post.