By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Southeast of Saline gave themselves a real shot against 3rd-ranked Council Grove on Friday, shutting out the Braves in the second half but coming up just short in a 14-8 final.
The Trojan offense struggled to get going, mustering just ten first downs and 211 yards of total offense on the night.
Council Grove wasted no time getting on the board, scoring on their first drive of the night when Luke Stewart hit Mason Samuels from four yards out.
A second-quarter penalty set the Braves up for their next score, this time on a 44-yard scamper by Bradley Doornbos.
Those would be the last Council Grove points of the evening, but a 14–0 halftime advantage was all the Braves needed to hold on and remain undefeated.
The third quarter saw both offenses silenced, and it wasn’t until a Tristan Swank interception put Southeast at the Braves 27 that the offense finally roared to life.
SES punched in a six-yard run by Tiernan Ptacek, then converted the two-point conversion to cut the lead to six with just over five minutes to play.
Unfortunately, the Southeast offense wouldn’t get another shot, as Council Grove strung together two huge conversions to run out the clock and secure the victory.
With this result, the Braves stay perfect at 6-0, and remain atop the district with a 3-0 record.
SES drops to 4-2 overall and 0-2 in district play, with games against Riley County and Minneapolis remaining to secure a playoff spot.
This game is available for playback on-demand below.