By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Southeast of Saline steamrolled their way through the opening round of the playoffs, routing the Roadrunners of Chaparral 56-7.
Chaparral’s season comes to a close at 1-7 while the Trojans remain perfect at 9-0.
This game was over shortly after it began, as Southeast flexed their muscle on both sides to take a 36-0 lead into the second quarter.
By the intermission, that lead had ballooned to 50, and with the clock running, the Trojans were able to rest starters en route to a comfortable 49-point victory.
“We talked all week about our effort regardless of the situation and I feel like our older guys came out and showed that,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “No matter what the circumstance is you have to have good effort in everything you do.”
It was another big day for the Trojan running game, which saw both Nathan Friesen and Grady Gebhardt cash in a trio of touchdowns before the final whistle.
The Southeast senior did his damage with 65 yards on nine attempts, while Grady tested the limits of efficiency, scoring a touchdown on each of his three touches for an absurd 93 yards.
Not to be outdone, the Trojan defense came up with a wild line of their own, pushing the Roadrunners backward for -31 rushing yards in the first half.
Southeast of Saline will return to Gypsum next week for a 2A semifinal rematch with Kingman on Friday, after the Eagles defeated Hillsboro 31-6.