By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
When the dust settled on the 2021 regular season, just six teams emerged from class 3A undefeated.
One of those, for the second consecutive season, was the Southeast of Saline Trojans, who will host the 2-5 Marysville Bulldogs to open their 2021 playoff run.
“Class 3A is absolutely loaded,” SES head coach Mitch Gebhardt said. “We want to make a deep run into the playoffs but we really do have to take things one game at a time because every week we’re going to have to face a tough opponent and that starts this week with Marysville.”
Southeast has managed all of this despite being one of the smallest teams in Class 3A, and will be making the transition back to 2A next season.
“We do feel like we have something to prove being one of the smallest teams in 3A,” Gebhardt said. “Our kids have bought into that and numbers or no numbers we’re here to play some good football.”
That good football led SES to a 20-0 win over the Bulldogs last season in the second round of the playoffs, but Marysville will be hungry to avoid the same fate in 2021.
While the Bulldogs record may not look flashy coming into the postseason, the team was only outscored 121-174 on the year, and fell to undefeated Riley County by just 12 points last week.
“Their record may not be what they wanted it to be but they play physical defense and when you look at the scores, that’s kept them in every football game they’ve played this year,” he said.
The Bulldogs are led by dual-threat quarterback Rook Williams, who has racked up 622 yards through the air, 330 yards on the ground, and six touchdowns this season.
Williams is joined in the backfield by junior running back Jack Lauer, who is averaging over five yards per carry this season and who adds five more touchdowns on the ground.
“They’re a very physical football team just like they were last year,” Gebhardt said. “They run the ball very well and that’s something we’ll have to focus on.”
Defensively, Marysville is anchored by the monstrous presence of Peyton Smith. The junior has recorded a team-leading seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss this season.
The winner of this game will advance to face either 6-2 Chapman, or 5-3 Smoky Valley, who the Trojans handled 45-0 earlier this season.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm at Southeast of Saline High School and as always the game can be heard on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM) courtesy of Eagle Radio.
For more on the Trojans 2021 playoff run, stay tuned to the Salina Post.