By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Southeast of Saline Trojans boys basketball team will tip off their season when they host the Hesston Swathers tonight at 7:30pm.
The Trojans will have a true test in this first game, as the Swathers, who went 22-2 last season, are already ranked as the #1 team in the state in division 3A.
“They’ve been very good for a very long time,” Trojan head coach Bryson Flax said. “We know that this game is going to be a challenge.”
Hesston will likely start Brayden Schilling, Carson Richardson, Jackson Humphreys, Nick Arnold and Ben Bollinger tonight.
Richardson was a big key to the Swather’s success in 2019-20, averaging 16.8 ppg and 4.5 rebounds a game.
“I thought that Richardson was one of the best players in the state last year as a sophomore,” Flax said. “They have a group that’s been playing together for a very long time, and on offense they’re going to try to get him opportunities, so we need to try to contain him.”
To counter this Swather lineup, the Trojans will be starting four veterans of their own in Seniors Camden Spano-Lund, Jaxson Gebhardt, Bryant Banks and Eli Harris alongside Sophomore Eli Sawyers.
Southeast, like every other team in the state, will also be using this first game to evaluate what they have moving forward, and a chance to do that against one of the best teams in the state provides a great opportunity to the Trojans.
“You really never know what you’ve got until you put it on the floor against quality opponents,” Flax said. “We’ll use the first couple of games to focus on going out and competing and during that time our coaching staff will find rotations and guys that mesh.
The Trojans and Swathers tip off their season from Southeast of Saline High School after the girls game which is scheduled for 6pm. Once again Eagle Radio will be the home for SES boys and girls basketball and games can be heard live on KINA (910 AM or 107.5 FM).
You can also click HERE to read our SES boys basketball season preview.