The Southeast of Saline Trojans defeated the Hoisington Cardinals 22-12 in a Kansas Class 2A state semifinal game Friday night at Gypsum.
Hoisington scored the first touchdown of the game on a 4-yard TD run to take a 6-0 lead. The Trojans’ Cody Gebhardt scored on a 17-yard TD run and Southeast of Saline added the 2-point conversion for an 8-6 lead after one quarter.
Malachi Hopkins caught a 56-yard TD pass from Tiernan Ptacek to give the Trojans a 14-6 lead. After Hoisington’s CJ Bryant scored on a 4-yard TD run, Southeast of Saline’s Kanyon Douglas returned the kickoff 98 yards for a TD.
Southeast of Saline led at halftime 22-12. Neither team scored in the second half.
Southeast of Saline’s Gebhardt rushed for 162 yards and Ptacek passed for 121. Kaden Barragamn caught 3 passes for 58 yards, including a 42-yard pass.
Hoisington’s Taylen Morales rushed for 98 yards.
Southeast of Saline (12-0) will play Seneca-Nemaha Central (12-0) in the Kansas Class 2A football state championship game next Saturday at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium. Nemaha Central defeated Osage City 22-19 Friday at Seneca.
Southeast of Saline defeated Nemaha Central 36-28 in the 2024 Class 2A state title game. Nemaha Central won the 2019, 2022 and 2023 state titles.
Hoisington finished the season with a 10-1 record and Osage City posted a 10-2 mark.
