If all you knew about the Sacred Heart at Southeast of Saline football game Friday night was the final score, you might think the game was a blowout from the opening kick-off. Even though the game ended with the Trojans shutting out the Knights, it was close in the first half.
Sacred Heart was the first team to put the ball in the end zone, but what would have been a pick 6 for Jared McCartney was called back due to an illegal block.
Southeast then got the first score of the game. Following a 40-yard punt return by Aaron Kitchener, Trojan QB Jaxson Gebhardt punched it in from a yard out and Southeast led 7-0 with under a minute to go in the first quarter.
The second Trojan touchdown came with 4:24 to go in the first half when running back Raef Boley scored on first and goal from the 8-yard line. So at halftime, it was a very competitive game with Southeast up 14-0.
Things would change quickly after the intermission. The Trojans got four 3rd quarter TDs. Bryant Banks tallied two of those score. First, he went for 61-yards on the second biggest play of the night. Then after the Knights failed to cover a kick-off, Banks went eight yards for back to back Southeast scores that only took 39 seconds. Gebhardt scored the other two TDs in the quarter with runs of 2 and 4 yards.
Most of the 4th quarter was played with a running clock. The biggest play of the game occurred with 8:27 to go when Seth Eklund erupted for a 68-yard punt return. Back-up running back Michael Murray got the final score of the game on the last play of the contest with a 16-yard run.
Next up for the Knights, it will be their home opener as they take on Minneapolis. The Lions opened their season with a 27-8 win over Republic County. Meanwhile, Southeast of Saline will be on the road for a battle of the Trojans as they head to Beloit. Beloit struggled in their first game, but held on to beat Fairbury on the road, 36-27 .
