On their methodical run through the regular season and then four straight Class 2A playoff games, the Southeast of Saline Trojans never hid from their ultimate end goal.

Neither did they take their eye off the ball.

Winning one state football championship is hard enough, but trying to back it up with another is a whole new challenge. And yet, that is where the Trojans find themselves this week as they prepare to defend their title on Saturday in a noon rematch against Nemaha Central at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium.

“We did talk about it before the season started, and then after the season starts, we honestly stick to where we try to go 1-0 every week,” Southeast coach Mitch Gebhardt said of the Trojans’ in-season approach. “On Monday, (the previous) Friday’s game is over and we kind of reset Monday and try to get prepared for whoever it is we’re playing.”

But now that the time is at hand, in a rematch of last year’s championship game no less, the title talk is back on the table. Both teams come into the game with 12-0 records after Southeast held off Hoisington in the West semifinal, 22-12, and Nemaha Central sneaked past Osage City in the West.

“We talked about that on Friday after the game,” Gebhardt said. “Not very many people get to practice during Thanksgiving week, and we’re excited to be able to do that.”

Southeast is coming off a stellar defensive performance against Hoisington in which neither team scored in the second half. They face another challenge on Saturday in trying to contain Nemaha Central and its dynamic senior quarterback, Carter Hajek.

“Their quarterback has rushed for over 7,300 yards in his career,” Gebhardt said. “They’ve got several other kids that are good, but you’ve got to slow him down. They’re very good at what they do.”

Hajek clearly is the Thunder’s principal weapon. He has rushed for 2,414 yards and 39 touchdowns, averaging 201 yards per game, while throwing for 809 yards and 12 more scores. Jayden Seitz has 499 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, and Caleb Strathman is the top receiver with 31 catches for 520 yards and seven TDs.

For Southeast, senior running back Grady Gebhardt averages 166.8 yards per game on 10.6 yards per carry and needs just 59 yards Saturday to reach 2,000 for the season. Three others, including junior quarterback Tiernan Ptacek, have rushed for at least 300 yards.

Ptacek, who took over for injured returning starter Gannon Jacobson six games into the season, also has completed 64.3% of his passes for 1,064 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Grady Gebhardt, the coach’s son, also is the Trojans’ leading receiver with 27 catches for 585 yards and 10 touchdowns, followed by Kaden Barragan with 20 for 296 yards. Seven of Bryson Lippold’s 11 catches have gone for touchdowns.

In last year’s title game, Southeast led Nemaha 20-7 at halftime, but lost two fumbles to start the second half that allowed the Thunder to grab a 28-20 lead. The Trojans tied it on a touchdown and two-point conversion with just over a minute left, then recovered the ensuing kickoff and scored the game winner on fourth down.

Now the Trojans are in position to do it again.

“We didn’t really think too much of it at the start of the season,” said Southeast senior lineman Brody Chambers. “We focused on just getting our job done and making sure we’re prepared for the start of the season.

“But toward the end of the season, going back-to-back would be great. A great way to finish our career.”

Grady Gebhardt, whose high school career also will end Saturday, would love nothing more than to go out as a two-time champion as well.

“That would be surreal, for sure,” he said. “It would be an honor to be the first team to do that at Southeast of Saline. It would be great.”

_ _ _

Photo: Southeast of Saline senior Grady Gebhardt