The Southeast of Saline Trojan football team Friday night capped off a perfect season and won their second ever state championship with a thrilling comeback win in Hutchinson over Nemaha Central.
Southeast came out strong in the first half and led 20-7 at halftime. Nemaha came back in the second half to take a late 28-20 lead before magic happened for Southeast and the Trojans scored 16 points in the final 1:51 to win 36-28. The game winner came with just 11 seconds left in the game on a 4th and long play.
Gannon Jacobson scored a touchdown to pull the Trojans within two points with just :57 left in the game. Southeast then tied the game on a razzle-dazzle play with a reverse to Tucker Thaxton, who threw it to Malachi Hopkins to tie the score.
On the ensuing kickoff Southeast kicked it short. The ball bounced at the 30. The Trojans recovered and were back in business with :56 left in the game. On a 4th and 9 play from the 29, Jacobson scrambled and connected with Thaxton on a pass. Thaxton did the rest, breaking tackles to get into the endzone for a 29-yard TD with 11 seconds left in the game.
The win brings home a second state championship for Southeast, with their first one coming in 2005.
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Photo via Southeast of Salina