It was their last time playing South for the Mayor’s Cup, but the Mustang seniors made the most of it by beating their crosstown rivals 52-28.

“I thought we played really well,” senior linebacker Dawson Hogan said. “We came out. We’ve been preparing for this since the summer, and we came out and dominated.”

It was the Mustangs’ second-straight victory over South, and the seniors went 3-1 in their careers against the Cougars.

Senior running back Kenyon McMillan had a game to remember. He rushed for 174 yards and scored three touchdowns, including one each on a punt and kick return.

“It was fun all around,” McMillan said. “Just to beat the cross-town rivals in the home opening game is fun, always. I feel great that we came out with a win, you can’t ask for anything better.”

This victory will of course be remembered by the seniors, but so will other memories that might not seem so important to somebody who doesn’t play on the football team.

When asked about some of their favorite Central football memories, their answers varied from locker room moments, to team dinners, and certain games.

“Something I’ve learned with Central is no matter how hard or how bad the adversity is, keep going and things will be right,” McMillan said.

It’s not only this game that the seniors are feeling confident about, but the entire upcoming season as well.

“I think practices are going way smoother than usual,” senior wide receiver Talan Gary said. “I feel like the coaches are really trusting the seniors even though we have not very many of them. It really helps during practice.”

We may not be sure for what lies ahead in the season, but one thing’s for sure. The 2022 Mayor’s Cup will go down in Salina Central history.