The Salina Central football team claimed the 2025 5A state football title for the first time in over 20 years, defeating Basehor-Linwood 51-34 last Friday in Emporia.
The enthusiasm from the school and community surrounding the football team this year created an energy that brought a fire to the field, head coach Mark Sandbo said.
“All through the year, there was just a crescendoing of a buzz of excitement,” said Sandbo, whose Mustangs finished the season 12-1. “Friday, November 28, it just was an eruption of excitement.”
Senior linebacker Jesus Delgado also emphasized the support from the fans as well as the importance of the title to the school.
“It’s huge for Salina Central athletics,” Delgado said. “When you have the right guys and a great fan base, a lot of things happen, and this year really went our way.”
The team trailed 14-10 going into halftime, but came out and immediately created a turnover to start the half. In the second half, the Mustangs scored 41 points and forced five turnovers.
Sandbo said the discussion in the locker room at halftime was simple, but set the team in motion for the second half.
He asked the team to mentally go back to before the season started to help them understand that a halftime deficit wasn’t the end of the world.
“We looked at August 1 and said, ‘You’re in the state championship, and you’re down 14-10. Would you take that?’” Sandbo said. “Now let’s go make it the two best quarters we possibly could.”
Senior running back Cooper Reves, who rushed for 273 yards and four touchdowns in the championship game, attributed the electric second half to making small changes and the offensive line creating openings for him.
“In a game that big, the small details are going to make the biggest difference,” said Reves, who also led the team with 68 receiving yards. “The linemen started working really hard and moving guys, and that opened up holes for me, and I was able to run quite easily after that.”
Junior quarterback Griffin Hall, who threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 63 yards and a score, said that the energy of the senior class played a large role in the win and is something that he plans to carry on into his own senior year.
“I would just say the energy and leadership that we had this season was a big part of our success,” Hall said. “One of my goals is to be an even bigger leader next year.”
This senior class made a huge impact this season and how they carried themselves rubbed off on the rest of the team, Sandbo said.
“How they approach things, how they go about their business, what they think they can do, all that is powerful and positive,” Sandbo said. “They were always prepared, and when those moments arose, they made the most of it.”
The class of 2026 leaves big shoes to be filled, Sandbo said. However, he is excited to see the new talent that arises come next season.
“There’s going to be some kids that we can’t replicate,” Sandbo said. “Then August kicks up again, and you know, people surprise you, and all of the sudden there’s new personalities and a new dynamic, and you end up missing those eventually too.”
