GYPSUM, Kan. – The Smoky Valley Vikings hit the hardwood for the first time in 2025 on Thursday night in a non-league affair at Southeast of Saline. In a tough girls battle, the Vikings fell just short, while the Trojan boys got off to a hot start and never looked back in a resounding win.
Girls-Southeast of Saline 61, Smoky Valley 59 (ot) – A back and forth game saw Southeast of Saline lead by as many as seven early in the second quarter and 22-19 at halftime. After the Trojans scored the first basket of the second half, Smoky Valley went on a 10-0 run to lead 29-24 midway through the third quarter. The Vikings stretched their lead to eight after three quarters and held a 52-48 lead with 19 seconds remaining. However, Southeast freshman Reese Heinrich made two free throws and her classmate Kyiah Samuelson made a jumper before the end of regulation to send the game to overtime at 52-52. Southeast scored the first four points of overtime and never trailed, eking out a two-point win.
Kat Blanchat came up big for Smoky Valley with a season-high 26 points and Kenzley Haxton added 12. Regan Duran led four Southeast of Saline players in double figures with 15, going 6-6 from the free throw line and 3-3 from beyond the three-point arc. The Vikings fell to 0-5 on the season and the Trojans are now 4-2.
SV – Blanchat 26, Haxton 12, Boughfman 8, Eyer 6, Ryan 5, Debaere 2
SES – Duran 15, Douglas 13, Pearson 12, Samuelson 11, Heinrich 6, Rohr 2, Villalaz 2
Boys-Southeast of Saline 69, Smoky Valley 23 – The Trojan boys held a 10-6 lead early and led 19-8 after one quarter, but a 19-6 second quarter gave them a 24-point lead by halftime. Southeast outscored Smoky Valley 18-3 in the third quarter on their way to the big win. Gannon Jacobson and Owen Bailey each tallied 18 points for the Trojans. Jacobson scored ten in the first quarter, while Bailey cashed three three-pointers in the third quarter. Southeast of Saline is now 2-4 on the season and the Vikings fell to 0-5. Nobody scored in double figures for Smoky Valley as they were led by Ty Heitschmidt and Nicholas Carlson with six points each.
SV – Carlston 6, Heitschmidt 6, Olson 4, Pavlovich 4, Gengler 3
SES – Bailey 18, Jacobson 18, Gebhardt 6, Carlin 5, Heinrich 5, Knopf 4, Parry 4, Thiel 4, Kejr 2, Sawyers 2, Schroeder 1
