High School Football Preview: Lincoln Southeast seniors aim to claim first postseason win
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Playoffs are the standard at Lincoln Southeast.
It’s been that way for the Knights since 2018, making seven straight postseason appearances.
But in three straight seasons, they’ve fallen short in the first round.
That means this senior class is still searching for its first playoff win.
“We’re starving to get past that,” said Caden Ward, senior tight end and outside linebacker. “That’s really our main goal.”
The team is also taking last year’s loss into 2025.
“We had a tough loss in the playoffs to Millard North,” said Nate Appleget, senior linebacker and wide receiver. “But I liked the way our team played all year, and we’re hoping that can carry into this season.”
With sights set on changing that result, Ward hopes the team can take a slower approach during the season.
“Last year we had some times where we did look ahead, and that hurt us a little bit,” Ward said. “I think this year if we just slow it down, take it day by day. we can really get the smaller details that we were missing last year. We can perform better.”
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Ryan Gottula is no stranger to the sidelines at Southeast, having been head coach for over a decade.
He said last year’s 7-3 record helped the team shape up for what’s to come this season.
“We had some younger guys step up and get some good experience, and we’re hoping it will be pretty important for us going into this season,” Gottula said. “The leadership has been great; the work ethic has been great. A lot of guys are learning new things but supporting each other.”
The Knights will kick off their 2025 season versus Grand Island on Aug. 29.
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