It had been 23 years since Southeast Whitfield had defeated Northwest Whitfield in football, a span of 18 games, so it’s understandable the 3-1 Raiders are enjoying life during their open week.
A year after ending a postseason drought that was approaching three decades, coach Sean Gray’s team continued to check off goals with its 21-12 win over the Bruins, their Region 7-AAAA and intracounty rivals.
“It was a huge monkey off our backs to finally beat Northwest after all these years,” said Gray, a Southeast graduate who is in his fourth season leading the team. “It gives our program more credibility and our kids some confidence. It’s a big, big win for our community and our school.”
Southeast rushed for 252 yards in the region opener against the Bruins (2-1), with Tyler Brown gaining 131 and fellow senior Devin Fields adding 94. The Raiders also showed off an improved defense, limiting Northwest – which was without starting quarterback Luke Shiflett (broken collarbone) in the second half – to 140 total yards.
“Defensively, we had talked this summer that we had a chance to be improved on defense,” said Gray, mentioning the play of noseguard Leo Gandara and defensive end Britt Hasty. “We’ve gotten a tougher mental attitude on defense, and we’re proud of what we’ve done there.”