Golden Buffaloes roar back: Southeast football off to best start since 2008
In most football programs, a few sideline chants would barely be noticed.
But for Wichita Southeast, where decades of losing have made road trips quiet and lonely, that self-made noise meant everything.
Last Friday in Topeka, second-year head coach Corby Milleson heard something new: chants of “De-fense” and shouts of encouragement from his players filling the silence. A small act, maybe, but in a 6-0 win it felt like a breakthrough — a sign this program is starting to believe.
That shift has translated into something Southeast hasn’t felt in years: hope. For the first time since 2008, the Golden Buffaloes are 2-1, no longer stuck at the bottom.
“I know everybody likes to talk about culture, but it really is the biggest thing,” Milleson said. “Being in the weight room, doing film study, all of the little things it takes to be successful.”
The foundation started last fall, when Southeast rebounded from an 0-6 start to win two of its final three games and pushed powerhouse Northwest in a 35-24 playoff loss. With a large senior class back, Milleson believed the momentum would carry over to this season. Three weeks in, it has.
The buy-in shows every day. Senior lineman James Horn boiled it down to one word: “mentality.”
“Coach held everyone to the same standard, whether you were a starter or a backup,” Horn said. “That made sure everyone felt equal.”
Horn said this year’s seniors have made sure the underclassmen see — and follow — that standard.
“The younger guys are going to follow what they see the leaders do,” Horn said. “So if they see the older guys skipping class or goofing off during drills, they’re going to do that. And that was happening at Southeast for a long time, which is why we didn’t have such a good season.”
It’s shown up on the field, especially with junior running back Kedrick Harrison. After dedicating himself to the weight room following last season, he’s rushed for 366 yards in three games. He’s stronger, faster and the perfect example of the culture shift.
“We want to be really good at the boring stuff — 2 yards, 3 yards, 4 yards, 40 yards,” Milleson said. “That’s what Kedrick has done this year. He’s playing really good football right now.”
Up front, Horn and fellow linemen Torean Kincaid, Jim Brizgaloff, Lenny Lopez and Tevin Brown-Barrier, along with tight end Jacob Norris, have paved the way.
On defense, Southeast has embraced an ultra-aggressive style, blitzing on nearly every snap and letting players call their own adjustments on the field. The defense has been led by Marcus Johnson, Will O’Bar, Kenny Jackson, Vernon Williams, Kasen Hartfield, Ja’zere Sanders, Malachi Hines and Jordan Young.
“We’re going to pressure you 100% of the time,” Milleson said. “We’re not going to let you breathe. We’re going to keep going after it.”
The defense scored the only touchdown last week on O’Bar’s interception return, but five red-zone turnovers showed Southeast is still learning how to finish.
That, Milleson said, is the next step — handling success.
“It’s been a lot of fun helping these guys learn how to win,” Milleson said. “But a lot of kids don’t know how to handle success if they’ve never had it before, so keeping them humble is the challenge.”
Friday brings another chance — this time against at home against east-side rival Heights. The rivalry has been one-sided for decades: 25 straight Heights wins since 2001, most by four touchdowns or more.
For a program trying to prove it’s different, nothing would make a louder statement.
After the confidence-boosting win over South in Week 1, the Golden Buffaloes won’t be short on confidence on Friday.
“South was coming off an amazing season, so we knew if we could beat them, then we had the potential to be great this year,” Horn said. “We always knew in our hearts that we could be a good team if we just go out there and play.”
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 6:01 AM.
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