After a rough few years, the Golden Buffalos have broken through in a big way this season.
“The last time that we had a winning record was 2008,” athletic director Matthew Kelly said, “we were 5-4.”
Many may have expected the team to win the usual one to two games this season that has been the norm for the last decade or more, but under the guidance of head coach Corby Milleson the team has seen a rise that no one could have predicted.
Kelly brought on Milleson to coach football here at Southeast last year, knowing he would be the perfect fit for the job.
“When the previous coach resigned, I was just looking for a veteran coach that knew the kind of culture we wanted around here, and I needed someone that has done it in the past.” Kelly said, “I didn’t want a new coach because we failed at hiring new coaches in the past several times that we’ve hired coaches here at this building, and so I had a previous relationship with Milleson, and I knew he could do the job, and so I convinced him to come here, and we got him.”
Milleson came to Southeast with the ultimate goal of instilling a new culture in the Golden Buffalos’ locker room, which the players agree is working well for the team.
“He’s given everyone a chance,” tight end Jacob Norris (12) said, “I remember my junior year, our first year under Coach Millison, I was coming off of an injury where I set my foot on fire, and he gave me a chance to start that year.”
“Everyone’s getting more racking up yards, receiving yards, tackles, sacks and everything like that,” linebacker Marcus Johnson (12) said, “everyone’s doing pretty good individually.”
The season began with a close win against South on Sept. 5, but the team would face an unfortunate loss against Bishop Caroll on Sept. 12.
Despite the adversity the team faced, coach Milleson helped to instill a positive mindset in the players to help them move on from adversity.
“We have a goldfish mentality,” Milleson said, “ten seconds later we got to get on to the next play.”
The team’s next taste of victory came with their games against Topeka on Sept. 18 and Heights on Sept. 26, marking their second and third wins of the season, a fact Milleson attributes to the player’s combined efforts throughout the season.
“I think we’ve continued to improve each and every single week” he said, “and if we keep doing that, then we’ll continue to play football games into the playoffs.”
The team followed their win with a loss against Kapaun on Oct. 3 but would quickly bounce back with a win against Garden City on Oct. 10 which would mark the first time since 2009 that the team has gotten four wins in a single season.
The team then followed that up with yet another win against West on Oct. 17, the first time the team had seen five wins in a single season since 2008.
The Golden Buffalos then capped off the regular season with a dominant win against North, 64-0, on Oct 23 for their first six-win in a season since 2007.
After their strong play this year, the players have found themselves more than excited for upcoming games.
“After three years of back-to-back losing and finally stepping onto the field my senior year and catching a few dubs, and it’s really just kind of inspirational,” Noris said, “and I really hope that the younger class may carry on that trend.”
On Oct 31, the team hosted their first post season game in at least the past 25 years, which they would go on to win against Heights 7-0. This now marks the first time since 1999 the team has won seven games in a single season.
With Milleson continuing to work with the players for better results each game, the future looks promising for the Golden Buffalos, and we can hope now that 2026 will bring another winning season for Southeast,
“I’m really pleased with the kids; I’m really excited for them,” Milleson said, “coming to Southeast might have been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
