You know the hole well, it doesn't change much and it's not the place you want to find yourself if you need a quick exit strategy.

Because once you're in it again although you're very familiar with what the hole looks like from the inside and you somehow got yourself out in time the last time around, you're still stuck with the same problem you've had before. Namely, the best way to pull yourself out of said hole.

Welcome, folks, to Smithfield-Selma's foray into the Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference football season so far.

The Spartans fell in their third touchdown or more hole in the first half Friday night at Tucker Stadium and couldn't recover, falling to Southeast Raleigh, 41-13.

The loss likely ends any hopes the Spartans had for a first conference football championship since the 1997 season, leaving them with a 1-2 mark in the league and at 5-2 overall. Southeast (5-2 overall as well) kept its hopes for a league title alive, moving to 2-1.

A week after rallying from a deficit to beat East Wake, Smithfield-Selma trailed 20-0 against the Bulldogs by the eight-minute mark of the second quarter.

Southeast Raleigh established the game's overriding trend on the opening drive of the contest. The Bulldogs moved the ball swiftly through the air and on the ground at times but SSS came up with a few big plays of its own to make things tougher. But when it mattered most, Southeast's offense prevailed.

The Bulldogs converted a fourth-and-2 on their half of the 50 when the Spartans jumped offside before the snap. Then, Southeast converted a third-and-13 and a fourth-and-7 later in the drive, which ended with the first of three consecutive scoring runs by Bulldog quarterback Gabe Henderson.

On the night, Southeast converted the first down six times after facing third-and-9 or longer situations. Henderson's touchdown runs covered 2-, 33- and 1-yard.

Smithfield-Selma got on the board late in the second quarter when Jarocka Jones finished off a 10-play drive with a 3-yard TD run, getting SSS back within 20-6 with 1:30 to play in the half.

But Southeast upped the lead right back to 20-plus points with just six seconds to go in the half after Henderson found Jamar Satterwhite behind the Spartan secondary on what became a 55-yard TD pass.

"We were able to establish a lead and maintain it for the most part," said Southeast Raleigh coach Daniel Finn. "Smithfield-Selma's got some explosive players and I thought we did a good job of holding them in check. It helps the other team a lot as well when No. 33's not there as well."

No. 33 is Spartans' standout linebacker/fullback Justin Dixon who did not play Friday night. He was suspended for the game.

Still, Smithfield-Selma came right back with another score to start the second half. UNC recruit D.J. Bunn raced for a 24-yard TD run that was set up by a 76-yard kick off return by Josh Snead.

Satterwhite and Henderson connected again later in the quarter to get the Bulldogs' lead back to three touchdowns.

"When you play a team with the speed Southeast has and you don't come out ready to play, you're going to be in trouble," he said. "We blew a lot of assignments; when you do that against good teams, you're going to give up big plays."

Smithfield-Selma, meanwhile, couldn't come up with enough big plays of its own offensively. The Spartans created several Southeast turnovers with Jones picking off a Henderson pass and Carlos Ryals and Erick Herrera recovering fumbles. Offensively, though, SSS was unable to get away from the Bulldogs' speedy defenders.

SSS had five plays of 10 or more yards (and none longer than Bunn's 24-yard run) to Southeast's nine plays of 10 or more. The Bulldogs had three plays that covered more than 30 yards, all of which went for TDs.

Jones led the Spartans in rushing with 57 yards on 11 carries, while Bunn added 46 yards.

"We were trying to ease D.J. back into things a little after he missed last week with an injury," Barbour said. "Jarocka did a good job on both sides of the ball for us. But we've got to make more plays than we made tonight."

Henderson threw for 296 for Southeast on 13-of-25 attempts.