By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
For many teams across the state of Kansas, a trip to a state basketball tournament is something to be cherished, something rare, and something most players will never get to experience.
For the Abilene Cowboys, this will mark a third 4A state appearance in four years under head coach Erik Graefe, proving to all that Abilene is still at the top of its game.
The road to a state title is always a winding one, but at 19-3, the Cowboys have taken everything in stride and will be ready to lay it all on the line in Salina this week.
“We’ve learned to be a little more patient offensively throughout the year,” Abilene head coach Erik Graefe said. “It was all about our press early and getting buckets off turnovers but teams figure that out as the season goes on. The kids have figured out how to exploit mismatches instead of forcing things.”
All three of those Cowboy losses come with an asterisk, as they came at the hands of 6A Wichita North, 5A Great Bend, and 5A Hays, all by an average of just six points.
“You want to play really good, physical teams that speed you up and that’s what the SIT and Hays do for us,” Graefe said. “We need to feel that physicality and pressure, and we wanted to play those bigger schools, hopefully that pays dividends for us in Salina.”
Those games certainly had Abilene prepared last week, as the Cowboys eliminated rival Chapman 59-48 before coming back to knock off Pratt 47-42 in the sub-state championship game.
“We didn’t play particularly well in either of those sub-state games but our guys found a way to win and that’s been a recurring theme for this team this year,” he said. “It’s a testament to the eight guys who get the bulk of our minutes, they understand what needs to be done and they make plays.”
After a brief absence from the 4A bracket last year, the Cowboys make their triumphant return to a place that’s become a mainstay this time of year, and one Abilene will look to make a run at in 2024.
“Familiarity can be something as simple as knowing how to get to your locker room,” Graefe said. “Those little things play a role psychologically but we’re familiar with the building, we know what it’s going to feel like and we’ve got three guys who were on the floor the last time we were in the state tournament.”
While the Cowboys will be making their third appearance at state in four years, Abilene is still in search of its first playoff win during that span and returns a group that will be eager to get on the floor and do just that on Thursday night.
“We want to show up and I know that sounds cliche but we were a little like deer in the headlights the last time we were there,” he said. “We want to be present in every situation, to play our best, and to expect to win. I trust our guys to do just that.”
Standing in Abilene’s way is the defending 4A state champion Hugoton Eagles, an imposing foe who will be just as hungry for a chance to claim back-to-back state titles.
“Hugoton is really good,” Graefe said. “They have three returning starters from a state champion and that experience is huge. Not only have they been in that building but they’ve won the thing. They’re good defensively, they’re physical and they have an excellent point guard, strong guys down low, and guys that can shoot the three. It’s going to be hard it’s exactly what we want and it should be fun.”
Tip-off between the Cowboys and Eagles is set for 8:00 at Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina, with the winner advancing to play either 20-2 Atchison or 18-4 Rock Creek on Friday night.