By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Last week, the Ell-Saline Cardinals rolled to the first playoff win of their 8-man tenure in dominant 48-0 fashion over Quinter, pitching their third shutout of the 2023 season.
Now, the Cardinals (8-1) turn their attention to a battle with a perennial power in Meade (8-1), who defeated Pratt-Skyline 76-50 in their opening-round matchup.
“We’re playing with confidence,” Ell-Saline head coach Joe Roche said. “We’ve played some really good teams tough and we’ve worked very hard to get to where we are right now.”
There’s no question that this year’s Cardinals have faced a gauntlet of a schedule, going 2-1 in games with Moundridge, Little River, and Clifton-Clyde, three games that should have Ell-Saline ready to go come Friday night.
“I can only hope that our games against some tough opponents have prepared us for this,” Roche said. “We’re healthy, we’re working hard and we’re looking forward to facing a new team with a great tradition that presents a big challenge.”
That challenge comes in the form of a Buffalo team that has run all over its opponents this season, scoring 50 or more points in all but two of their games.
“They’re a physical bunch on offense and we’ll have to play hard and disciplined with sound technique to handle all of that,” he said. “They’re a run-heavy team and they want to beat you at the point of attack and put their speed underneath those blocks.”
Defensively, Meade has looked good, but does have weaknesses, surrendering 30 or more points in three games already this season.
“They have a good secondary and I don’t know how many great passing offenses they’ve faced but they’re sound back there,” Roche said. “They have aggressive linebackers and they have a good three-man front that’s going to test our O-Line for sure.”
To have success again this week, and to continue pushing the 8-man envelope, the Cardinals will have to keep another opponent guessing on defense and find an answer for another team that comes in with an edge in size.
“We’re going to have to continue spreading the wealth offensively and force Meade to play the entire field at all times,” he said. “I don’t know where they grow em but they have a lot of big 200-pound kids and that will be a challenge as well.”
Fortunately for Ell-Saline, this game comes in front of the Brookville faithful, who will be packed in to see their Cardinals attempt to punch their ticket to a quarterfinal.
“Being at home in front of friends, family, and loved ones is so big for us and we view this as a real opportunity,” Roche said. “Our guys are awfully excited for this one.”
Kickoff between the Cardinals and Buffaloes is set for 6:00 in Brookville, and the winner will advance to the 8MDI quarterfinals to face either 8-1 Hoxie or 6-3 LaCrosse.