By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
For two straight seasons, the Ell-Saline boy’s basketball team didn’t win a single game.
Last season, the Cardinals turned a corner, battling night in and night out but still finishing the season with just three victories.
With a 63-35 triumph over Solomon last night, Ell-Saline collected their third win in as many games to start the season 3-0, a remarkable feat for a program looking to turn the corner in their rebuild.
“It speaks volumes about the type of high character and quality individuals we have within the program,” Cardinals head coach Marty Wendel said. “Sometimes it's easier to jump ship and go to a different school instead of sticking it out and grinding with the group you have. An individual staying and battling regardless of the wins and losses shows how tough and resilient they truly are.”
With the wins, has come confidence, and with that confidence, has come more wins, a cycle that has allowed Ell-Saline to fly out of the starting gates in 2022.
“We are starting to understand how good we can be if we play through all five guys on the offensive end,” Wendel said. “This group is showing that winning is more important than individual stats and if we keep buying into that we will only get better. “
Now, the Cardinals will turn their attention to a Bennington team that has beaten them in each of their last nine meetings, and look to get back on the right side of a high-energy rivalry.
“Bennington is a top ten team in 2A and a hated rival of ours so of course we are excited for this one,” he said.
Much like they did in their win over Solomon, overcoming adversity and playing through miscues will be key for Ell-Saline today.
“We were consistent on the defensive end following our game plan,” he said. “Did we have some mistakes, absolutely, but those mistakes didn't happen very often which frustrated Solomon and allowed us to continue to increase our lead.”
In addition to the fundamental keys on the floor, the Cardinals will need to keep their composure amidst a rivalry atmosphere that has a reputation for getting chippy from time to time.
“We don't like them, they don't like us and it is going to be a war come 2:30 this afternoon,” Wendel said. “We have to control our emotions and continue to play with a ton of confidence on both ends of the floor.”
Tip-off between the Cardinals and Bulldogs is set for 2:30 pm at Bennington High School following the girl's game at 1.