By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Ell-Saline girl's basketball team will travel to Solomon to take on the Gorillas tonight in the first of two area showdowns for the Cardinals this week.
Ell-Saline is off to a hot 2-0 start while Solomon has stumbled out of the gate at 0-2, but is putting the pieces together with one of the youngest teams in the state.
“The effort has been good as there's lots of learning to do,” Solomon head coach Bill Scheef said. “When you have 12 freshmen on your squad and have to start three of them it's easy for them to get overwhelmed. They are learning that there is a vast difference between JH basketball and playing against veterans at the varsity level.”
That young group will have to contest with one of the fastest squads in Class 1A in a Cardinals team that loves to run and at times, has completely shut down opponents.
“We are occasionally very good defensively,” Ell-Saline head coach Bill Gies said. “We’re still young and in search of consistency, but there are times where we look out there and we’re really impressed with what we’re seeing.”
While both teams have played with pace this season, one key for Solomon will actually be slowing things down a bit as the two collide on Thursday night.
“We have talked to them about being patient and understanding what a good shot looks like,” Scheef said. “We just can't get in a fast-paced, transition game and give our opponents quick possessions.”
While Solomon is working through their rebuild, Ell-Saline knows that the records mean nothing when the two take the floor.
“It can be easy for high school kids to look past a team like this but I know that Bill will have them ready to go,” Gies said. Their kids are capable of playing better if we allow them to play better and I guarantee he has them in a good place to be successful tonight.”
For Solomon, these early season games are every bit as much about learning as they are winning.
We have to relax against their pressure and survive their defensive spurts,” Scheef said. “For us, it's not ‘win or lose,’ It's win or learn." We must remain patient, positive and ask them to just be the very best version of themselves today that they can be.”
With a victory, Ell-Saline could be out to their first 3-0 start since 2011.
“We need to get out and run,” Gies said. “We have to shoot the ball well as a team, and to do that we need to throw that extra pass to get the five-footer with nobody around instead of the sixteen-footer.”
Tip-off between the Cardinals and Gorillas is set for 6 pm at Solomon High School.
Ell-Saline will be back in action for another area matchup against Bennington on Friday night.