By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Chapman Fighting Irish and Lady Irish basketball teams will kick off sub-state play this week with games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The boys team will be up first entering the bracket on the road as the four-seed with an overall record of 3-13. The first game for Chapman is scheduled to tip off at 7pm this evening.
The first opponent for the Fighting Irish will be top-seeded Abilene, who come in with a regular season record of 10-5, but on a roll winning each of their last four games.
The two have met twice already this year with Abilene winning both games, first in mid-January 50-35 and then again just a few weeks ago by a final of 60-50.
The Cowboys are led by Kaleb Becker and Avery Bryson, a duo that has combined to average around 25 points per game this season.
With both of these teams playing in a four team bracket, the winner will advance straight to the sub-state final to face the winner of the 2-3 matchup between 9-10 Concordia and 4-14 Clay Center on Friday.
The Lady Irish will be up next with a 7pm tip on Wednesday. The girls team will also enter the bracket as the four-seed with an overall record of 1-15.
Chapman will have a tall task in front of them as they will face the second-ranked team in class 4A in 18-0 Clay Center.
The two teams met once this season back in early February with the Lady Tigers taking a dominant 64-12 win.
Clay Center has outscored their opponents by 45o points this season and has been held to a single-digit win by just two teams in 2020-21.
The winner of this game will also advance to the tournament final to play the winner of the 2-3 matchup between 8-11 Concordia and 4-13 Abilene.
Stay tuned to the Salina Post for continuing coverage of the Chapman Fighting Irish and Lady Irish throughout the sub-state tournament.