By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
Ell-Saline and Sacred Heart will square off to begin their 2021-22 campaigns on Friday night as the Cardinals welcome the Knights into Brookeville.
Sacred Heart got the better of Ell-Saline last season winning the first meeting between the two since 2016 58-45.
While this battle of area schools does have some history, the heat has been lowered a bit in recent years as the dynamic between the players has shifted.
“These rivalry games aren’t the same as they were in the 80's or 90's,” Cardinals head coach Bill Gies said. “Many of them are actually teammates on softball teams or traveling teams.”
While few games have been played between the two teams over the years, both have remained cognizant of the other and neither will be caught off guard by anything on Friday night.
“Our girls are definitely ready to get on the game court,” Gies said. “Sacred Heart always plays hard for the whole game and they work hard on the fundamentals as well.”
While Coach Gies enters his second season at the helm for Ell-Saline, this will be the first game as head coach for Sacred Heart’s Carl Hines.
Hines inherits a team fresh off an 11-8 record but both teams will have a number of new starters and no true center coming into the first game of the season.
“We don’t have a six-foot player but we have really good team speed,” Gies said. “We need to rebound well and look to get out and run.”
Senior Jailynn Rowe and juniors Tessa Junk and Kiera Cochran should provide steady leadership for Sacred Heart while Ell-Saline will rely on a trio of seniors in Raynee Hardesty, Sadie Bradley, and Raleigh Kramer.
Tip-off between the Cardinals and Knights is set for 6 pm with the boys game to follow at 7.
For more on both teams throughout the 2021-22 season, stay tuned to the Salina Post.