By TYLER HENRY
Salina Post contributor
The Ell-Saline Cardinals will begin sub-state play on Monday and Tuesday of this week, with two big matchups in round one of the tournament.
The boys team will get things started at 7pm on Monday, and will have the steepest hill to climb, entering the bracket as the eight seed, and searching for their first win at 0-19.
The Cardinals will have to travel to face the best team in the tournament in 16-3 Hillsboro, a team that has been virtually unbeatable since early December.
The Trojans have won 16 of their last 17 games, with their last loss coming to 3A Hesston on February 11th.
Should the Cardinals advance, they will travel to play the winner of the brackets 4-5 matchup between 13-7 Moundridge and 11-7 Sedgwick.
On Tuesday the Lady Cardinals will begin their tournament run with a similar level of difficulty facing the same opponent as the boys.
Ell-Saline’s girls enter sub-state with an overall record of 6-13, which makes them the eight seed, and will force them to travel to Hillsboro to face the top-seeded Trojans at 7pm on Tuesday.
Hillsboro’s girls team is also 16-3, and will pose a steep challenge to the Lady Cardinals, having lost just one game since January 19th.
If the Ell-Saline can pull the upset, they would travel to take on the winner of the 4-5 matchup featuring 8-7 Bennington and 9-9 Sedgwick.
Stay tuned to the Salina Post for continuing coverage of Cardinals and Lady Cardinals basketball as the sub-state tournament continues.