For The Dialog
and Mike Lang
Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – High expectations are nothing new for the girls’ basketball team at St. Elizabeth, but this year the boys also have hopes raised on Cedar Street. The Vikings were 16-4 during the regular season last year, then won a game in the postseason before bowing out against Sanford. This season, the Vikings are off to a 2-0 start.
Despite the loss of some key players, Dick Rago’s Vikings are deep, talented and explosive. Jordan Money is back turning heads from the wing, but he is hardly alone. Sophomores Chris Cropper and Nathan Thomas both got significant experience as freshmen and are off to good starts this season. Elijah Dockery and Brian Miles round out the starting lineup. In their season-opening tournament at A.I. DuPont High School, the reserves were in early and saw significant playing time.
“That’s very rare,” Money said Saturday at A.I. We never used to do that in past years. That’s something new.”
Rago is happy to have the talent and players who are willing to sacrifice for the Vikings’ greater good. “That’s only going to make us better all year long. We have good players that are sitting on the bench and would be playing in other places. We have good practices and good practices make it easier in the games.”
St. E’s will travel to Slam Dunk to the Beach, where they will meet Mount Pleasant. Besides two games against Salesianum, the Vikings’ challenging slate includes Sanford, Howard, Hodgson and Smyrna. A deep run in the playoffs is not out of the question for St. Elizabeth.
Rago doesn’t want to think too far ahead despite the team’s start.
“I’m very excited, but it’s way too early at this point. I think this team can gel, and if it does gel, if we get the chemistry – so far, so good – this could be a very, very good team,” he said.
Remaining schedule (Home games in CAPS)
12/10/15 CONCORD 7 pm
12/14/15 @ Howard 5 pm
12/19/15 HODGSON 3 pm
12/28/15 vs St. Raymond’s (N.Y.) @ Cape Henlopen noon Slam Dunk to the Beach
12/29/15 vs Mount Pleasant @ Cape Henlopen noon Slam Dunk to the Beach
01/08/16 @ Salesianum 7:30 pm
01/12/16 WILLIAM PENN 7 pm
01/14/16 @ Sanford 5:15 pm
01/19/16 @ St. Mark’s 7:15 pm
01/22/16 @ Archmere 6:15 pm
01/29/16 SALESIANUM 7:30 pm
02/02/16 DICKINSON 6:45 pm
02/04/16 CARAVEL 7:15 pm
02/0816 ST. MARK’S 7:15 pm
02/11/16 SMYRNA 6:45 pm
02/13/16 @ Friends 12:30 pm
02/18/16 @ Charter 5:30 pm
02/20/16 APPOQUINIMINK 3 pm
