ARLINGTON — One week after advancing to the Class B State Tournament, Arlington’s excitement hasn’t worn off.

The top-seeded Cardinals are entering the tournament with a record of 21-2 and will play their first game against eighth-seeded James Valley Christian at the Summit Arena at The Monument in Rapid City on Thursday at 1 p.m. Central time.

If that wasn’t enough to create some buzz, the community has pitched in, helping the Cardinals prepare for their moment.

“It’s been a fun but busy week,” Arlington head coach Tara King said. “We have lots of people in the community who are parents or just going above and beyond making sure that this is a great atmosphere and an experience for the girls. From pep rallies to charter busses to extra food and snacks, making sure we’re all prepared, I would say our excitement has not died whatsoever.”

The team effort to get the Cardinals ready for the state tournament is fitting considering how Arlington reached the state tournament. The Cardinals are connected on and off the court and they’re hoping it will lead them to a state title among a talented field this weekend.

Arlington is led by a young core which contains one senior in Harley Johnson. While Johnson has averaged 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and three assists this season, she’s been complemented by a young nucleus that includes juniors Addalyn Steffensen (16.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.2 apg), Jolyssa Steffensen (8.7 ppg, 3.4 steals per game) and sophomore Jaelyn Huntimer (14.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.6 steals per game).

The group has allowed Arlington to put up solid offensive numbers, averaging 56.8 points per game this season, but the Cardinals have been fueled by their defense, which has limited opponents to 42.5 points per game. But more than any strategic adjustments, King believes it’s the team’s camaraderie that has made the difference.

“We have become a really close group,” King said. “We’re more of a family because we spend lots of time together. Within a lot of our interviews, the girls have been sharing that they just spend so much time together and our relationships are really strong where we can get on each other a little bit and challenge each other. We just know that we’re all working for the same thing and we’re all in the right frame of mind.”

That mindset will be tested among a talented field at this weekend’s tournament. Their opening matchup with the Vikings is a rematch of a Feb. 8 game in Arlington where the Cardinals squeezed out a 49-47 victory thanks to Huntimer’s 17 points and 11 points and 13 rebounds from Addalyn Steffensen.

“They’re a hard-working group,” King said of the Vikings. “They’re a hard-working group and the last time we played them, they really pounded the ball inside. They don’t have a lot of size but we just need to go in and make sure we are ready for that battle of guarding the post and lots of pick and rolls. They’re a team that’s never going to give up and they’re not going to stop, so we expect it to be a battle the whole game.”

Even if the Cardinals get past the Vikings, they’ll have a tough matchup against the other six teams in the bracket. The No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup features Ethan, a team that defeated the Cardinals 51-41 at the Hanson Classic on Jan. 19, and Wall, who was the Class B runner-up last season.

With undefeated No. 2 seed Harding County (22-0) and No. 3 Centerville (21-2) in the other bracket, Arlington will be challenged on the way to a potential state title.

“Whether you win or lose (on Thursday), you have two really good opponents that you’re going to see in the second round,” King said. “I could say the same thing for the rest of the teams out there as well.”

For now, the Cardinals are focused on how they got there and they’re hoping the team effort can lead them to a deep run in Rapid City.

“They’re ready to go over there,” King said. “They’re competitive. They know what they’re made of and what they are capable of. I just want them to go out with full confidence and show that we are one of the best teams in the state and we’ve earned that right to be able to say that. I’m looking forward to just continuing to show everybody around us what type of team we are.”