Sure enough, reviving the Rams’ program hasn’t been easy. They are just 2-6 overall (0-1 Delaware Valley League) and enter the Tonganoxie Invitational Tournament on a three-game losing streak with losses to Perry-Lecompton, Troy and Silver Lake.

Offense has been the Rams’ No. 1 problem this season. They allow just 47 points per game on average, but by scoring just 40 points per game on offense they haven’t given themselves many chances to win. Pleasant Ridge’s top showing was a 47-point performance in a three-point victory against Jefferson County North, if that’s any indication of how much of an uphill battle the Rams has fought. They scored 46 points in their one-point loss to Perry-Lecompton.

Fortunately for Shelton, his squad is very young. He has just three seniors — Allison Howard, Shelby Lorenzo and Megan Mance — on the roster, so plenty of sophomores and juniors are seeing varsity action, including juniors Michaela Forge, Ashley Meinert, Rosie Amos, Abby Trentham and sophomores Whitney Ransom, Kysa Powers, Anamarie Stafford, Stephanie Hattok, Robin Grenier and Sarah Johnson.

The Rams are looking for a confidence boost and a few victories at the Tonganoxie Invitational, but that could be tough to come by. They open with Lansing — a squad that has won four of its last five games — and then will play Metro Academy or have a rematch with Silver Lake.

SLHS drilled Pleasant Ridge, 52-38, on Saturday in a contest that never was close. The Rams trailed 28-17 at halftime and were behind by 15 after three quarters. Stafford led the way with a team-high 12 points in the loss, while Howard added 10 and Meinert scored nine