Watching the film of Salem Hills on Sunday night, Highland basketball coach Keith West wasn't finding too many advantages for his team for Tuesday's second round playoff game.

"I don't know that we do [have an advantage]," West said.

First of all, Salem Hills shoots the ball well, West said. That's important for a team that lacks size in much the same way as Highland, who has been the undersized team on many occasions this season. But Salem Hills' post players, 6-foot-4 Landon Simonson and 6-foot-2 Jake Skinner, play bigger than the heights listed on the roster. The duo has combined for more than half of the team's scoring and much of its rebounding. Add to it all that Salem Hills earned a first-round bye while Highland fought through a first-round home game, and the deck may be pretty well stacked against the Rams.

Highland defeated Mountain View handily, 57-42, on Saturday to advance in the playoffs. But it was still one more game to stress out West and his coaching staff, one more game to wear on his player's legs and one more game that the Rams had to prepare for while Salem Hills rested up and watched more film on Highland, the overwhelming favorite in the first-round match-up. Highland escaped Saturday's game with a decisive victory and, maybe more importantly, no injuries. Although the scoreboard showed a 23-point advantage for Highland at one point, the team's focus slipped from time to time, making the game more competitive than necessary and forcing West to plug his starters back into the lineup late.

"We played five or six minutes that I was really pleased with," West said. "The rest we played okay. We were just better than they were."

West wasn't sold on that same notion for Tuesday's contest. His team has much more than a puncher's chance, he knows, but it's going to take a total team effort from the Rams to outduel the Skyhawks. It's a good thing for Highland that forming a well-rounded team has been a point of emphasis this season.

"They've got to defend all of our guys," West said. "That's something that we stress. Everybody has an opportunity to score."

The offense runs through junior stars Sam Orchard and Nate Fakahafua, averaging 16.5 points and 12.4 points, respectively. But the tandem has received more and more attention as the season has gone on, with team's recognizing that letting those two work as they wish is a recipe for defeat. With the added attention to Orchard and Fakahafua, other players have increased their production, making the Rams more difficult to guard. Maybe that is Highland's advantage over Salem Hills, West said, it's ability to force the Skyhawks to be accountable defensively for every player on the court at all times.

Whatever Highland puts together in its one full day of preparation for its opponent, it had to be good. Salem Hills got out of the gates slowly, but picked up major momentum near the end of the season, currently riding a five-game winning streak and surprisingly snatching a share of the Region 8 title.

"They've beat some pretty good teams," West said. "They're a tough match-up."