MEEKER | The Meeker High School boys basketball team closed out its regular season with a pair of victories, defeating De Beque 74-29 on Senior Night before earning a 55-42 road win over Vail Christian to finish 16-7 overall and 8-4 in league play.
The Cowboys’ third-place league finish secured the No. 16 seed in the Class 3A state playoff bracket. Meeker will open postseason play on the road against No. 19 Denver Christian. After missing the postseason last year — the program’s only absence in more than a decade — the Cowboys are back in the field.
Meeker set the tone early Friday against De Beque and never looked back, building a commanding lead behind balanced scoring and relentless defense.
“De Beque came in with some injuries,” head coach Klark Kindler said. “Our kids have been focused all year, so that was not a concern.”
Junior Trent Sanders led all scorers with 29 points, shooting 11-of-18 from the field and knocking down six 3-pointers. He added four rebounds and three assists without committing a turnover.
Defensively, the Cowboys overwhelmed the Dragons, forcing 26 turnovers and recording 18 steals. Junior Cade Mills led the defensive effort with seven steals to go along with eight points and three assists.
“They had two kids that were good shooters and we did a really good job of guarding and getting help on them,” Kindler said.
Said Rodriguez controlled the tempo with six assists, four steals and seven points, while Carlos Carrillo added 12 points and six rebounds inside. Meeker held De Beque to 30% shooting from inside the arc and 17% from 3-point range.
The dominant performance capped Senior Night for Sam Conrado, who finished with two points, four rebounds and three steals in his final regular-season home game.
Meeker carried that momentum into Saturday’s road matchup at Vail Christian. The Saints kept the game competitive, but the Cowboys maintained control down the stretch to secure a 55-42 victory.
“We built on our halftime lead and didn’t allow them to make any runs in the second half,” Kindler said.
The weekend sweep extended Meeker’s winning streak to three games entering the postseason.
“I feel like we have gotten better and we are playing well at the right time of the year,” Kindler said.
Finishing 16-7 overall and 8-4 in league play, the Cowboys placed third in the standings. Kindler said the season reflects steady growth.
“Last year was the only time we have missed postseason in over 10 years,” he said.
Now seeded No. 16, Meeker will travel to face No. 19 Denver Christian in the opening round. Kindler emphasized that defense and efficiency will be critical.
“We have to continue to guard on the defensive end. We have to shoot well and not turn the ball over,” he said. “Shooting the ball, particularly from the outside.”
Kindler believes his team is trending upward at the right time.
“I feel we have played well over the last two or three weeks,” he said. “Playing together and our guards have shot the ball better.”
With a strong defensive identity and improved perimeter shooting, the Cowboys enter the postseason looking to build on their late-season momentum.
Senior Sam Conrado goes up for a shot during Meeker’s Senior Night win against De Beque. Conrado finished the night with two points, four rebounds and three steals in his final regular-season home game. ZACH CLATTERBAUGH PHOTO
