MEEKER | The No. 15 Meeker High School boys basketball team traveled to No. 2 Forge Christian High School last weekend to compete in the CHSAA Class 3A Regional Tournament, opening the postseason against No. 19 Denver Christian in the first round.
The Cowboys battled through a tightly contested game that required overtime, but their season came to an end with a 67-60 loss to the Thunder on the road.
Meeker fought throughout regulation and forced overtime before Denver Christian was able to pull away in the extra period.
“They made a few more plays than us,” head coach Klark Kindler said. “We missed a couple shots we normally hit and they made 4 out of 4 free throws in the last 20 seconds.”
Junior Said Rodriguez led the Cowboys with 14 points while adding four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Carlos Carrillo provided an efficient presence inside, scoring 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and pulling down eight rebounds.
Tucker Chinn contributed eight points and led Meeker on the boards with 10 rebounds, helping the Cowboys control stretches of the game in the paint. Senior Sam Conrado added six points and seven rebounds in the final game of his high school career.
Despite the loss, Meeker kept the game close throughout regulation before Denver Christian secured the win in overtime.
The Cowboys finished the season with a 16-8 overall record and an 8-4 mark in league play, earning a third-place finish in the standings. Meeker entered the postseason as the No. 15 seed after closing the regular season the previous weekend with back-to-back victories.
The playoff appearance marked a return to the postseason for the Cowboys after missing the tournament last season.
“Their goal was to get back to the postseason this year,” Kindler said. “It is something we expect to do every year.”
Kindler said the team showed steady improvement throughout the winter.
“We had very coachable players that were very enjoyable to be around and they got better as the season progressed,” he said. “We got better with our team defense and we had a couple guys shoot the ball much better the last seven or eight games.”
Kindler also praised the competitive nature of the group.
“These guys are very competitive and they had success in the fall with football and that carried over to basketball,” he said. “They play hard all the time and that is something I don’t have to coach.”
Looking ahead, Kindler hopes the returning players build on the experience.
“I hope they want to get to the state tournament next year and this taste of success has made them want to take another step forward,” he said.
The season marked Kindler’s 28th year leading the Cowboys program. With several key contributors expected to return, Meeker will look to build on this season’s progress and carry the postseason experience into next year.
Meeker junior Said Rodriguez goes up for a layup during the Cowboys’ Class 3A regional playoff game against Denver Christian. Rodriguez led Meeker with 14 points while adding four rebounds, three assists and three steals. BOBBY G’S MEMORIES PHOTO
