MEEKER | This past weekend, the Barone Middle School boys basketball program wrapped up its season with strong finishes across all teams.
On Friday, the B teams hosted the district tournament. The eighth grade B team won the championship, while the seventh grade B team finished as runner-up after falling in overtime by two points.
“The boys put themselves in a position to win, but unfortunately the shots at the end didn’t fall,” seventh grade coach Dr. Travis Anderson said. “I’m proud of how hard they played, and they responded well to adjustments in-game.”
Anderson said both seventh grade teams made significant strides throughout the season.
“Overall, I would say that both seventh grade teams grew a lot,” he said. “They improved quite a bit and were both playing at high levels by the end.”
He said teamwork became a defining trait.
“They grew in their ability to play together. They were able to run an efficient offense, improved in transition and turned a weakness—rebounding—into a strength, which I am very proud of,” Anderson said. “Their strengths were their growth in fundamentals and their ability to play well as a team. Both teams were fairly deep, and I was able to rotate several players throughout.”
Eighth grade coach Mike Dinwiddie said it was exciting to see both A and B teams playing their best basketball at the end of the season.
“The A team and B team continued to work through the year so that we could have success at the end of the season,” Dinwiddie said. “It was a huge advantage to have the B team host the tournament in Meeker. They were the No. 3 seed going into the tournament and were able to beat the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds to come out as district champs.”
On Saturday, the seventh and eighth grade A teams traveled to Steamboat for their district tournaments, where both squads brought home first-place trophies.
Assistant coach Dr. Kevin Borchard, who coached the A team in Steamboat, said the boys opened the day with a dominant 36–10 win over Steamboat.
“Our boys came out very aggressively on defense and were able to force quite a few turnovers,” Borchard said. “We converted many of those turnovers into fastbreak layups. We also did a great job with defensive and offensive rebounds.”
The championship game matched Meeker against Craig for the second time this season.
“They are a physical team with some taller players, and they run two different full-court press defenses that challenge our ball handlers,” Borchard said.
Meeker controlled the first half, leading by 9 to 11 points through much of the second quarter by breaking Craig’s press, finishing layups and shooting well. Craig surged back in the second half, tightening the game.
“Craig continued to press us hard using both defenses and cut into the lead,” Borchard said. “Where we had led them in rebounding in the first half, the second half proved more difficult.”
Meeker found a spark when Brantley White hit a three-pointer followed by two more baskets, helping the Cowboys hold on for a 23–21 win and the league championship.
Dinwiddie said the A team faced strong competition in Steamboat but responded well.
“Since the A team was undefeated, they knew other teams were going to play their best against us,” he said. “In the championship game against Steamboat Springs, it was a close game all the way to the wire, but the boys were able to come out on top.”
He said the success of both A and B teams reflects the depth and work ethic of the eighth-grade program.
“It shows their desire to work hard each and every day during the season,” Dinwiddie said. “It will be a lot of fun to see how these guys develop over the next four years of high school.”
The eighth grade A team finished the season undefeated at 10–0, while the B team finished 7–4.
The weekend capped a successful season for Barone Middle School’s boys basketball program, highlighting the growth and depth of both the seventh and eighth grade teams. Strong performances in both home and away tournaments demonstrated improvement in fundamentals, teamwork and competitiveness, setting a positive tone for the program’s future.
Meeker 7th grade A team photo: from left: Parker Dupire, Daxten Koenig, Miles Etchart, Quinn Thomson, Xander Borchard, Coach Borchard, Brantley White, Noah Hanberg, Matteus Rykhus, Myles Dupire. COURTESY PHOTO
Meeker 8th grade A team photo: Back row, from left: Coach Axel, Gael Rodriguez, Owen Little, Ridge Butler, Tadeo Mondragon, Tyler Fullman, Head Coach Mike Dinwiddie. Front row: Dillon Koenig, Case Conway, Whit Watson, Ollie Thomson, Santi Rodriguez.
8th grade B-Team Champions. (Back row from left) Coach Axel, Miles Franklin, Spencer Bair, Sam Merz, Tanner Woodruff, Ridge Butler, Head Coach Mike Dinwiddie. Front row from left: Carson Blunt, Rylan Grimes, Owen Little, Jaxson McPherson, Dillon Koenig, Santi Rodriguez.