MEEKER | The No. 12 Meeker High School girls basketball team traveled to Salida this past weekend to compete in the Class 3A Salida Regional Tournament, opening postseason play Friday night against No. 21 Highland before seeing its season come to an end in the Sweet 16 the following day.
Meeker defeated Highland 54-46 in the first round but fell to host and No. 5 Salida 56-49 on Saturday. With the split, the Cowboys concluded the season with an 18-6 overall record and an 11-3 mark in league play, finishing third in the standings in head coach Eric Hamilton’s first year leading the program.
In Friday’s opening-round matchup, Meeker relied on balanced scoring and strong rebounding to secure the road playoff victory over Highland. Freshmen Cienna Rogers and Raegan Clatterbaugh led the offensive effort with 15 points each. Rogers provided a spark from beyond the arc, knocking down five 3-pointers, while Clatterbaugh delivered an all-around performance with 17 rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block.
Senior Rylee Sullivan added 13 points and 11 rebounds while also dishing out five assists to help guide the Cowboys through the opening round. Meeker controlled the glass throughout the contest, finishing with a 45-35 rebounding advantage that helped limit Highland’s second-chance opportunities.
The victory came in dramatic fashion as Meeker rallied from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to secure the comeback win.
“Against Highland the girls showed all grit and heart and refused to lose mindset,” Hamilton said. “We were down 16 points in the third quarter and came back to win by 8. Really one of the greatest comebacks that I’ve ever been a part of and it was Regionals so even more exciting. It was a great win for us.”
Hamilton said Highland’s pressure defense created problems early in the game.
“The Highland full court press was tough and gave us some problems in first half,” he said. “We didn’t play our type of game first and second quarter and they were really in control of the game going into half. With pure determination and fight the team turned it around and took it to them making hustle plays and defensive stops and we just played our best fourth quarter when we needed it most.”
The win advanced Meeker to the Sweet 16, where the Cowboys faced host Salida on Saturday.
In the matchup against the Spartans, Meeker battled throughout but ultimately fell 56-49. Sullivan led the Cowboys with 12 points in the final game of her high school career. Freshman Cienna Rogers added 10 points, while Kayla Castillo and Raegan Clatterbaugh each finished with seven.
Freshman Haigen Harrison led the Cowboys on the boards with eight rebounds, and senior Addie Knowles turned in an all-around effort with five points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Hamilton said Salida proved to be a strong opponent.
“Salida is a very good team,” he said. “Well rounded with an excellent point guard and interior players that had size and experience. Lots of seniors on that team and we played right with them step for step. It could have gone either way at the end of the game.”
Despite the loss, Hamilton praised his team’s effort.
“The girls gave it everything they had to the final buzzer,” he said. “It was a tremendous effort that I was very proud of. You cannot ask for anything more out of your team.”
“Our seniors are absolutely first class young ladies that are going to be successful at whatever they choose to do in their future,” Hamilton said. “They really are the heart of the program and I am positive these younger players will continue to work and strive for excellence as the seniors did.”
Hamilton also reflected on his first season leading the program.
“I made plenty of coaching mistakes along the way, and I simply did not prepare the team for some games that we could have won,” he said. “It was a privilege to be a part of this team and be able to coach these seniors for one year.”
With a young core returning, Hamilton is optimistic about the program’s future.
“These younger girls are energetic and coachable with outstanding work ethic,” he said. “We have a lot of varsity experience coming back and excellent chemistry among the team. The future for Cowboys basketball is huge.”
The Cowboys’ postseason run capped a successful season that included a third-place finish in league play and a return trip to the state tournament. With a strong senior class providing leadership and a young core gaining valuable postseason experience, the program heads into the offseason with momentum and optimism for the future as the Hamilton era continues to take shape.
By JARED HENDERSON |
