*We apologize for the mix up in this week’s print edition, here is the actual boys basketball recap!
MEEKER | The Meeker High School boys basketball team returned to the court after their holiday break with a successful weekend on the road, starting the second half of the 2025-26 season with a pair of victories.
On Friday, the Cowboys faced Grand Valley High School in Parachute, a rematch of last season’s 61-55 loss on Feb. 1, 2025. This time, Meeker reversed the result, earning a 62-42 victory to open league play.
Junior Trent Sanders led the way with 33 points, including 10-of-14 shooting inside the arc. Junior Said Rodriguez added nine points, six assists, and five steals, while senior Sam Conrado collected eight rebounds. Junior Cade Mills contributed six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Meeker outrebounded Grand Valley 31–15 and forced turnovers that fueled transition points. The Cowboys shot 38 percent from the field and were efficient inside, finishing 20-of-46 on two-point attempts.
Coach Klark Kindler praised his team’s effort. “One of our goals was to cut down on turnovers and we did an excellent job with eight in one game and 11 in the other,” he said. “Defensively, we were able to create turnovers and that helped us get some transition points. We played a tough schedule before Christmas, and I think the benefits showed Friday and Saturday. With the new way of qualifying for regionals based on RPI and Max Preps rankings, every game is important, not just the league games, so it was nice getting two important wins.”
Rodriguez said the team’s pace and chemistry were keys to success. “It was great to finally play some games again, and I think we were all really excited. We’ve always grown up playing fast and getting transition buckets because teams aren’t used to this pace,” he said. “At least for me it felt like the team is finally getting back to our chemistry. Everyone really picks up the pace on defense so we can get transition buckets a lot easier. We know what we’re all capable of, and it really showed with our defense and our playmaking as a team.”
Sanders echoed the importance of preparation and adjustments. “We also knew that the two road games we had coming up were important, so being able to know that ahead of time and prepare in practice was a big piece of why we were able to play well,” he said. “Some adjustments at halftime were big and important—being able to come back fired up and bringing tons of energy was impactful, which boosts my confidence and helps me score. One big shot or one big stop is very key to momentum, and being able to knock shots down in moments is very important to our success. We were able to bring the defense and press, which got turnovers and steals and allowed us to run the floor and play super fast.”
The Cowboys traveled to Cedaredge on Saturday for their second road game of the weekend. Meeker trailed early but used balanced scoring and a strong defensive effort to pull away for a 71-56 win.
Junior Andy Mondragon led Meeker with 21 points, six assists, and eight rebounds. Sanders added 18 points, Conrado had 11 points and eight rebounds, and juniors Carlos Carrillo and Cade Mills added eight and five points, respectively. Meeker converted 27 of 62 field-goal attempts (44%) and outrebounded Cedaredge 23‑15. Cedaredge’s top scorer was sophomore Zach Mannon with 14 points, while Levi Maxey added 13.
Mondragon credited mental preparation and teamwork for his performance. “Being mentally ready is big for me, and I personally put that before anything, especially on game days,” he said. “Against a good team like these guys, we have to be ready to battle and keep the intensity at 100% for four quarters. I try my hardest every game and I have to be there for the whole team, not just me. Improving every game is what matters. We all have the ability to score, assist, rebound, etc., but doing it as a team and supporting each other keeps the confidence going and the game flowing for us. Like I said, we are improving every week and learning from every game. You can only expect even more from this team.”
Carlos Carrillo added insight into his approach. “The way I was able to score eight points was to be physical down low and go up strong,” he said. “Coach told us they are not as good left-handed, so I tried to force them left-handed every chance I got. I think it’s important that we all stay positive, communicate on who we have during defense, and work on that skill. The thing I learned against Cedaredge is that no matter what team we play, we always gotta start off strong and give it 100 percent.”
The Cowboys improved to 4‑3 overall and 2‑0 in league play. They will host county rival Rangely on Tuesday, Jan. 13, before traveling to Olathe on Friday, Jan. 16, and Gunnison on Saturday, Jan. 17.
Meeker junior Trent Sanders pushes the ball up the court during the Cowboys’ 62–42 road win over Grand Valley on Friday night in Parachute.