MEEKER I The Meeker High School girls’ basketball team will open the season tonight in the White River Electric Association Cowboy Shootout under a new, yet familiar head coach.
Greg Chintala, who coached Meeker’s girls’ teams for five years, including the 1999-2000 season, was selected to lead the girls this season after Deb Henderson resigned at the end of last season and moved from Meeker.
“I applied last year and I was happy Deb got the job but when she left, I was asked to apply again and now I’m the coach,” Chintala said. “This is a good group of girls, not afraid to work hard.”
Chintala said 28 girls are out for the team and will be led by seniors Kathryn Doll and Aubrey Walsh.
“They are not real vocal but they certainly work hard on the court and lead by example,” Chintala said of his two seniors. “They have stepped up and are doing what is asked of them.”
Meeker will also return junior Kaysyn Chintala and sophomores Aly Ridings and Taylor Neilson, all with varsity experience from last year’s regional-qualifying team.
“We’re small but that is not all bad, size isn’t everything,” Chintala said. “We have six girls that can shoot the ball very well and kids that can handle the ball. They understand the game, like playing it and they are really into it.”
Chintala said Hayden’s team will be tall and Rangely has a “good, young and athletic team.” Both teams will be at the WREA Shootout this weekend on the opposite side of Meeker’s bracket.
“It will be a competitive league but we should be right in the thick of things,” Chintala said of this season’s league competition.
Meeker will play Crested Butte, its first appearance in the WREA Shootout, tonight at 7:30 p.m. Vanguard, a charter school from Colorado Springs, is also a new addition to the annual preseason tournament and will play Grand Valley in the first round.
On the other side of the bracket, Cedaredge will play Hayden in the first round and Rangely will play Palisade at 6 p.m.
Chintala will be assisted this season by Mike and Karen Dinwiddie and all are ready to go.
“I’m starting to get that nervousness,” Chintala said of the anticipation that comes with a season opener. “I think we will be strong on defense. The girls play very aggressive defensively.”
