MEEKER | The Meeker High School boys basketball team split a pair of home games over the weekend, falling to Olathe on Friday before responding with a decisive win over North Fork on Saturday.
Meeker opened the weekend hosting Olathe, looking to avenge a 71-68 road loss to the Pirates on Jan. 16. The Cowboys were unable to reverse the result on their home floor, falling 77-62 to drop to 13-7 overall.
“Olathe shot the ball extremely well,” head coach Klark Kindler said. “You have to give them credit. They played well and are very good offensively.”
Olathe controlled much of the tempo and capitalized on scoring runs to create separation. The Pirates’ 77 points marked one of the higher defensive totals allowed by Meeker this season.
Said Rodriguez led the Cowboys with 20 points, knocking down four 3-pointers while adding four assists and four steals. Andy Mondragon followed with 14 points and seven rebounds, and Carlos Carrillo contributed 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting with seven rebounds.
Carrillo said Olathe’s perimeter shooting made it difficult to recover defensively.
“Olathe is a good shooting team,” he said. “They shoot a lot of threes and made a whole bunch of contested shots. Against North Fork, they don’t have as many shooters, so it was easier for us to get the ball back after missed shots.”
Meeker bounced back Saturday against North Fork. In their previous meeting Jan. 30 in Hotchkiss, the Cowboys won 49-46 on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by junior Trent Sanders. This time, Meeker delivered one of its most complete performances of the season in a 67-38 victory.
“Defensively we were much better on Saturday and got some good looks out of transition,” Kindler said.
The Cowboys shot 46% from the field and limited North Fork to 38 points, a sharp turnaround from Friday’s defensive struggles.
“Last time we played these guys it was a dogfight, so we came into the game knowing we had to get rebounds and not give up any second chances,” Tucker Chinn said. “Defensively, we were able to wear them down and by getting boards and preventing second chances we were able to hold them to only 38.”
Chinn said the team emphasized a fast start after learning from a previous experience.
“Last time we lost to Olathe we came out the next day slow, so this time we made sure to come out fast,” he said.
Carrillo led the way with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, taking advantage of opportunities inside.
“What made shooting inside the paint easier was pump faking, getting them off the ground and being able to make a move,” Carrillo said. “There were some mismatches inside the paint and all you had to do was post up and try to draw a foul whenever you went up.”
He also adjusted his approach after Friday’s loss.
“A big adjustment was trying to get my teammates the ball,” Carrillo said. “Against Olathe they kept getting me the ball so I could score. During North Fork they would sink anytime I got it, so all I had to do was kick it out and let them shoot theirs.”
Sanders added 14 points, while Chinn turned in a well-rounded effort with eight points, eight rebounds and four assists.
“Typically I’m the most help on the defensive side of the ball, so I was happy to help in all areas Saturday,” Chinn said.
Rodriguez added eight points, five rebounds and five assists as Meeker controlled the glass 41-33, with Chinn leading the effort on the boards.
The win improved the Cowboys to 14-7 overall and 8-4 in league play, good for third place.
Saturday’s victory also marked the 400th career win for Kindler in his 27th season leading the program.
“It means I have been doing this a long time and we have had some really good kids come through here,” Kindler said. “We need to keep improving and getting ready for regionals.”
Chinn said the milestone reflects Kindler’s impact on the program.
“Coach K knows basketball more than anyone else I know,” Chinn said. “His stress on our defense specifically always seems to be evident whenever Meeker boys step out on the court.”
Chinn added that Kindler made sure the team responded the right way after Friday’s loss.
“Coach K stressed to not have a replay of what happened the last weekend we played Olathe,” he said. “He made sure that we came in the next day with the winning mentality, which we did.”
Carrillo said the milestone made the bounce-back win even more meaningful.
“This is a great milestone for Coach Kindler,” he said. “After that night, getting a win against our rival was great. It felt good to celebrate after losing a game.”
Meeker will close out the regular season this weekend with two home games, hosting De Beque on Friday and Vail Christian on Saturday for Senior Day. Senior Sam Conrado will be recognized prior to Saturday’s game.
“Sam has done a great job for the last four years,” Kindler said. “He has improved every year and worked his way into a starting and contributing role. He is a quiet leader and leads by example.”
With the regular season coming to a close, the Cowboys control their momentum heading into postseason play. After a tough loss Friday and a dominant response Saturday, Meeker showed both its resilience and its defensive identity — something Kindler believes will be critical as regionals approach.
Now sitting at 14-7 overall and 8-4 in league play, the Cowboys will look to defend their home court one final time and carry that intensity into the playoffs.
Members of the Meeker High School boys basketball team pose with head coach Klark Kindler after his 400th career victory Saturday in Meeker. Back row from left: Gavin Allen, Andy Mondragon, Sam Conrado, Lawson Anderson, Tucker Chinn, head coach Klark Kindler, Carlos Carrillo and Trent Sanders. Front row from left: Bradley Conrado, Logan Selby, Elai Powers, Cade Mills and Said Rodriguez. JIM COOK PHOTO