Eaton Reds boys basketball had a hard-fought season with strong leadership, adversity, grit, and resilience. At the end of February, they wrapped up their regular season strong and headed into the postseason after the Patriot League tournament. The Patriot League Tournament is an end-of-season tournament that the team participates in at the end of the regular season, before regionals, where all the 4A and 3A Patriot League schools compete against one another.
Eaton secured their first win in the Patriot League tournament against Resurrection Christian, 50-40, after losing to Resurrection Christian earlier in the season, 52-44. They also won against Sterling, 58-40, who they also lost to earlier in the season. The Reds earned a league record of 9-1.
The Reds had a nine-game winning streak going into the Patriot League Tournament, beating rival University both times, 60-56 and 53-50. Eaton also secured wins against Weld Central, Valley, Fort Morgan, and Sterling towards the end of their regular season. The Reds faced off against Wiggins at 6 p.m. on Feb. 26 and took the win with a score of 54-41.
Strong leadership from the five seniors has kept the team accountable and going strong. “It feels good to be one of the leaders on the team, especially since we are a successful team and I love helping out these guys who I have been playing with since I was little,” said Austin Crider (26).
Team chemistry has been a key factor in the team’s success. This group of boys has been playing together for a long time, and they continue to build their team culture.
The Reds have not just won games this season, they have proven what it means to fight through adversity. The Reds have faced injuries, tough losses, and close matchups, only losing to Severance, Resurrection Christian, Yuma, and Sterling in the regular season. Each challenge made the team stronger going into the postseason.
“We decided to stop caring about things on the outside and what others thought of us, and we decided that this was our year and we needed to win it all,” said Cooper Wiedeman (27).
Each setback has made the team stronger, and rather than letting adversity define the season, Eaton responded with grit. Throughout the season, the Reds found ways to bounce back.
Players have stepped up in key situations like Rowen Meissinger (26), who led the team to a win against the University in game one and scored 17 points. Whether diving for loose balls or locking on to their defense late in games, Eaton strived to outwork their opponents, and they were feeling confident heading into the postseason.
The Reds faced off against Pagosa Springs on Mar. 6. Taking the win, the Reds faced off against University, which was a hard-fought game that went into overtime and ended with a score of 60-51. The game stayed close throughout the final minutes as both teams battled for the lead. Eaton continued to compete hard in overtime, but the loss ultimately brought their season to an end.
Even though the outcome of the season is not what they wanted, they are going to carry their legacy through to next season as they continue to pursue their team goals.
