Rams rock Cowboys on Senior Night

By Luke Wander Sopris Sun Correspondent

The Roaring Fork Rams boys varsity team had two jobs to do on Saturday night: honor their seniors and win a game of basketball. They did both, and then some.

After suffering a 16-point loss to league rival Cedaredge on Friday night, Coach Jason Krieling and his team knew they had a point to prove against the Meeker Cowboys. “[The loss] was a wake up call for our guys,” said Krieling. “We had to come out ready to play tonight."

Before taking the court, Athletic Director Crista Barlow led a moving ceremony to honor all six Roaring Fork seniors: Ryan Metheny, Eliot Carballeira, Diego Loya, Gabe Serson, Eddie Hernandez and River Byrne. The Class of ‘23 has faced numerous challenges in their four years of playing high school hoops. They have contended with injuries, fatigue, hectic schedules, coaching changes, long bus rides over snowy mountain passes, not to mention the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging from this crucible with a strong sense of team unity and togetherness, this class of seniors has led the Rams to their first winning season in nearly a decade, and a decent shot at a league title to boot.

Despite the emotions on display during the ceremony, Roaring Fork dictated the pace of the game from the tip-off. Hernandez set the tone with a layup in transition, and Byrne made jump shots from either side of the three-point line to open up an early lead. Crisp passing combined with penetrative dribbling and patient shot selection gave the Rams the edge.

On the defensive end, their energy limited Meeker’s opportunities, both at the perimeter and in the paint.

The second quarter belonged to Byrne, who made a series of three-point shots that got the home crowd up and onto their feet. He welcomed the increased attention of Meeker defenders and kept sinking shots. When the Cowboys finally had to double team him, Byrne’s teammates found themselves in acres of space and by halftime, the Rams held a comfortable lead of 35-13.

The Rams got right back to business in the third quarter, putting the Cowboys under even more pressure and forcing turnovers left and right. With 29 points on the night, Hernandez was a constant menace in transition. “On defense I just try to get the ball loose,” said Hernandez after the game. “Then I’m heading down the court because I know my teammates will find me.” Metheny, a forward, had a strong third quarter as well, putting himself in position to get rebounds and scoring eight points in the paint.

As the fourth quarter ticked away and the Rams maintained their 30-point lead, the game became an opportunity for Coach Krieling to give the crowd a preview of what is to come in the next few years. As the upperclassmen left the game one by one, the crowd gave them one last round of applause and, with a few minutes to go, the seniors were all cheering their younger teammates from the bench. The scrubs did what they needed to do to protect the lead, and the game finished 74-44.

“I had a lot of nerves before the game,” said Hernandez, of the pressure he felt on Senior Night. “But it felt amazing to get the dub.”

Roaring Fork will finish out their season with three away games at Olathe, Gunnison and Grand Valley. Coach Krieling says his team’s mentality will be simple over the next two weeks. “To win this league we have to keep winning games. We have three road games to finish the season, and we want to be at the top of the league.” They will be paying close attention to how Cedaredge performs, as both teams have only one conference loss.

Earlier in the evening, the Lady Rams snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the Meeker Cowgirls 57-48. The game was a tense back-andforth contest for the first three quarters, until the Lady Rams pulled away in the final minutes.

“I told the girls to finish the quarter strong,” said Coach Juan Quintero. “We focused on one possession at a time defensively, and got stops.” Sophomore guards Erica and Carley Crownhart put in huge offensive performances for Roaring Fork, with 14 and 19 points, respectively.

They kept the momentum strong, winning their senior night game against Aspen 44-20 on Feb. 7.

There will be one more chance to see the Lady Rams play at home on Saturday Feb. 11, at 12:30pm against Gunnison.

By Luke Wander Sopris Sun Correspondent

The Basalt High School Wrestling Program honored four seniors before taking on the Rifle Bears on Friday night in Carbondale. For seniors José Muñoz, a student at Bridges High School, and Brady Samuelson, a student at Roaring Fork High School, it was a doubly special evening. Both boys have worn the purple and gold of Basalt for their entire careers, but rarely get the chance to wrestle in their home gymnasium at Roaring Fork High School.

Before the wrestling got underway, Basalt Assistant Coach Ryan Bradley recognized Brianda Murrieta of Basalt for her years of support as team manager. Up next was Nayeli Membreno, a senior and first-year wrestler for the Lady Longhorns in their inaugural season, followed by “Big Man” Muñoz, a four-year member of the varsity squad. Samuelson rounded out the list of seniors, thanking his family for their support of his wrestling career, which began in second grade.

The girls varsity dual between Basalt and Rifle featured two teams in their first year of existence. Basalt’s Paola Cruz Andrade pinned Rifle’s Breauna Sigmon in the second period of their match, while Basalt’s Roselyne Bernal won a 5-2 decision over Rifle’s Mikhayla Washington. Nayeli Membreno and Emely Mejia Garcia of Basalt both won by default, as did Rifle’s Madison Farris for Rifle’s only points of the dual, which finished 21-6 in favor of the Lady Longhorns. Coach