The Cowboy basketball team needed a miracle.
Bouncing between a No. 36 and 37 state ranking, the boys faced a must-win game against powerhouse Roaring Fork to qualify for the postseason. But the Rams boasted an undefeated record in the 3A Western Slope League, and crashed the Cowboy senior day with a 59-35 win on March 1.
GHS finished the regular season with a 10-11 overall record, and No. 3 in the league with a record of 6-6. Despite falling short of their season-long goal, Head Coach Cristian Aguilar credited his senior leaders for changing the team culture, and leaving a strong legacy for the future of Cowboy hoops.
“These guys fought until the very end, we just ran into a monster,” Aguilar said. “I’m incredibly proud of these boys, and especially our seniors. Culture-wise, something shifted this year. That’s in large part due to the seniors investing in this program and paving the way.”
Headed into Saturday’s daunting challenge, Aguilar encouraged the players to go out swinging, and to lean on each other during adversity. The Cowboys lit a fuse early in the game, and fought toe-to-toe throughout the first quarter.
Senior Burk O’Rourke opened his account, and electrified the Cowboy Bullpen with a 3-point splash from behind the arc. Armed with the home momentum, senior captain Wolfgang Anderson finished at the rim, and Jackson Dalleck and Holden Vickers added key buckets. At the first break, the boys trailed 14-10.
The Rams deployed three guards to pester the GHS offense in the second quarter. The defenders poked the ball loose, and transitioned rapidly onto offense, punishing the Cowboys with repeated fast breaks. Anderson, Dalleck and Max Peluso added 2 points apiece, but struggled to keep up with the Rams pace. Heading into halftime, Roaring Fork outscored GHS 41-18.
The Cowboys offense sparked in the third. Dalleck revived the home crowd with a 3-pointer straight out of the gate, and Anderson added four more to his tally. Despite winning the third quarter 11-9, GHS still trailed by 29 into the final quarter. The Rams carried their double-digit lead into the fourth and polished off the game 59-35.
“A core value this season has been gratitude,” Aguilar said. “My message after the game was, ‘Thank you,’ especially to the seniors for shifting the team culture. Our underclassmen saw the amount of focus, dedication and determination it takes to get to these games. That’s what our five seniors embodied.”
The 2024-25 campaign proved a stark contrast to last winter, as the boys improved their overall record by seven wins. While still missing out on postseason play, the season proved the program is headed in the right direction, Aguilar said. But after coaching this senior core from the C Team all the way to varsity over the past four years, Aguilar said their final stand together was a tear-filled one.
“It was an incredibly emotional farewell for me, because we’ve been through some bumpy times together,” he said. “I’m happy these guys ended the season with 10 wins. They came into games locked in, ready to leave it all on the floor on a nightly basis.”
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)
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