After their playoff win on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 6:00 p.m., the Mead Boys basketball team began their trajectory towards glory in the Colorado 5A state tournament. As the eighth seed, they earned home court advantage throughout and look to improve on their elite eight appearance last year. In the first round, they are playing the 25-seed Pueblo West.
This year has been marked by ups and downs, with starter Donovan Weese (‘24) falling due to a knee injury and the team losing winnable games. However, this team is looking good as of the end of the season, and we expect them to make a mark this postseason.
Before the injury, Weese (‘24) was a major contributor and a key ball handler for the Mavs. In his absence, stars have emerged, however. Matthew Angelo (‘25) has been remarkable for this team and has hit tons of key shots in close games. Angelo (‘25) spoke to this ability: “[It’s really about] trusting myself and what I’m capable of, and knowing that I’ll make the right play when it comes down to it.”
He is averaging 14.8 ppg, leading the team in the category. He has also been big on defense, averaging almost a block per game for second on the team. Speaking of defense, Dominic McLawrence (‘24) has been an anchor for this squad. His team-leading 1.5 blocks per game have been huge in stopping opposing offenses. His 12.6 ppg is also second on the team, so look out for him on offense as well. Other players to look out for are starters Mason Willyard (‘24), Kellen Tecu (‘24), and Averey Baucom (‘25). Coming off the bench, Kyler Crump (‘25) and Max Morrow (‘25) add key energy and ball handling to this squad.
Both players and coaches are super excited for this game. As a senior, this game means a lot to Willyard (‘24): “[This game] means a lot. We know this is our last run on it, and we’re going to try and make the best of everything.”
As for the atmosphere around the team, Willyard (‘24) feels confident going into this playoff run: “I think I’ve got that sense of confidence that I think I know we can win it, but it’s also that sense of I have a sense of urgency of, we got to come out [and win].”
The Mavs have been through a lot of adversity this season; that’s undeniable. It’s not in times of success that a team is marked as great; it is when they can get through the struggles and make their mark. Coach Reese thinks adversity helped the team grow. “I think we’ve gained confidence knowing that other guys can step in and step up, and I think that’s made us stronger… I think our confidence is as high as it’s been, so I think that’s fantastic, and being able to play at home in front of our home crowd will help as well,” said Reese. The team is also on a hot streak, which Reese pointed out: “I think right now… these last couple of weeks, we’ve played our best basketball, and I think from a coaching standpoint, at the end of the season is when you want to be at your best.”
Mead is ready to make their mark in this year’s playoffs, and a final four-run could be in their future.
