Challenging 2021 season ends for Niwot boys

The Niwot boys didn't end up on the winning end of the score in their 2021 season finale, but even that wasn't enough to dampen Michael "Misha" Barrett's spirits before, during, and after the game. A longtime Cougar basketball fan, the three-point specialist has dreamed about suiting up for the Niwot varsity since middle school, and on March 5, he finally got the chance to do just that in front of a supportive home crowd.

"I will remember this moment for the rest of my life," the senior said following the 39-34 loss to Greeley Central in the final game of 2021. Beforehand, the coaches honored their seven graduating players, including Barrett. "It's the most exciting day I've ever had. I just wanted to help my teammates, be there for them, and be a good teammate for them. So, yeah, it's been a great night."

Barrett is a student in Niwot's special needs program due to a brain injury at birth that left him cognitively impaired. He fell in love with basketball during elementary school, and it's been hard to keep him off the court ever since. During his first two years of high school, he played guard for Silver Creek's unified basketball team, but earned a spot on Niwot's D-team as a junior. In 2021, he was a member of Niwot's C-team, and was invited by the coaches to join the upper squads for his final appearance.

Barrett didn't get a chance to show off his three-point shooting skills during his brief second-quarter appearance for the varsity, but in the JV game immediately before it, he found himself with not one but two scoring opportunities, and made the most of both. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough to lift the Cougars to victory, but that wasn't a priority for Barrett. "I felt great helping my team out, and that's what I wanted to do," he said.

The varsity Cougars definitely could have used a couple of extra three-pointers in their five-point loss to the Wildcats, especially in the closing minutes of the see-saw fourth quarter. Instead, Niwot shooters couldn't seem to find the basket, despite numerous opportunities to do so, and a narrow lead with less than four minutes to go slowly unraveled in front of their eyes.

Unfortunately, that was nothing new for coach Clayton Wittrock and the Niwot boys, who never quite found a winning formula in the abbreviated 2021 season. What was new was the Cougars' effective rebounding and passing against Greeley Central, though it wasn't quite enough to overcome a case of "tightness" in the final minutes, according to Wittrock.

"It wasn't for lack of execution," he said. "I couldn't fault our effort to give ourselves opportunities and our adjustment on both ends of the floor. We just couldn't get to the bottom of the net... We had some really good execution on looks and in the second half, but they didn't fall. Those same shots were falling in the first half when we were loose. You just start feeling the tightness of the end of game pressure and little things tighten up."

Per the coach, Niwot's offense was clearly more effective in the first half, fueled by the all-senior starting lineup that seemed determined to go out with a win. From tip-off, the Cougars controlled the tempo, and were able to convert their offensive opportunities. Rather, senior Marco Ramirez was able to convert his opportunities, as he tallied 11 of Niwot's 13 first quarter points.

The Cougars scoring slowed considerably in the second quarter, but the defense remained solid. Niwot had just five points all quarter, but retained an 18-17 lead at the half.

Neither team could get much going offensively in the third quarter, scoring just 14 points between them. But while Niwot's offensive woes continued in the fourth, Greeley Central's did not, and they finally pulled away for good.

With the loss, Niwot finished at 1-13 on the year, and 1-8 in the new Longs Peak League. In the end, Wittrock said, the Cougars' inexperience, coupled with a rushed season made it difficult for them to absorb valuable lessons.

"We had some falters a couple of places down the stretch here, but also you could see that we were getting into close games," he said. "You just need a collection of experiences to know how that works-if you've got the lead, how you keep it, and if you're down, how you fight into it. Even when you don't necessarily notice it, I believe that when those experiences are fewer, you tighten up a little bit."

That said, Wittrock is happy so many of his underclassmen got a taste of the varsity game in 2021, and he believes that will pay off in 2022 and beyond.

"I'm extremely hopeful that we get a normal offseason, because I think they're gonna benefit from more reps and time together," he said. "I'm excited that we are in a different position than we were a year ago, where we'll be coming back with guys that have seen the floor, and they've got a better understanding of the level of execution, effort, and toughness you've got to have to play varsity ball."