Niwot boys basketball seniors leave a legacy

Niwot High School's boys varsity basketball team finished out the season on Friday, Feb. 19 with a tough loss against the Erie High School Tigers, ranked ninth in the league. With a final score of 70-41, the away game may not have resulted in the Cougars' desired outcome but head coach Walker Bounds emphasized his pride in the team, reflecting on how the team had climbed the ranks in one short season and stood their ground despite some challenging teams.

"We went from playing in the weakest league in 5A, to the toughest league in 5A," Bounds said. "Our program learned how to compete with 6A programs, and began to hold our own towards the end of the season. I was particularly impressed with the growth seen from our underclassmen who played big minutes down the stretch."

Sophomores LT Lehman and Jake Gardner both showed promise for future seasons in the upper leagues, with Lehman being one of the top scorers during the game and Gardner showing promise with several rebounds and strength on the defensive side. Bounds reflected, "The underclassmen understand the level of dedication it takes to be a good player."

The five starting seniors played increasingly well throughout the season and brought a new culture and standard for future teams. Bounds said, "These seniors bought into something bigger than themselves. This team will be the group that laid the foundation for future success."

The boys basketball seniors, Taylor Rodanski, Sebastian Stenz, Archer Buckbee, Luke Demmel, and Rohit Das, are known for their chemistry on and off the court, becoming some of the strongest leaders Niwot's basketball program has experienced.

"The team cherished the final game with our five seniors," said Boulds. "We will remember how much hard work those five put in for the past four seasons."

Most of the seniors were in the scoring column against Erie, with Demmel scoring a game-high nine points. Close behind him were Buckbee with eight, Rodanski with eight, and Das with six, with sophomore Lehman adding another six for the team. Meanwhile senior Stenz held up the defensive end with three rebounds, four turnovers, and three assists.

While the seniors will be missed, the legacy that they left behind has the coaches and younger athletes looking forward to seasons ahead, with a new perspective on team relationships and hard work on and off the court. "I learned as a coach how mentally tough our program is," Bounds said about the season. "Our players did an excellent job of handling adversity and continued to get better."

Next season should see juniors Elliot Wisecup, Brooklyn Donohoe and Henry Noblin stepping up to become the new leaders of the Cougars' varsity basketball team. "Our players are bought-in, and have gone through many trials and tribulations this year," Bounds said. "I am very optimistic about the future of this team."