We continue getting closer to the start of the 2019-20 boys basketball season and Colorado Preps continues to provide previews of each team in each conference.  Today we take a look at the 12 teams that make up the 2A/1A Western Slope.
Meeker is the two-time defending league champions as the Cowgirls have won 21 of their last 22 conference games.  They were 11-0 a year ago and won the title by two games over Soroco, DeBeque and North Park.  Meeker also reached the state tournament where they lost games to Del Norte and Heritage Christian by a combined three points.  Soroco just missed joining them at the 2A tournament as they lost to Sanford (50-32) in the regional finals.
DeBeque was a second league member to reach the state tournament as the Dragons made it to the 1A Great Eight.  They were involved in three tight contests there as they fell to Briggsdale (46-40) in the first round but stayed alive by edging Elbert 57-55 in the consolation round.  Game three went to South Baca 53-41 in the consolation final.
We list the top three returnees for each club in several categories.  Numbers are based on stats posted to MaxPreps during the 2018-19 season.
 
Meeker (23-3)

  • Points: Julia Dinwiddie (12.4), Matilda Brown & Kirsten Brown (3.8)
  • Rebounds: Dinwiddie (7.6), M. Brown & Sarah Kracht (2.9)
  • Assists: Brown (0.8), Dinwiddie (0.6), Kracht (5)
  • Three’s: Dinwiddie (12), K. Brown & Kracht (4)

Soroco (19-5)

  • Points: Kayedence Bruner (9.7), Makinley Parker (6.0), Kourtney Bruner (3.6)
  • Rebounds: Bruner (6.5), Parker (6.3), Ka. Bruner (5.0)
  • Assists: Bruner (2.6), Ka. Bruner (2.1), Parker (0.7)
  • Three’s: Bruner (23), Ko. Bruner (4), Parker (3)

DeBeque (19-5)

  • Points: Madison Scott (7.7), Railey Largent (5.2), Jadyn Graham (3.8)
  • Rebounds: Graham (4.3), Scott (3.8), Largent (2.5)
  • Assists: Largent (3.3), Scott (1.9), Kendell Conway (0.7)
  • Three’s: Scott (5), Largent & Conway (1)

North Park (15-6)

  • Points: Emma Daly (4.6), Jazmin Martinez (3.8), Alyssa Myers (2.6)
  • Rebounds: Daly (5.3), Martinez (5.2), Paige Sanchez (1.9)
  • Assists: Daly (1.2), Martinez (0.9), Sanchez (0.7)
  • Three’s: Daly (6), Sanchez (4), Kaylee Carlstrom & Myers (2)

Hotchkiss (15-8)

  • Points: Elsie Vazquez (9.7), Shay Glaser (9.2), Jazmyn Hart (3.0)
  • Rebounds: Vazquez (4.6), Glaser (4.1), Autumn Luginbyhl (3.2)
  • Assists: Vazquez (2.4), Glaser (2.2), Luginbyhl (1.1)
  • Three’s: Glaser (5), Vazquez (4), Hart & Hollembeak (2)

Vail Christian (12-11)

  • Points: Abby Kuhns (7.4), Barela Zoey (7.3), McCurdy Grace (6.8)
  • Rebounds: Grace (8.4), Kuhns (5.2), Zoey (4.4)
  • Assists: Zoey (2.0), Grace (1.4), Kuhns (1.3)
  • Three’s: Kuhns (27), Zoey (21), Maddie Ellsworth (6)

Rangely (10-13)

  • Points: Hannah Wilkie (8.4), Kacie Lapp (2.8), Mary Scoggins (2.5)
  • Rebounds: Wilkie (6.0), Lapp (4.0), Scoggins (2.7)
  • Assists: Wilkie (2.2), Scoggins (0.5), Lapp (0.3)
  • Three’s: Wilkie (8), Lapp (1)

Hayden (8-13)

  • Points: Alex Camilletti (7.7), Joey Deckler (7.2), Gracie Day (5.2)
  • Rebounds: Deckler (9.1), Hailee Smith (7.0), Camilletti (5.9)
  • Assists: Camilletti (2.8), Day (1.0), Deckler (0.8)
  • Three’s: Deckler (11), Day (8), Lee Anna Nelson (7)

Plateau Valley (13-10)

  • Points: Madison Clark (11.3), Cahlea Dennison (5.6), Abby Detweiler (4.2)
  • Rebounds: Detweiler (5.8), Dennison (3.0), Clark (2.5)
  • Assists: Detwieler (1.7), Clark (1.1), Shyanne Forrest (0.5)
  • Three’s: Clark (29), Dennison (5)

Paonia (4-16)

  • Points: Carly Horn (5.8), Taneal Mautz (4.3), Larissa Cotton (3.5)
  • Rebounds: Paige Fister (4.2), Mautz (3.8), Ceylon Carter (3.0)
  • Assists: Tawny Roberts (0.6), Horn (0.5), Three with (0.4)
  • Three’s: Horn (17), Carter (3), Fister (2)

West Grand (5-17)

  • Points: Emma DeSanti (12.0), Alex Schake (4.4), Maddy Probst (2.0)
  • Rebounds: DeSanti (9.5), Schake (5.9), Ilianna Castillo (2.8)
  • Assists: DeSanti (1.1), Schake (0.5), Ashlee Givens (0.4)
  • Three’s: Probst (3), no others with made three

Caprock Academy (2-19)

  • Points: Sophia Knaysi (3.0), Brianne Pinson (2.8), Jenna Coleman (2.1)
  • Rebounds: Coleman (5.6), Pinson & Katie Fry (3.8)
  • Assists: Fry (2.1), Knaysi & Sam Carstens (0.6)
  • Three’s: no made three’s last year