ARVADA — Arvada West girls basketball coach Brady Meeks might have sounded like The Grinch on Tuesday night.
“It was easily our worst practice of the season so far yesterday. The girls knew I was upset,” Meeks said. “Honestly, our start tonight kind of showed it. Maybe from this whole thing, it will be a lesson learned that we need to be ready every practice.”
A-West returned home Tuesday night after three games in three days in Wyoming from Dec. 11-13. The Wildcats faced Brighton (2-3 record) and Meeks wasn’t pleased with A-West’s start. The Bulldogs trailed 13-8 with a few minutes left in the first quarter.
However, the undefeated Wildcats (7-0) turned it on for an eventual 28-0 run that opened up a 41-8 lead at halftime.
“I don’t know if I ever got relaxed tonight,” Meeks admitted despite the 67-18 victory. “I guess I got myself a little too amped up after yesterday and then our start. I just know this team has a ton of potential. My belief is we are only going to get to our true self if we continue to take every day seriously and getting a little bit better every time we are on the court.”
A-West looked ready to go in the second quarter. Senior Aubri Cespedes, junior Macie Ferguson and sophomore Grace Schillie combined for 29 points in the first half.
Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Public Schools
“I felt like we brought the energy in the second quarter,” Cespedes said of the Wildcats outscoring Brighton 22-0 in the quarter. “We just brought it.”
Cespedes finished with a game-high 19 points, single-handedly outscoring Brighton’s entire team. Ferguson and sophomore Emerson Drake both finished with 13 points each for the Wildcats.
“I really like this nine (players) that we have,” Meeks said. “I feel like any given night any of those nine can be the reason why we are successful on the court. It’s a fun problem for me to have to figure out minutes. It’s a fun group. They are great kids.”
Meeks graduated seven seniors from a year ago. Cespedes and Santana Pena are the two lone seniors for A-West this season.
“It doesn’t even feel like I am a senior,” Cespedes said. “I feel like we all fit in and play well together.”
Freshman Brooklyn Meurer gives the Wildcats some good size in the middle. The 5-foot-11 freshman got the start against Brighton and finished with eight points.
A-West finished with a 21-4 record a year ago and placed second in the 6A Jeffco League. The Wildcats’ lone losses were against perennial state contender Valor Christian, who have won seven straight conference titles.
“We just really want to make it to the Coliseum (6A state quarterfinals) and go really far in playoffs,” Cespedes said of her team goal this season. “I love our group.”
Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Public Schools
