This year’s 4A State Basketball Tournament in Casper may not have provided the memories players, coaches and fans were hoping for, but there’s something to be said for simply being able to experience it, as the Evanston High School boys’ basketball team can attest.

Qualifying for the tournament for the first time in the Rob Watsabaugh era, the Red Devils now have a better idea of what to expect if and when (heavy emphasis on when) they return.

“I think we were very happy to make it there,” Watsabaugh said. “It was that group’s first time being in Casper for the State Tournament – hopefully, it was a good learning experience for some of our juniors and sophomores – we’ve been here before, so moving forward, it’s not as much of a shock.”

The Red Devils opened play Thursday at Casper College against eventual runners-up Laramie, falling to the Plainsman 57-38.

“In the first game against Laramie, I thought our defense held their own – that’s a team that usually puts up 72 points a game, so our defense gave us a chance to be in that game,” Watsabaugh said. “Offensively, we missed some easies that we normally make; it could have been a number of reasons why. But I thought we played a tough game defensively, and we had the looks we wanted on offense – the ball just didn’t drop for us.”

The loss dropped Evanston into Friday’s consolation bracket, where the Red Devils squared off against Cheyenne East, a team that lost in dramatic fashion to Star Valley the day before. Playing for the first time in the Ford Wyoming Center, Evanston struggled to find an offensive rhythm in a 61-40 loss.

“East is a good team, they spread you out, a little bit,” Watsabaugh said. “There were some things that we didn’t do that we normally did all year, and the game kind of got away from us – it could have been the moment. We did some things that weren’t very disciplined, and that kind of hurt us – it never gave us a chance to fight, and be in that game. But our kids did play hard – they went out there and gave it their best. I give East credit – they played a good game, on both ends of the floor.”

Friday’s loss marked the last game in a Red Devils uniform for EHS seniors Kai Barker, Drew Barker, Cohen Morrow and Luke Robinette. All four have been with Watsabaugh for their entire high school careers, and hold a special place in the coach’s heart.

“This group of seniors is a very special group to me, personally,” Watsabaugh said. “Watching them grow from their freshman year, when they were small kids – the things they have done for the basketball program have been great. They’ve been great leaders – being in the gym, being in the weight room, setting a good example of hard work and dedication – all of them did an incredible job over the course of their four years here of setting the expectations for the future. Persevering, going through hard times, showing that hard work does pay off. It paid off for them, in getting them to the State Tournament their senior year, which was huge. It was one of the boxes we wanted to check as a team – playing well enough in the Regional Tournament to make it to the State Tournament.”

Asked what he’ll miss about this group, Watsabaugh said each individual brought a uniqueness to their role on the team.

“Each of the seniors brought something very special to our team, in their abilities and skill sets,” he said. “I thank them a ton for allowing me to coach them, and let them showcase their talent, both individually, and as a team. They played incredibly well together – they were a very unselfish group that wanted to win. That can be hard to come by, but I thought they did a great job of embodying that.”

While the seniors will leave some big shoes to fill, there is a talented group of juniors and underclassmen returning next season, as well as plenty of potential in this year’s freshman class and in the middle school ranks.

“We’re gonna miss the seniors, and what they’ve done for our program – we’ll need to find some kids to fill those roles,” Watsabaugh said. “But we do have a good group of juniors coming back – some that got quite a bit of playing time, and others that I see really stepping up and getting some big minutes next year. Our sophomore group is a very competitive group, so I think the future looks very bright.”

Laramie 57,

Red Devils 38

The Red Devils opened the 4A State Basketball Tournament at Casper College against Laramie – the No. 1-seed out of the East – and one of the favorites to be playing for a State Championship on Saturday.

The Plainsman started fast, going on a 14-3 run in the first quarter, led by junior post Neil Summers, who finished with a game-high 22 points. The Red Devils played solid the final three quarters – especially on defense – but were unable to find an answer for Summers in a 57-38 loss.

“Summers is a good player inside – probably one of the biggest kids in the state,” Watsabaugh said. “He tore us up from two, but him playing at two was better than some of their guards playing at three. We did focus on the 3-ball a little bit. But Summers is crafty – he’s good with both hands inside, and we let him get his touches a little too deep. He was a bit of trouble for us inside.”

Ryker Lind paced the Red Devils with nine points, followed by eight points from Kai Barker, who also led the team in rebounds, with nine. Luke Robinette finished with six points, while Clayton Cook and Jay Hill chipped in five points and four points, respectively. Drew Barker (three points), Cohen Morrow (two points) and Jordan Mendez (one point) rounded out the scoring.

“Laramie shoots an incredible percentage from 3-point range, and if they get hot from out there, it’s really tough to get back in a game,” Watsabaugh said. “So we were kinda living with some of those tough twos, and they hit the ones they needed to, for sure.”

Cheyenne East 61,

Red Devils 40

Facing elimination Friday against Cheyenne East, the Red Devils took the court at Ford Wyoming Center, hoping to extend their season by one more day.

It wasn’t to be. Though Evanston kept it competitive in the first quarter, a big second quarter by the T-birds put the game out of reach, eventually ending the Red Devils’ season with a 61-40 loss.

“Being at the State Tournament – different gym environment, a lot of things are different,” Watsabaugh said. “I think that could have played a bit of a role in our game on Friday.”

Drew Barker scored 11 points off the bench to lead the Red Devils in scoring, followed by 10 points from Clayton Cook, who – along with Cohen Morrow – grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Jay Hill finished with five points, Morrow chipped in four and Jordan Mendez and Luke Robinette each sank a 3-pointer to finish with three points. Kai Barker and Ryker Lind rounded out the scoring with two points apiece.

“This group really helped us defensively, as well – becoming tops in the state in defense, which was another one of our goals,” Watsabaugh said. “They wanted to be the top defensive and rebounding team in the state, and they did that. I’m very happy for some of those accomplishments throughout the year, even though it didn’t end how we wanted.”