LOVELAND — In a game where emotions already run high, Merino’s strength was tested further when junior standout Kya Piel left with an injury during the first half of Saturday’s Class 2A girls basketball state championship game against Sedgwick County. 

Piel, the daughter of Merino head coach Daniel Piel, suffered an apparent leg injury just before halftime, leaving the top-seeded Rams without their leading scorer. Despite the blow, Merino regrouped quickly and was rewarded with its second straight state title at Blue Arena in Loveland. 

“Kya is a warrior of a kid, and there was nothing that would've made her more upset than for me to give up on that game and those girls that she considers her sisters,” Coach Piel said following Merino’s 40-29 victory. “That's the way the girls approached it. They were going to do it for Kya at that point and for each other.”

Prior to Piel’s injury, Merino’s suffocating defense kept No. 3 seed Sedgwick County quiet throughout most of the first half, holding the Cougars to only 10 points in the game’s first two quarters. The get-out-and-run Rams stormed out to an 8-0 lead before entering halftime up 26-10. 

Although the Rams led comfortably entering the break, their focus was on sticking together for a fallen teammate. 

“It was definitely scary not really knowing what was gonna happen,” said Merino senior Veronica Baray. “It lit a spark for us wanting to do it for her instead of letting it affect us in a negative way.”

Baray was one of several Rams who stepped up in Piel’s absence. She and junior Jay Lynch each led Merino with 10 points while junior Jadelynn Powell added eight. 

“Not having Kya there, someone had to step up,” Baray said. “I think all five of us, every single person that was on that court, definitely stepped up.”

Merino beat Sedgwick County in two of their three regular season matchups, but the ample history between the Lower Platte League foes didn’t mean much under the bright lights of Blue Arena. Merino relied heavily on its full-court defense and big-game experience to win the season’s biggest meeting. 

“I can't say enough good things about these kids,” said Coach Piel, whose Rams closed the season at 26-1. “They put in the work, they love each other, they take care of their grades, they take care of their families, they're great kids. I'm glad that they get to experience some reward for the kind of kids that they are.”

En route to its third straight state championship game appearance, Merino knocked off No. 8 seed Sargent in the quarterfinals and No. 13 seed Akron in the semis.  

Two years removed from winning the 2023 state title, Sedgwick County closed its season at 21-5. Sophomore Ryen Carlson scored a team-high seven points. Senior Abigail Dille and junior Lainee Nein each added six. 

Earlier Saturday, second-seeded Sanford beat Akron in the Class 2A girls’ third-place game, 43-38. 

- Colorado High School Activities Association