Shorthanded Mountaineers blow out Cardinals 70-32 on senior night

Howell scores game-high 20 points

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While three of the four seniors on the Rainier High School boys basketball team are triplets, the quartet has built a brotherhood over their five years playing basketball together.

So when Jake Meldrum was unable to make it to his senior night due to an illness, his brothers in blood and in competition stepped up in a big way.

Josh Meldrum, James Meldrum and Hunter Howell combined to score 48 points in their final home game, a 70-32 win for Rainier over Winlock Friday, Jan. 31. The four seniors were honored before the contest.

“I’ve just really enjoyed getting to coach those guys because they’re the ultimate competitors. They’re super competitive. They bring it every single day in practice and in games,” Rainier head coach Ben Sheaffer said of his seniors. “It’s been cool to grow together.”

As has been the story for most of the season, the Mountaineers were missing a few pieces Friday night, including Jake Meldrum and reserve guard Nehemiah Linson. Howell was aggressive from the tip, attacking the basket for a layup before splashing two open triples to give Rainier a 10-2 start.

After trailing 14-6 entering the second, Winlock cut the lead to five with a 3-pointer by Freddy Patching, but that was as close as the Cardinals could get. The Mountaineers torched the Cardinals to close out the first half, blowing the game open with a 15-4 run. Eighth-grader Ty Beckman earned some varsity minutes with the shortage at guard, and he drilled a corner 3-pointer, much to the delight of his three siblings in the stands.

The seniors stayed hot in the second half as Howell scored 12 of his 20 points in the final 16 minutes and James Meldrum dropped 11 of his 13 in the half, as well. Howell and the Meldrum boys got their final curtain call in front of their home crowd with one minute to go in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand. They embraced their coaches and teammates as they walked off their home floor for the final time.

“Coach Sheaffer has been more than my coach throughout my years playing basketball,” Josh Meldrum said. “I will miss playing basketball with all of these guys that I’ve grown up playing with, and I will call them my brothers forever. Rainier basketball will forever be a part of me and who I am.”

James Meldrum said he felt quite emotional before the senior night festivities as he has played in that gym for “my whole life.”

“It felt like my home and my teammates were my family. A lot has happened in that gym, which came with its ups and downs,” he said. “I felt very thankful too, thankful for my mom and dad, who would always take time out of their day to help me improve my skills.”

Howell acknowledged that, while the seniors haven’t been able to share the court as much as they would have hoped this year due to injuries and illness, they’ve remained positive.

“No matter what, everyone’s found a way to stay positive and look for new ways to win. It doesn’t matter who is on the court because we know that they are going to do their job,” he said. “This team means a lot to me. We have been through a lot over the last five years. The team is like a big family.”

Jake Meldrum expressed his gratitude for his teammates and his coaches over the last five years.

“It’s been fun. We’ve had a great group of guys for the past five years. I’ve had an awesome experience through coaches and the program,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better five years in this program and on the court.”

Sheaffer said the seniors left a legacy of toughness and hard work that he hopes will be passed down to his younger players, including his sons Peyton, a junior, and Devin, an eighth grader.

“There’s the Meldrum triplets, but Hunter is kind of like their quadruplet. They’ve been playing together forever, and the bond that they have and the brotherhood that they have is really cool to watch,” Sheaffer said.

Rainier (12-7, 9-6 Central 2B League) hits the road for its regular season finale against Toledo (17-3, 12-3 C2BL) Monday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in a game that could serve as an added momentum boost heading into districts if Rainier wins.

“We’re dealing with this illness. It never goes away. We’re going to take a couple days and hopefully get right,” Sheaffer said. “Hopefully we can get a win and prove to ourselves that we can play with the top-tier teams.”

Winlock (7-12, 5-10 C2BL) returns home Monday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. for a date with Napavine (17-2, 14-1 C2BL) in both teams’ regular-season finale.