By the time the regular season ended, no team in Class 6A (and only two in the entire state) had fewer losses than the Herriman boys basketball team. 

At 21-2, the Mustangs entered the 6A state tournament as a favorite to win the title (after press deadline). Herriman went 9-1 in a competitive Region 2 to win the league championship, its first in school history. 

The Mustangs have had an outstanding season despite some challenges and setbacks. 

“We have a team that has been battle-tested and figured out how to work through some tough things during the season, including sickness and injuries,” head coach Doug Meacham said. 

Herriman outscored its region foes by an average score of 66-55. Its only loss in league play was a 69-53 setback at home to Corner Canyon on Feb. 7. Earlier in the year, the Mustangs defeated Corner Canyon, which placed second in region, 71-49 on Jan. 17. Herriman also beat third-place Bingham twice this season: 63-47 on Jan. 14 and 69-65 on Feb. 4. 

Herriman’s only other loss came against an out-of-state foe, Rock Canyon, Colorado, on Dec. 6 in the Tournament of Champions. 

Meacham and his players were eager to get the postseason underway as the playoffs were set to begin Feb. 19 for first-round action. Herriman got a first-round bye and would host a second-round home game on Feb. 21 after press deadline. The quarterfinals begin Feb. 24 at the University of Utah’s Jon M. Huntsman Center. The semifinals, on Feb. 26, and the finals, on Feb. 27, are also at the Huntsman Center. 

The Mustangs could very well be playing for the top prize at the end of the month. Meacham said his players are focused and poised to do what it takes to be successful in the playoffs. 

“There’s been a commitment to trying to play the right way, and we hope to have a sharpened focus on fighting for each other on the defensive side of the floor because we can control that during the game,” he said. “We know we can’t control if shots are always falling or how the game is being called. Our guys have welcomed the challenge of preparation and skill development through the whole season, and we believe if we keep doing the little things right in the game, we can have a chance to finish strong.” 

The Herriman program has made a big turnaround over the past few seasons. 

Last season, in Meacham’s first season, the Mustangs were 20-6 and reached the state semifinals, falling by a single point to eventual champion Lehi. Two seasons ago, Herriman was 12-12 after going 5-19 in 2021–22. The team was 9-16 in 2020–21. 

A hallmark of this season’s success was strong play on both ends of the court. Herriman never allowed more than 67 points in a game all season and held 13 opponents to fewer than 50 points. Meanwhile, the Mustangs broke 70 points on six occasions. 

The talented tandem of Cale Barclay and Carlo Mulford has been difficult for opponents to contain. 

Barclay, a senior forward/center is one of 6A’s top scorers. He led the Mustangs in points during the regular season with an average of 18.1 a contest. Barclay also pulled down 7.5 rebounds a game to lead the team. During the regular season, Barclay scored in double figures in all but one game, with his season-high point total coming against Lehi on Dec. 7 when he poured in 28 points. He had 10 games of at least 20 points. Barclay was tough in the paint, registering double figures in rebounds six times. His best rebounding effort came in a tournament on Dec. 21 against Shawnee, Oklahoma, when he had 15 boards to go along with 21 points. 

Mulford, a junior guard is right behind Barclay with 16.9 points per game, along with 4 assists and 1.5 steals a game, both team highs. He only had two games of scoring under 10 points. Mulford owns the highest individual point total of the regular season, a feat he accomplished on Jan. 17 when he lit up the scoreboard with 36 points against Corner Canyon. He also had 35 points at Copper Hills on Dec. 14. Mulford had a season-high nine assists against Shawnee, Oklahoma. 

Two other Mustangs averaged just below 10 points a game. Senior guard Stockton Blanchard averaged 9.5 points a game during the regular season. He shared the lead with Mulford in total three-pointers made with 41. Blanchard also chipped in four rebounds a game. He had a season-best 24 points in the team’s loss to Rock Canyon, Colorado. Three times this season he had eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Zach Tanner, a senior forward/center, scores just over eight point a game and averages 5.1 rebounds a contest, second on the team. Tanner had 11 boards in a big win over Altamonte Christian, Florida, on Dec. 20. He scored 16 points, his top effort of the season in that category, on Feb. 4 at Bingham. 

Next season’s lineup will look a little different for Herriman. Though Mulford will be back, the program will say goodbye to Barclay, Blanchard and Tanner. Seniors JJ Tomsick and Dray Stilson, valuable contributors this season, will also end their careers at Herriman once the season ends. However, Meacham’s squad has 12 underclassmen on the roster. Expect to see some new faces on the court and younger players emerge as leaders in 2025–26.  λ