Meeker, Meeker Sports, MHS Football, Sports

Cowboys face Grand Junction JV Saturday

Ryan Wix (No. 36) rushed the punter (assistant coach Aaron Zielinske) during a drill in preparation for Saturday afternoon’s season — and home — opener against Grand Junction High School’s junior varsity.

As a first-year coach, Jeff Palmer is still getting to know his team.

He’ll know a lot more come Saturday.
That’s when Meeker will host Grand Junction High School’s junior varsity in its season-opening football game. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at Starbuck Stadium.
Palmer, who replaced Shane Phelan after he retired from coaching, got a better idea of what he has to work with after the Cowboys participated in a three-way controlled scrimmage last Friday against Grand Valley and Cedaredge.
The results were mixed. Meeker “lost” to Grand Valley three scores to two and to Cedaredge two scores to none. Both opponents are Class 2A schools; Meeker is 1A in football.
“We didn’t do too bad,” Palmer said. “We saw some good things. We saw some bad things. We saw a lot of stuff we need to work on.”
“We” includes Palmer and his coaching staff, most of who are, like him, new to the program. The only holdover from last season’s coaching staff is Brett Steinacher, who doubles as the school’s athletics director. New additions to the staff are a couple of Aarons, Aaron Zielinske and Aaron King.
“It’s not that I came in and fired everybody,” Palmer said. “They just all decided to leave at the same time.”
Palmer came from Nucla, where he coached eight-man football last season. He took over a losing program.
“They hadn’t won a game in the previous two seasons,” said Palmer, who guided Nucla to a 6-2 record during the regular season and a playoff berth.
But Palmer is glad to return to the 11-man game.
“I coached 11 man for 16 years, so this is not a real big deal,” Palmer said of the transition. “That’s what I’ve always played. That’s what I’ve always coached. It was fun to coach eight-man for one year, but (11 man) is nice because you have more players on the team. You have a little more depth.”
While Palmer and his Cowboy coaching staff, for the most part, are new, so are a lot of the players — at least in terms of playing time.
“A lot of seniors graduated from last year’s team,” Palmer said of the 2009 Cowboy squad, which finished with an 8-3 record and included six all-conference players. While Palmer and his staff have been getting acquainted with their players, they like what they see so far.
“We have some seniors and juniors with some talent, but they don’t have a lot of experience at the varsity level,” Palmer said. “That scrimmage (last Friday) was the first time getting significant playing time in a varsity game.”
But Palmer is pleased with the progress the team is making.
“I’m happy with the way the team is coming along,” he said. “The kids are getting a very good understanding of the offense and we can make adjustments on the fly and they pick them up.”
As far as the starting lineup for Saturday’s game, most of the positions have been decided.
“There are still a few positions up for grabs,” Palmer said prior to this week’s practices. “But for the most part, we have our starters.”
Trevor Matrisciano, a senior, will be the starting quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes in last Friday’s scrimmage. One to Jake Nieslanik and one to Cole Steiner, who are also seniors.
Another senior, Ryan Wix, will be a starter at offensive tackle, along with Justin Hardy, Ethan Overton and Collin Cochran, with Reno Roybal and Victor Villalpando vying for playing time on the offensive line.
“The center position is still up for grabs,” Palmer said.
Joining Matrisciano in the offensive backfield, Palmer said, “Toby Casias will most likely be the tailback, but we have a couple of other players we’re going to look at this year, particularly Cole Steiner, who, if he doesn’t start at tailback, will be one of our receivers, along with Jared Frantz.”
A newcomer, Alema Atoafa, has had an immediate impact, winning the starting fullback job and also being elected one of the team captains, joining Wix for that honor.
“He didn’t play football here last year after moving from San Diego,” Palmer said of Atoafa. “His teammates electing him one of the captains shows you his leadership ability.”
Rounding out the offensive starters will be Jake Nieslanik, who was all-conference last season and has the tight end position locked up.
“He’s a heckuva football player,” Palmer said of the senior. “I don’t see anybody taking that (position) away from him.”
Many of the starters on offense will play both ways.
“Just about everyone starting on offense is starting on defense,” Palmer said.
The only sophomore to earn a starting spot will be newcomer Luke Swiger, who moved here from Alaska. Another underclassman, freshman Kevin Eli, will see duty at receiver and safety, but other sophomores and freshmen will be counted on to contribute as well.
“We need some of those young kids to grow up in a hurry,” Palmer said.
Three of the Cowboys’ first four games will be on Saturdays, with the rest being played on Friday nights.
“That’s good, because early in the season, it will give us extra practice days,” Palmer said of the Saturday games. “With a young team, without a whole lot of varsity experience, it’s really good to have those extra days practice.’
The Cowboys will be tested right out of the gate, starting with Saturday’s opener.
“Grand Junction has 120 kids on their roster,” said Palmer, whose team has 30-some players. “Yeah, it’s their JV team, but they are going to be pretty good. It won’t be like playing our JV team. It’s going to be a good test. I keep telling our kids this is a big school. It won’t be a walk in the park. We have to be ready to play. I’m getting excited. I hope the team’s getting excited, too.”

By JEFF [email protected] I As a first-year coach, Jeff Palmer is still getting to know his team.He’ll know a lot more come Saturday.That’s when Meeker will host Grand Junction High School’s junior varsity in its season-opening football game. Kickoff is 1 p.m. at Starbuck Stadium.Palmer, who replaced Shane Phelan after he retired from coaching, got a better idea of what he has to work with after the Cowboys participated in a three-way controlled scrimmage last Friday against Grand Valley and Cedaredge.The results were mixed. Meeker “lost” to Grand Valley three scores to two and to Cedaredge two scores to none. Both opponents are Class 2A schools; Meeker is 1A in football.“We didn’t do too bad,” Palmer said. “We saw some good things. We saw some bad things. We saw a lot of stuff we need to work on.”“We” includes Palmer and his coaching staff, most of who are, like him, new to the program. The only holdover from last season’s coaching staff is Brett Steinacher, who doubles as the school’s athletics director. New additions to the staff are a couple of Aarons, Aaron Zielinske and Aaron King.“It’s not that I came in and fired everybody,” Palmer said. “They just all decided to leave at the same time.”Palmer came from Nucla, where he coached eight-man football last season. He took over a losing program.“They hadn’t won a game in the previous two seasons,” said Palmer, who guided Nucla to a 6-2 record during the regular season and a playoff berth.But Palmer is glad to return to the 11-man game.“I coached 11 man for 16 years, so this is not a real big deal,” Palmer said of the transition. “That’s what I’ve always played. That’s what I’ve always coached. It was fun to coach eight-man for one year, but (11 man) is nice because you have more players on the team. You have a little more depth.”While Palmer and his Cowboy coaching staff, for the most part, are new, so are a lot of the players — at least in terms of playing time.“A lot of seniors graduated from last year’s team,” Palmer said of the 2009 Cowboy squad, which finished with an 8-3 record and included six all-conference players. While Palmer and his staff have been getting acquainted with their players, they like what they see so far.“We have some seniors and juniors with some talent, but they don’t have a lot of experience at the varsity level,” Palmer said. “That scrimmage (last Friday) was the first time getting significant playing time in a varsity game.”But Palmer is pleased with the progress the team is making.“I’m happy with the way the team is coming along,” he said. “The kids are getting a very good understanding of the offense and we can make adjustments on the fly and they pick them up.”As far as the starting lineup for Saturday’s game, most of the positions have been decided.“There are still a few positions up for grabs,” Palmer said prior to this week’s practices. “But for the most part, we have our starters.”Trevor Matrisciano, a senior, will be the starting quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes in last Friday’s scrimmage. One to Jake Nieslanik and one to Cole Steiner, who are also seniors.Another senior, Ryan Wix, will be a starter at offensive tackle, along with Justin Hardy, Ethan Overton and Collin Cochran, with Reno Roybal and Victor Villalpando vying for playing time on the offensive line.“The center position is still up for grabs,” Palmer said.Joining Matrisciano in the offensive backfield, Palmer said, “Toby Casias will most likely be the tailback, but we have a couple of other players we’re going to look at this year, particularly Cole Steiner, who, if he doesn’t start at tailback, will be one of our receivers, along with Jared Frantz.”A newcomer, Alema Atoafa, has had an immediate impact, winning the starting fullback job and also being elected one of the team captains, joining Wix for that honor.“He didn’t play football here last year after moving from San Diego,” Palmer said of Atoafa. “His teammates electing him one of the captains shows you his leadership ability.”Rounding out the offensive starters will be Jake Nieslanik, who was all-conference last season and has the tight end position locked up.“He’s a heckuva football player,” Palmer said of the senior. “I don’t see anybody taking that (position) away from him.”Many of the starters on offense will play both ways.“Just about everyone starting on offense is starting on defense,” Palmer said.The only sophomore to earn a starting spot will be newcomer Luke Swiger, who moved here from Alaska. Another underclassman, freshman Kevin Eli, will see duty at receiver and safety, but other sophomores and freshmen will be counted on to contribute as well.“We need some of those young kids to grow up in a hurry,” Palmer said.Three of the Cowboys’ first four games will be on Saturdays, with the rest being played on Friday nights.“That’s good, because early in the season, it will give us extra practice days,” Palmer said of the Saturday games. “With a young team, without a whole lot of varsity experience, it’s really good to have those extra days practice.’The Cowboys will be tested right out of the gate, starting with Saturday’s opener.“Grand Junction has 120 kids on their roster,” said Palmer, whose team has 30-some players. “Yeah, it’s their JV team, but they are going to be pretty good. It won’t be like playing our JV team. It’s going to be a good test. I keep telling our kids this is a big school. It won’t be a walk in the park. We have to be ready to play. I’m getting excited. I hope the team’s getting excited, too.”

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  • It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
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  • It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
  • Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
  • Read part three of the story of M.T. Streeter in this week’s edition of History Lessons! Find it in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • Meeker FFA Chapter members competed at the District Leadership Development Event in Craig, Colorado, this month. Top row from left to right: Eva Scritchfield, Charlie Rogers, Alan Rivera, Trent Sanders, Koy Weber, Orion Musser, Said Rodriguez, Carlos Carrillo, Aidan Tapia, Hayden Garcia, Tristan Rollins, Mathew Willey, Quentin Simpson. Middle row: Sidney Keetch, Aurora Stallings, Sydnie Ross, Ava Nay, Lili Piper, Leah Wood. Bottom Row: Jaicee Simmons, Kailynn Watson, Cody Richardson, Kayla Castillo, Braydin Raley, Autumn Stallings, Aimee Shults, Emily Hamm. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
  • Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
  • The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Meeker FFA Chapter members competed at the District Leadership Development Event in Craig, Colorado, this month. Top row from left to right: Eva Scritchfield, Charlie Rogers, Alan Rivera, Trent Sanders, Koy Weber, Orion Musser, Said Rodriguez, Carlos Carrillo, Aidan Tapia, Hayden Garcia, Tristan Rollins, Mathew Willey, Quentin Simpson. Middle row: Sidney Keetch, Aurora Stallings, Sydnie Ross, Ava Nay, Lili Piper, Leah Wood. Bottom Row: Jaicee Simmons, Kailynn Watson, Cody Richardson, Kayla Castillo, Braydin Raley, Autumn Stallings, Aimee Shults, Emily Hamm. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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View on Instagram |
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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Black Sulphur Tavern held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for their new business at 364 Seventh St. The space has been renovated with several TVs and games and provides a fun, friendly atmosphere to watch your favorite sports team and enjoy a burger and wings. Owners Frank Maestas and Pat Maestas are pictured with their new staff and Chamber of Commerce representatives Stephanie Hanson, Trudy Burri and Margie Joy. Follow Black Sulphur Tavern on Facebook. Their hours are Wednesday and Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday 11-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
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The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
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