Cowboys slay Dragons 39-6

MEEKER | After traveling through Wyoming and Nebraska, the Cowboys ended up in the northeast corner of the state, where they played and defeated the Holyoke Dragons 39-6. The Cowboys will have a bye this week, for extra time to prepare to host the Monte Vista Pirates for homecoming, Sept. 22.
“It was a good trip,” Meeker head coach Shane Phelan said. “We got to see some of the state many of us have not seen before. Holyoke is a nice town.”
The Cowboys started out slow and took a three-point lead into the second quarter, after senior Jerrick Garza kicked a field, then a safety by juniors Tannen Kennedy and James Amick put the Cowboys up 5-0.
“You don’t see that score often in a football game,” coach Phelan said.
Meeker would score again, when senior quarterback Logan Hughes connected with junior Eli Hanks for a touchdown but they did not add the extra points.
The Dragons would get their lone touchdown in the second quarter and the first half would end with the Cowboys ahead 11-6.
“We didn’t play well in the first half and that’s my fault for not having them prepared,” coach Phelan said. “We talked a little at halftime and the kids responded well in the third quarter.”
The Cowboys exploded with 28 points, including another touchdown by Hanks, a touchdown run by senior running back Doak Mantle and a “nice catch,” according to coach Phelan, by senior Trapper Merrifield, who now has already caught five touchdown passes in three games for the Cowboys.
Coach Phelan said his offense was “balanced” again, as Hughes completed 10 of 18 passes, including three for touchdowns and he rushed for another.
Mantle had his first 100-yard game of the season, rushing for 136 yards on 13 carries. Six Cowboys carried the ball for a total of 362 yards, including 70 from Hughes, 67 from Jorgen Stagg, 48 from Hanks, 31 from Kennedy and 10 from Jake Shelton, who also had an interception on defense, as did senior Stephen Walsh.
“Our defense did some good things,” coach Phelan said.
Kennedy led the team with 11 tackles, Shelton and sophomore classmate Tevin Pelloni both had six tackles and freshman Ryan Phelan finished with three, including a sack.
The varsity Cowboys will have a bye this week, while the JV team will play in Craig today and in Silt against the Coal Ridge Titans on Monday.
“The bye week will give us an opportunity to refocus and get back to fundamentals,” coach Phelan said. “We’ll get a little rest and prepare for a really tough Monte Vista team here for homecoming.”