Cowboys shut out Del Norte early

RANGELY I The Meeker Cowboys football team made quick work of Del Norte in Olathe on Saturday, beating the Tigers 42-0, keeping them undefeated in their first four games.
The Cowboys will host Lake County on Friday in Starbuck Stadium.
The Cowboys jumped on the Tigers early, scoring 28 points in the first quarter and forcing a running clock to start early in the second quarter, when Meeker led 42-0.
“Our defense played very well,” Meeker head coach Shane Phelan said.
Meeker’s defense held the Tigers to less than 100 yards (54 passing and 23 rushing), and all 17 players were in on tackles, led by seniors Willis Begaye and J.C. Henderson, with nine tackles each. Henderson also recovered a fumble on defense and rushed for a touchdown. Senior Joe Newman and freshman Casey Turner each had six tackles and T.J. Shelton finished with seven.
Shelton led the offense with 180 yards on eight carries and scored two touchdowns. Quarterback Jake Phelan rushed for 83 yards, two touchdowns and threw another to Raul Lopez.
“It’s nice to have Raul on board,” Coach Phelan said of the junior, whose first game of the season was in Olathe.
“It was nice to get our younger guys a lot of playing time,” Coach Phelan said.
Meeker’s younger players have been getting field time on JV, as the junior varsity team has played three games against bigger schools, beating Grand Valley recently and losing to Craig and Steamboat Springs.
“They are a big part of our program,” Coach Phelan said of the junior varsity team.
The Cowboys will host the Lake County Panthers in Starbuck Stadium. A 7 p.m. kickoff is scheduled.