Last weekend, the Meeker High School Cowboys opened the 2026 football season with a 30-15 road win over the Yuma Outlaws, using a physical rushing attack and strong defensive effort to start the season 1-0.
Meeker finished the night with 331 total yards, including 279 on the ground. The Cowboys averaged 5.9 yards per carry and found the end zone four times.
Senior running back Said Rodriguez led the rushing attack with 89 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns. He also added three receiving yards for 92 all-purpose yards.
“I think we were just very prepared for the game,” Rodriguez said. “We worked really hard, especially during those two days and in the summer.”
Rodriguez said establishing the inside run was an important part of the Cowboys’ offensive success.
“It was important to be physical and establish that inside run, which can open the outside run,” Rodriguez said.
While Rodriguez finished with two touchdowns, he credited his teammates for helping create those opportunities.
“Everyone did their part, and the touchdowns would never happen if I didn’t have great teammates like the ones I do,” Rodriguez said.
Senior running back Tucker Chinn added 80 yards on eight carries, averaging 10 yards per carry.
“Our offensive line is usually undersized, but we are quicker and more decisive with our movements, which allows us to be successful,” Chinn said.
Chinn said that physicality was especially important against Yuma.
“They were much larger and faster than us for the most part, so it was important that we were physical,” he said.
Chinn said getting the ball outside in open space helped him pick up more yards per carry.
Senior quarterback Cade Mills accounted for 120 total yards, completing 5 of 8 passes for 52 yards while adding 68 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Junior Jaxen Mills added 48 total yards, including 18 rushing yards and 30 receiving yards, and caught a touchdown pass.
Junior Jonah Christenson rushed for 24 yards and scored a touchdown.
The Cowboys’ defense also turned in a strong opening performance, recording 74 total tackles.
Senior Wesley Thompson led Meeker with 11 tackles, while Christenson finished with nine and Rodriguez added seven. Sophomore Lawson Anderson and senior Trent Sanders each recorded six tackles.
“Something that really stood out to me was our ability to start the game hot and be able to keep the energy up the whole time,” Thompson said.
The senior said preparation during the week, particularly working on reads during practice and film study, helped the defense recognize plays as they developed.
“We really hammered on reads during practice and a lot of time on film for me, which really helped when watching the plays develop,” Thompson said.
The win was especially meaningful for the Cowboys after struggling to start the season in recent years.
“It was really important to all of us, mostly because the past couple years we lost our first game and wouldn’t really start to pick it up until the second or third,” Thompson said. “To win against a good team that was bigger felt great.”
Despite being outsized by Yuma, Thompson said Meeker’s defense focused on getting to the ball quickly.
“Even though we were outsized, we really got to the ball quicker and were able to make the tackle,” he said. “Even when we couldn’t, everyone else hustled to the ball.”
Thompson said the Cowboys can continue improving their reads and speed while maintaining the energy they brought Friday.
The Cowboys’ special teams also contributed to the win. Senior Trent Sanders handled five kickoffs for 198 yards, averaging 39.6 yards per kick, and recorded a 39-yard punt.
After the game, head coach Andy Coryell said getting the first win of the season on the road was important for the Cowboys.
“They’re all important,” Coryell said. “You look forward to the first one. This one has been written on the wall in the weight room for six months. The first one is a good one.”
Coryell said the victory should give the team confidence but emphasized that the Cowboys cannot dwell on the win as they prepare for their next opponent.
“They should feel good about it, but we just told them that Monday is another week,” Coryell said. “We’ve got to get better on Mondays, and we’ll see what goes from there.”
Coryell also liked the way the Cowboys responded to their first live game of the season.
“There was a lot of new stuff. You don’t know who you’ve got until you see them for the first time,” Coryell said. “I like these guys. They played all four quarters.”
The Cowboys entered the season with a mix of experienced seniors and younger players, and the opening win offered an early test of the physical style Coryell emphasized during the preseason.
Chinn said the Cowboys still have plenty to work on despite the strong start.
“I learned that we didn’t play perfect by any means and have a lot to improve, but this team has some significant potential this year,” Chinn said.
Rodriguez agreed.
“I think we will continue on improving these next couple weeks and be ready for league,” Rodriguez said. “I think this win definitely gives us some confidence, but also some things that we can improve in for the Delta game.”
Meeker will return home for its home opener against Delta on Aug. 28.
“I am very excited to play Delta this weekend,” Chinn said. “They are a bigger team and very good in the higher division, so I’m sure it’ll be a battle, but I’m very excited.”
Rodriguez also said the Cowboys are looking forward to the matchup.
“Delta’s a good program, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes,” he said.
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday.
