MEEKER | The Meeker Cowboys ended the first weekend of the winter season 5-0 as a team.
Wrestling varsity last weekend was Trae Kennedy at 113 pounds, Ty Goedert (120), Tyson Portwood (132), Kaden Franklin (138), Connor Blunt (145), Trinden Powell (152), Kelton Turner (160), Brendan Clatterbaugh (182), Colby Clatterbaugh (195), Noah LeBlanc (220), and Judd Harvey (285).
Friday, the team traveled to Rifle taking on the Bears and Eagle Valley Devils. In the opening dual of the season the 3A Bears lost to the Cowboys 57 to 12. Turning next to the 4A Devils, Meeker triumphed again 48-30. Each team member secured at least one win in the evening. Winning both matches were Kennedy, Goedert, Blunt, Turner, B. Clatterbaugh, and C. Clatterbaugh.
“I was really proud of the boys and how they wrestled,” commented head coach JC Watt, “It was supposed to be a quad and we should have wrestled Delta, so we will make this up at the end of the year.”
“We wrestled hard both days, and were the best conditioned of all the teams, and it will help us in the future,” said Watt. The following day the team was once again on the road to Paonia for the quad with the Eagles, Coal Ridge Titans, and Mancos Bluejays.
The Cowboys had their first sweep of the year over the Titans. The Cowboys wrestled 11 weights, pinned all 11 Titans, and won 66 to 0.
“Kennedy and Harvey had the toughest matches of the dual and faced the kids with the best ability,” Watt said. “Our JV got a few matches and with the exception of one quad specifically for them, they will continue to get matches where possible.”
Meeker met Mancos for the second dual of the day, wrestling nine weights and winning 37-29. Turner, in his first weekend of high school wrestling, took on Chase Moore, the number two ranked 160 pound Bluejay, pinning him in the third round.
In the final dual of the day, Meeker met the home team Eagles. Fifth dual and fifth win 45-36, Cowboys over the Eagles.
Cowboys going 3-0 on Saturday were Blunt, Turner, C. Clatterbaugh, and Harvey.
Tuesday the team had another dual, this time with the 5A team Grand Junction, Tigers. The Tigers handed the Cowboys their first loss as a team.
The Cowboys now look towards the duals with Hotchkiss and Norwood that will begin at 6 p.m.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK – Special to the Herald Times
