MEEKER | Cowboys wrapped up their final duals of the varsity regular season on Saturday in Palisade after wrestling both Thursday and Friday nights at home.
The season was to consist of 20 regular season duals before entering the postseason. The Meeker Cowboys were fortunate that they were able to secure 20 duals with only a few of the team members missing here and there due to COVID related absences. The team regularly filled 13 of the 14 slots which made them competitive and sought after for competition. There are teams in the league that have only wrestled five to six duals for the year so far.
“The kids did really good this week,” commented head coach JC Watt.
Opening up the week with the county rival Rangely, the Cowboys won 66-9. Pinning for the Cowboys was Colby Clatterbaugh at 190 lbs who opened the evening, Judd Harvey (220), Tanner Musser (285), Trae Kennedy (126), Connor Blunt (145), Brendan Clatterbaugh (170), and Dax Sheridan (182). In exhibition Tyson Portwood (145) and Kelton Turner (170) also came away with wins for the evening.
Friday Meeker hosted its final dual at home until regionals. Traveling to Meeker was Hotchkiss, Glenwood Springs and Basalt as a combined team, and Steamboat Springs. The Cowboys added three “W’s” to their record.
The scores were 54-16 over Hotchkiss, 56-12 over Glenwood Springs/Basalt, and 60-24 over Steamboat Springs. Adding wins to their records were Owen Hanneman (120), Kennedy, Portwood, and B. Clatterbaugh. Winning all the matches they wrestled for the evening were Hanneman, Blunt, Trinden Powell (152), Turner, Sheridan, C. Clatterbaugh, Harvey, and Musser.
Saturday the team wrapped up their final season in Palisade, opening first to Palisade and winning 43-13, the team moved onto Hayden winning 49-24 and finally closing with the second win of the season against the Moffat County Bulldogs 43-31.
Kennedy, Portwood, Blunt and Powell all added wins to their final regular season record that will be used for seeding of the regional tournament.
Turner, B. Clatterbaugh, Sheridan, C. Clatterbaugh, Harvey and Musser all swept their opponents.
The following Cowboys are ranked in class 2A, Ty Goedert at 113 lbs in third, Kennedy at 120 lbs (7), Blunt at 145 (9), Turner 160 (4), B. Blatterbaugh 170 (9), Sheridan 182 (6), C. Clatterbaugh 195 (2), and Musser 285 (9).
There were some significant opponents for the Cowboys this past weekend, at 132 pounds Portwood pinned Kyler Campbell who is ranked 13 at 138 pounds, Blunt won 6-0 over Wyatt Murphy from Hayden who is ranked two spots below him at 11, and Musser pinned Byron Mackay from Rangely, ranked one spot above him at eight.
Rangley and Hayden were the only teams in Meeker’s class that they wrestled this weekend. Moffat County and Basalt are each in class 3A, Kennedy pinned Brody Wiser who is ranked fifth at 120 pounds, Blunt won by decision over Ryan Duzik who sits in 12th, Turner won 9-4 over Pepper Rhyne who is ranked fifth, and C. Clatterbaugh over Ruben Samuleson who is ranked third at 195.
“We have two weeks to get ready for regionals,” commented Watt, “the kids are in good shape and we will be ready and should have a full and healthy team.”
“The kids have had a lot more discipline this year and it is showing,” wrapped up Watt.
Regionals, hosted in Meeker on March 5 and 6, will be a two day event, but the bottom seven weights will wrestle their entire tournament day one and then day two the top seven weights will wrestle theirs.
Stay tuned for more information.
The JV final dual for the season Friday has been canceled.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK – Special to the Herald Times
