The first game for the MHS Cowboys is a scrimmage in Craig Saturday at 10 a.m. | TIFFANY JEHOREK PHOTO
MEEKER I The Meeker Cowboys football program has a packed team again this year, with 47 boys out for the 2021 season.
Once again in 2020 the team made it to the playoffs, and in the last moments of the quarter finals they lost to Strasburg just missing the semi-finals.
Practice for the Cowboys began Aug. 2 and with the first game not until Sept. 4 it gives the team an opportunity to prepare after some significant losses with the 2020 graduating seniors.
This year head coach Shane Phelan welcomed back to his coaching staff Andy Coryell, Darby Finley, Matt Dupire and Matt Scott. New to the coaching staff is Ross McGee. By day he is a wildlife officer with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Service in Meeker.
This year the team is returning 11 seniors to the team including all-state athletes Zach Eskelson and Kelton Turner and all-state honorable mention Zach Simonsen.
“We have a nice returning senior class,” said Phelan, “and they are excited to play.”
“The seniors will all play vital roles this season, but look to some of the young sophomores and of course the juniors stepping into some key roles,” commented Phelan.
This coming weekend the boys will get a chance to play in a scrimmage in Craig against Moffat County. The game will begin at 10 a.m.
The following Friday, plan to attend the team’s annual Meeker Kickoff Classic golf tournament, with proceeds used for team needs. The Kickoff Classic is paired with a silent auction for some great Meeker Cowboy gear and of course the ice cream social. Anyone looking to enter items into the silent auction can get a hold of Tiffany Jehorek at 970-274-1195.
“Coming off of a year of COVID, we are really excited to have our fans back in the stands and attending our home games,” said Phelan. “We really hope our community will come out to watch us take on the three-time defending state champion Limon Badgers in our home opener on Sept. 4 at 1 p.m.”
This year the Cowboys will have four home games and will see a lot of road time. Many of the schools have chosen to maintain using NFHS, YouTube or some of the other streaming sources so Cowboy fans will be able to catch their team in action. The channels and information on how to watch will be published in the weekly article.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK – Special to the Herald Times
