Bobby Gutierrez photo
RBC | The defending state champion Meeker Cowboys wrestling team will open the 2017 portion of the season tonight when they host the Grand Valley Cardinals in a dual match starting at 6 p.m. All of the Rio Blanco County basketball teams, boys and girls, will play away from home Friday before both Meeker and Rangely host games Saturday.
Meeker and Rangely’s wrestling teams will compete in the Tournament of Champions in Vernal, Utah, starting Friday. Meeker coach J.C. Watt said defending state champion Casey Turner will wrestle for the first time this year and he is excited to get started.
“Casey will wrestle this weekend,” coach Watt said of the senior Cowboy. “We had a great break and should be ready to go.”
The lady Panthers have the best record so far of the county’s basketball teams at 5-1, while all the others are currently at 2-3.
“We have had a nice start to the basketball season and we are pleased with the progress of the team as a whole, excited to see how much we can continue to improve,” Rangely girls’ coach Quentin Kent said. “We know league play will be a challenge but we are excited for it. We have enjoyed the preseason schedule where we played teams we won’t see in league play, everyone has contributed and now we are excited for league play to see where we stand in the conference.”
The Rangely teams will open 2017 in Hayden, Friday, then host the Rams from Oak Creek (Soroco) Saturday.
The Meeker boys and girls will play in Kremmling Friday against the West Grand Mustangs, then host Hayden Saturday. Meeker girls’ first-year head coach Jamie Rogers is excited to get started after the Christmas break.
“I’m so excited to start the regular season, this will be our first 2A opponent and the kids looked at practice over the break,” coach Rogers said about her first league games. “It will be a great game to start with, as West Grand has always had a competitive team.”
