Cowboy wrestlers split with Bulldogs

MEEKER | The Cowboy wrestling team lost to the 3A Moffat County Bulldogs at home but beat the 4A Bulldogs from Palisade on the road last week and they will wrestle in Cedaredge Friday before hosting the Meeker Duals this Saturday in the final competition before the state-qualifying regional tournament the following weekend in Grand Junction. “We just wrestled flat,” Meeker head coach J.C. Watt said of the 32-39 loss to Moffat County. Meeker won five matches, including three by pin fall and one by technical fall in front of their hometown fans. Seniors Cody Nielsen (160), Caleb Bradford (220) and Sheridan Harvey (138), all pinned their Moffat County opponents, sophomore Tannen Kennedy won 19-2 and senior Chase Rule defeated Elias Peroulis for a second time this season. “We wrestled really well against Palisade,” coach Watt said of the 40-33 win over the 4A Bulldogs in Palisade. “Maybe because we are transitioning toward the end of the year and they decided it was time.” The Cowboys won seven of 13 matches wrestled in Palisade but only big-men Bradford and Tyler Ilgen (heavyweight) pinned their opponents, while Kennedy, Harvey and Jacob Pelloni (113) all won by technical fall. Senior Hunter Garcia (152) won 11-2 and junior Garrett Frantz won 3-2 in the 132-pound match. Coach Watt expects the dual in Cedaredge against the Bruins will be “very competitive,” as will the duals in Meeker, where teams from Palisade, Rangely, Oak Creek (Soroco), Basalt, Grand Valley and Coal Ridge, will each wrestle four duals. “This will help us in getting prepared for the post season,” coach Watt said.