MEEKER | The Meeker Cowboys dominated on the road Friday night, defeating the Grand Valley Cardinals 53-6. The game marked a season-high for the Cowboys, who have now won six consecutive games by at least 27 points. Head Coach Andy Coryell emphasized a steady approach.
“We try to control the ball and the clock. It’s hard to win league games on the road, so I’m really proud of these guys; they showed up again tonight,” Coryell said.
Meeker’s offense thrived on the ground, racking up 332 rushing yards. Senior running back Clay Crawford led with 144 yards and two touchdowns, crediting his success to his teammates’ efforts.
“There’s always at least five boys downfield blocking for me until the whistle. The linemen and wide receivers have been doing an awesome job putting maximum effort into every play,” Crawford said.
Crawford praised teammate Tyler Sanders for his improvement this season.
“Tyler has improved so much this year; he’s blocking until the whistle every play. We’ve won seven games in a row, and that momentum carries over week after week. This opening round of the playoffs will be fun with lots of momentum coming with us to win,” Crawford said.
Senior running back Cade Blunt also contributed 88 rushing yards and a touchdown, noting the team’s focused mindset.
“Going into the Grand Valley game, we knew they had good athletes. I knew that if I did my job and everyone else did theirs, everything would work out,” Blunt said.
Blunt shared his outlook as the team heads into the playoffs this Saturday.
“As we move into the playoffs, we keep the mindset that if everyone does their part, we’ll succeed. Moving into the playoffs shifts our mindset to ‘if you lose, you’re done,’ so we’re using this momentum to stay motivated,” Blunt said.
The Cowboys’ defense was equally strong, allowing only one touchdown. Grand Valley’s quarterback was intercepted twice, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Sanders.
“There were a few turnovers early, and it kind of snowballed. Toward the end, Tyler caught an interception and ran it in for a touchdown—that was the key moment,” Coryell said.
Sanders, who had an earlier interception, described his mindset on his second pick.
“When I saw the ball up again, I was just thinking about getting in the end zone. I’m looking to carry this momentum into the playoffs by keeping the team confident in our ability to control the passing game on defense,” Sanders said.
With Friday’s victory, the Cowboys improved to 7-2, clinching the 1A Western Slope League Championship and securing a 12th consecutive postseason berth. Coryell emphasized sticking to their routine as they prepare for the playoffs.
“I think we’ve been around long enough to know we’re not going to do anything different. We’ll go back to Monday like it’s a normal Monday; we’ve still got a lot to clean up. We’re not where we want to be yet,” Coryell said.
This Saturday, the seventh-seeded Cowboys (7-2) will host No. 10 Monte Vista at Starbuck Stadium in Meeker at noon. Fans are encouraged to come and cheer on the Cowboys. Go Cowboys!
By JARED HENDERSON
Meeker Cowboys Senior Cade Blunt gets ready to kick off the game in Friday night’s contest v. the Grand Valley Cardinals. The Cowboys clinched the win to take the 1A Western Slope League Championship and secure a 12th consecutive post-season berth. They’ll play Monte Vista this Saturday at noon at Starbuck Stadium. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO