The Meeker Cowboys returned to the field Friday after two weeks off with a 47-14 homecoming victory over Olathe on Oct. 9, improving to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in league play.
The Cowboys rushed for 297 yards on 28 carries and totaled 343 yards of offense. Junior Jonah Lee led the ground attack with 81 yards and three touchdowns, while freshman Gael Rodriguez added 58 yards and a touchdown. Junior Jaxen Mills rushed for 47 yards on four carries. Senior Cade Mills rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown and threw some dimes, completing two passes for 46 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown to senior Trent Sanders.
Lee credited the offensive line for the team’s success on the ground.
“I give all credit to our offensive line. Those boys do the dirty work for us backs. I wouldn’t have three touchdowns if they didn’t make lanes wide enough for a bus,” Lee said.
Sophomore Jake Grieser opened the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, setting the tone for the Cowboys.
“Once I caught the ball, I saw the wide-open field and went straight for it. My teammates did a great job of blocking all throughout the play, and that is what allowed me to score,” Grieser said.
The Sideline Sheriff, head coach Andy Coryell, said the team was eager to return to competition after two weeks without a game.
“We wanted to start fast. We hadn’t played football in a long time, so we told them to start fast, and then they returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown,” Coryell said. “I guess I don’t know if they were listening or what, but that’s a good way to start.”
Defensively, the Cowboys recorded 63 tackles and two interceptions. Senior Tucker Chinn returned an interception 23 yards, while sophomore Lawson Anderson returned one 18 yards. Sophomores Bryant Turner and Liam Thomson led the team with five tackles each, followed by Jaxen Mills, sophomore Kael Overton and senior Wesley Thompson with four apiece.
Mills credited the team’s collective effort.
“The offense was working good as a whole. It was nice getting back on the field, and it is never a bad thing when everyone on the team wants the ball,” Mills said.
Sanders emphasized the trust the Cowboys have developed throughout the season.
“Leaning on each other and having trust in the guy next to me, and them having trust in the guy next to them, is a powerful thing and brings confidence to me and the team as well,” Sanders said.
The Cowboys sent the Pirates sailing away with a 47-14 defeat, setting the stage for a major Western Slope showdown Friday, Oct. 16, against the undefeated North Fork Miners.
North Fork enters the 7 p.m. match up at 6-0 and ranked No. 1 in the Class 1A CHSAA Seeding Index, while Meeker climbed from No. 9 to No. 3. Both teams are undefeated in league play.
Lee said the Cowboys are prepared for a physical match up.
“Yes, they’re a physical team, but they’re also just humans like us, and every human has their soft spot. Our coaches are doing everything they can to prepare us for this game,” Lee said.
Sanders said the Cowboys have kept their sights set on a state championship since summer workouts began.
“I think we have our main goal as winning a state title, and we have all known that from the summer workouts, and so it just brings us one step closer to that,” Sanders said. “I think we know what we can do, and we’ve got to continue to work hard every single day and just focus on North Fork this week.”
Coryell said the keys to success remain the same.
“The same stuff we’ve been doing: tackles and takeaways, and we’re just going to have to be physical,” Coryell said. “That’s a good football team.”
Senior Trent Sanders hauls in a pass during the Cowboys’ 47-14 homecoming victory over Olathe on Oct. 9. Sanders caught two passes for 46 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown, helping Meeker improve to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in league play. The Cowboys travel to North Fork Friday to face the undefeated, top-ranked Miners. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO