MEEKER | The Meeker Cowboys football team was on the road this past weekend, defeating the Roaring Fork Rams 40-0 on Friday night. The win improved the Cowboys’ record to 4-2, placing them second in the league standings.
Despite not extending their four-game streak of increasing their point total each game, the Cowboys were dominant, with Head Coach Andy Coryell sharing the team’s consistent approach.
“The game plan this week was the same as most weeks: we needed to take care of the ball and keep their offense in front of us,” Coryell said.
Leading the charge for Meeker was senior running back Clay Crawford, who rushed for 148 yards and scored two touchdowns. Another standout was senior running back Cade Blunt, who contributed 86 yards on the ground and added a touchdown. The Cowboys finished the night with 337 rushing yards, the most they’ve had since September 2023.
The defense also played a pivotal role, pitching a shutout on the road. Coryell praised his defensive unit for their strong performance against the Rams’ spread offense.
“Roaring Fork spread us out and threw it a lot. Our guys up front never let their QB get comfortable, and the secondary never let the receivers get loose. I’m really proud of the defense and how they handled that spread offense,” Coryell said.
A key moment in the game came just before halftime when senior Tyler Sanders intercepted a pass and returned it, shifting momentum in the Cowboys’ favor.
“Making a big play like that gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities to cover the out routes they were relying on. It also gave the defense as a whole a lot of confidence and momentum, knowing they could focus on their jobs without worrying about mistakes,” Sanders said.
Sanders also spoke about what went through his mind when he saw the ball coming his way.
“They had been running the same route scheme to my side every time, so I knew when I saw the ball in the air where it was going to end up. I was just thinking I’ve got to go get that,” Sanders said.
The Cowboys will be back on the road next weekend to face North Fork, the current first-place team in the 1A Western Slope League. The outcome of the game will likely decide the league champion.
By JARED HENDERSON
