MEEKER | The Cowboys opened the 2018-2019 season by wrestling five duals, all against larger schools, with Meeker winning two in the Maverick Duals on the campus of Colorado Mesa University last Saturday. Meeker beat 4A Montrose and 3A Grand Valley but lost to the defending 5A state champion Grand Junction Tigers, the 4A Grand Junction Central Warriors and 4A Montezuma-Cortez.
“It was a high level of competition for us but we wrestled well and aggressive,” Meeker head coach J.C. Watt said. “We weren’t intimidated.”
Meeker’s state runner-up Tannen Kennedy won all four of his matches, including three by pin fall.
“Tannen wrestled well, as expected,” coach Watt said.
Senior James Amick, juniors Ridge Williams and Kesston Hobbs, along with sophomore Colby Clatterbaugh, each won all of their matches but one.
Freshman Ty Goedert (106), junior Charles Curry (126) and Cooper Main (160), all pinned one of their opponents, while Tyson Portwood—who was injured in his second match—and Tucker Ercanbrack did not win a match.
The Cowboys sent several wrestlers to Olathe for a JV tournament, where sophomore Dax Sheridan won a championship, while senior Brayden Woodward and freshman Kaleb Nielsen both finished second.
Coach Watt said junior heavyweight Reese Harvey pinned an opponent in his first-ever tournament.
“That’s exciting,” coach Watt said.
Meeker’s varsity will wrestle in a tournament in Delta next and the JV will compete in tournament in Rifle this Saturday.
By BOBBY GUTIERREZ | Special to the Herald Times
