MEEKER | The Meeker High School football team opened its 2025 season on the road Friday night, falling 34-6 to Centauri.
The Cowboys were looking to redeem themselves from last year’s 33-6 home loss to the Falcons but again struggled to slow down a physical Centauri squad.
“We ran into a good football team last Friday,” head coach Andy Coryell said. “I did a poor job of having them ready at kickoff and that led to a few big plays for Centauri.”
Junior quarterback Cade Mills led Meeker through the air, finishing 9-of-22 for 130 yards, including a long completion of 49 yards. Mills said the team is focused on fixing mistakes and building on positives ahead of its Week 2 matchup.
“Taking a loss on week one was very difficult. Centauri is a good team,” Mills said. “I have a lot of confidence in my team and coaches and we are looking forward to week two against Wiggins.”
On the ground, junior running back Said Rodriguez was a bright spot for Meeker, rushing nine times for 94 yards and averaging more than 10 yards per carry. His longest run went for 25 yards.
“The thing that was really working was getting outside fast,” Rodriguez said. “Trusting my speed is something that really helps with that. Also having some great blockers in front of me makes my job a whole lot easier.”
Rodriguez said the Cowboys’ offense can build on that rushing momentum heading into Friday’s game at Wiggins.
“Watching film we can see where we go wrong and we’ll get it fixed at practice,” Rodriguez said.
Defensively, senior Joseph Halstead led the Cowboys with eight total tackles, including one tackle for loss. Coryell said he was proud of how his team battled even after falling behind early.
“We got behind early but I am proud of how the guys fought and tried to get back in it,” Coryell said. “Won’t get any easier this week — Wiggins is another good, physical team.”
Meeker (0-1) will look for its first win of the season Friday night when it travels to face Wiggins (0-1). Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Good luck to the Cowboys this week as prepare for the Tigers.
