MEEKER | After a bye week, the Meeker High School football team returned home Friday to host the North Fork Miners in a key 1A Western Slope League matchup. The Cowboys, who were ranked 13th in the CHSAA power index, came in on a four-game winning streak, including a 22-13 road victory over Cedaredge two weeks earlier.
The teams last met Oct. 18, 2024, when Meeker traveled to Hotchkiss and won 41-14. This year, North Fork traveled to Starbuck Stadium seeking revenge, but fell short, losing 46-34. The win extended Meeker’s streak to five games and improved their record to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in league play, placing them first in the league.
Junior quarterback Cade Mills had a perfect night passing, completing all four attempts for 84 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 74 yards and three more scores. “We just were coming together as a team. We have been working on our pass game all week, so I think that really paid off,” Mills said. “Huge thanks to all of my linemen up front. We plan on taking it to Olathe with the same intensity we had last week.”
Senior Tristin Rollins led the team with 139 rushing yards, added 25 receiving yards and a touchdown, and credited the offensive line and timing. “What was working for me and the offense was the blocking, Cade giving the right reads. The line set the tone from start to finish with really good blocks, blocking the right guys and giving me and the other running backs holes to run through,” Rollins said. “The mindset I have to keep through the week is to keep getting better and have better effort every day. The energy was still strong going into halftime as it was at the beginning of the game, and everyone was hyping each other up. I tell the younger players to keep going and striving, and if they mess up, to keep going and help them get better.”
Junior Said Rodriguez added 86 rushing yards, a touchdown, and key defensive stops, while senior Samuel “Sam” Conrado caught two passes for 52 yards and added four tackles. “North Fork’s lack of secondary pass protection and one safety allowed us to throw the rock a little bit for sure. Playing summer ball created a solid connection between Cade and me—he’s got a great arm,” Conrado said. “Defensively, the whole team showed up every play. The win will help us advance in the postseason, and it’s always great to whoop up on North Fork!”
On defense, senior Augie Halstead led the Cowboys with eight tackles. “The focus was on playing fast, staying physical, and trusting teammates to execute their assignments on every play,” Halstead said. “We emphasized gap discipline and tackling during practice to prepare for North Fork’s running attack. Key moments, including a forced punt and a late-game fumble recovery, swung momentum in our favor. We’ve come a long way this season — communication, trust, and cohesion have improved, and now we play confidently as a single unit.”
Junior Tucker Chinn added six tackles and 88 all-purpose yards, while sophomore Jonah Christenson contributed seven tackles. “The way I stay consistent is with constant repetition of my assignments on the field,” Christenson said. “The atmosphere on the field or even in practice is intense and a little intimidating, considering I’m a year below almost everyone. My role on the defense seems to be on the rise, though it has taken a lot to earn my spot among these older guys. I think our defense did a really good job of completely shutting down the pass game with our defensive line and secondary.”
Meeker finished the night with 410 total yards of offense, including 326 rushing and 84 passing, scoring five rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown.
MileHigh Prep Report recently recognized several Cowboys as statistical leaders in the 1A classification statewide. Mills ranks ninth in rushing with 625 yards on 89 carries and 11 touchdowns. Rodriguez ranks 10th with 573 yards on 50 carries and seven touchdowns. Chinn ranks fifth in the state with four interceptions.
As of Oct. 20, 2025, the Cowboys moved from No. 13 to No. 10 in the CHSAA Power Index.
Head Coach Andy Coryell praised the team’s effort but acknowledged areas to improve. “I thought they played really hard and physical. From the start, we knew that was a big, strong, physical football team. I like how we started, minus the fumble on the opening kickoff. But after that, I thought we were ready,” Coryell said. On the Miners’ physicality and tempo, he added, “We did give up five touchdowns, so we have a few things to work on. Overall, I think we went toe to toe with them. We’ve got plenty of stuff to work on Monday for sure.”
The No. 10 Cowboys will return to the road this Friday as they travel to Olathe for a league matchup. The teams previously met in a nonconference game on Sept. 19 at Starbuck Stadium, with Meeker winning 51-8. Meeker will look to continue its winning streak on the road.
Tristin Rollins (Sr.) celebrates in the end zone after scoring a touchdown during Meeker’s 46-34 victory over North Fork Friday. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO
