MEEKER | The Meeker High School boys’ wrestling team faced off against the Delta Panthers last Wednesday, losing a tightly contested dual 40-39.
The matchup began with the 106-pound bout, where Delta’s Jenesis Naranjo claimed victory by forfeit. Naranjo was followed by teammate Mar Soe, who defeated Eli Rundberg, giving Delta an early 11-0 lead.
In the 120-pound division, Dawsen Drozdik added another win for Delta, defeating Holton Harvey. Delta continued its dominance when Derick Curtis secured a win by forfeit in the 132-pound category, bringing the score to 28-0.
Meeker’s comeback efforts began with Cooper Maupin earning a victory in the 138-pound match, cutting Delta’s lead to 28-6. Maupin’s win sparked a series of successes for the Cowboys, with Clay Crawford (144 pounds), Tristin Rollins (150), Orion Musser (157), Johnny Rust (165), Drake Jones (175), and senior Cade Blunt (190) all securing victories to push Meeker ahead 39-28.
However, forfeits by the Cowboys in the 215 and 285-pound classes allowed Delta to edge out the 40-39 win.
Head Coach Stryker Lane acknowledged the team’s sluggish start but commended their late rally.
“We wrestled hard at Delta, started slow, but ended up winning nine straight to finish it off,” Lane said.
On Saturday, the Cowboys traveled to Parachute for the Cardinal Invitational, hosted by Grand Valley High School. Meeker brought 12 wrestlers and captured first place as a team with 193 points.
Eli Rundberg (113 pounds), Holton Harvey (120), Koy Weber (132), Clay Crawford (138), and Drake Jones (165) all claimed first-place finishes. Cooper Maupin (138) and Johnny Rust (165) earned second-place honors, while Coy Richardson (113) and Orin Musser finished third.
Aiden Buckler (126) and Wyatt Ross (165) placed fourth, with Tanner Shults finishing seventh for the Cowboys.
Lane highlighted the value of competing in a smaller tournament.
“Grand Valley was a smaller tournament, but it was good for our guys,” Lane said.
Clay Crawford, a senior who won the 138-pound weight class division this past weekend, reflected on the team’s progress and preparation for regionals.
“Extra conditioning has definitely made an impact on how myself and everyone else succeeds on the mat,” Crawford said. “With regionals coming up, we have a lot of young wrestlers. As upperclassmen, we need to make sure they stay calm, have fun, and wrestle their match. I look forward to these next couple of weeks!”
This Saturday, the Cowboys will host the Meeker Dual Tournament, starting at 9 a.m. Lane emphasized the importance of the event for postseason preparation.
“Meeker duals will allow us to see a couple of regional opponents and get ready for the postseason,” Lane said.
Good luck to the Cowboys this weekend, as always go Cowboys!
