MEEKER | Last week, the Meeker High School boys wrestling team began its week by hosting the Delta Panthers in a dual at Meeker High School. It was a hard-fought matchup, but the Cowboys ultimately fell 46–30 to the visiting Panthers.
Meeker picked up key wins from freshman Kael Overton (138), senior Holton Harvey (144), sophomore Cooper Maupin (150), junior Orion Musser (165) and sophomore Jonah Christensen (215), each scoring six team points. Musser and Christensen earned pinfall victories, while Overton, Harvey and Maupin recorded forfeit wins. Meeker also added a junior varsity victory at 165, where sophomore Jaxen Mills pinned Maycen Riegal in 2:40.
Later in the week, Meeker sent 15 wrestlers to Denver for the 41st annual Les Mattocks Tournament, hosted by Lincoln High School. The Cowboys finished fourth overall out of 29 teams with a final score of 124.5 points. Senior Drake Jones led the way with a second-place finish at 175 pounds, while Musser also earned a runner-up finish at 165. Maupin took third at 150, and Overton placed fourth at 138, showing the depth of the Meeker lineup against a strong field.
Overton said consistency and trust in his conditioning have been key to his success this season. “What’s been working for me is staying consistent with my basics and trusting my conditioning,” he said. “I’ve been focusing on wrestling my style and not forcing things, which has helped me stay steady throughout tournaments.”
He described the difference between duals and tournaments. “In a dual, I focus more on scoring team points and creating momentum. In a tournament, I focus on pacing myself, staying disciplined, and being ready for multiple tough matches,” Overton said. He credited the team’s daily practices for preparing him. “The competition in the Meeker room helps a lot. The middle weights push each other every day, and having hard practices makes matches feel more familiar and prepares me for tough opponents.”
Overton also described his approach after losses and the progress he’s seen this season. “After a tough match or loss, I reset by focusing on what I can control. I take something positive or something to fix from the match, then move on quickly so I’m ready for the next one,” he said. “This tournament showed me that I’ve made progress since the start of the season, especially with my confidence and consistency in close matches. As the postseason approaches, I’m focused on cleaning up my finishes, staying solid defensively, and improving my conditioning so I can wrestle strong for all three periods.”
Senior Tristan Rollins said this season and senior night carry extra meaning. “It’s meant a lot to me because it’s my last season and my last year to give it my all in wrestling,” Rollins said. “Early in my career I would be like, ‘Oh well, I lost that one,’ but now I see opportunities to win the next close match or not make it so close of a match. I’ll carry brotherhood after high school — I love these guys like they are my brothers. Listening to my coaches and staying hydrated means a lot to me and a lot to my team, and hopefully we can take the win.”
Head coach Stryker Lane said he was pleased with how the team bounced back after the Delta dual. “I was happy with how we got refocused and rebounded well on Saturday from a frustrating night against Delta,” Lane said. “They showed a lot of mental resilience. We just need to be ourselves and focus on connecting with our training.”
Lane praised his seniors ahead of the team’s upcoming senior night dual against Moffat County. “Senior night is always a tough night. I am proud of our kids, but I have been working with them since they were in seventh grade, and I will miss them,” he said. Lane also noted the team’s steady approach: “They are a good group. They don’t get too emotional one way or the other.”
Looking ahead to this weekend’s Discovery Canyon dual tournament, Lane said, “Discovery Canyon is a dual tournament, so we will get a lot of matches. I hope to see us string three to five tough matches together. Improvement. Relentlessly pursuing improvement. And just remember that we do this for fun. It is still just wrestling, everything else is just distraction.”
Lane explained how the team uses duals and tournaments as part of their preparation. “We usually train through our duals. We don’t specifically prepare for them, just use them as a gauge to see where we are or what might need to be worked on. The same way any other tournament does — just look at what is consistently happening and fix it or reinforce it,” he said.
This week, the Cowboys will host the Moffat County Bulldogs for a home dual on senior night, honoring graduating seniors Drake Jones, Tristin Rollins and Holton Harvey. Meeker will then travel to the Discovery Canyon Tournament on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Good luck to the Cowboys as they continue a strong season and prepare for regionals — and as always, go Cowboys!
From left to right, Meeker High School wrestling seniors and graduating team manager Morgan Keetch, Drake Jones, Tristin Rollins and Holton Harvey pose for a photo during the 2025–26 season.