The Eagle Grove Eagles and Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys football teams return to action on Friday night, as the two programs renew their rivalry in the 115th Battle for Wright County in Class 1A, District 3 action at the Clarion Football Field. Eagle Grove enters at 1-4, while CGD enters at 3-2. Friday’s meeting is the 114th meeting between the two programs all-time, as Clarion leads the all-time series 62-44-8, with the first meeting between the two occurring in 1902.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows is coming off a tough loss in district play as #1 Grundy Center asserted their dominance early in a 56-8 beatdown. The Cowboys offense will look to have better success on the ground than they did a week ago, for an offense led by backup quarterback Kolton Hefti, filling in for an injured JD Morrical. The backfield is chalked full of talent, led in rushing by foreign exchange student Joel Meier. Meier has rushed for 521 yards and 7 touchdowns on 64 carries, as senior Selvin Gonzalez has run for 515 yards and 4 touchdowns on 80 carries. Colin Sesker has stepped in at the 3rd running back role with the injury to Charlie Campbell and rushed for 179 yards and 3 scores. The Cowboys favorite target in the passing game has been junior Huxley Lingenfelter, who’s caught 8 balls for 114 yards and a touchdown. CGD’s offensive line is a big one, anchored by junior center JT Kelso and sophomore tackle Armando Melendez.
On the defensive side, the Cowboys will look to shore up the back end of the defense following a rough outing against Grundy Center. Henry Holmes leads the unit with 12.5 tackles and 2 picks, as Ryan Hartwig has 15 tackles, while Kolton Hefti has 21 tackles. The Cowboys defensive line held their own against the talented Spartans, as Joel Meier leads the unit with 17.5 tackles, 9.5 TFL and a state-leading 7.5 sacks. Traesyn Cope has been an excellent complement to Meier, tallying 12 tackles, 6.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks. CGD’s linebacking core has produced at a high-level, as Huxley Lingenfelter has 36.5 tackles and 6 TFL, while Selvin Gonzalez has 21.5 tackles, 1.5 TFL and an interception.
Eagle Grove is coming off a 36-28 loss to Central Springs in which the Eagles scored 3 touchdowns in the final 5 minutes of the game and came up just short in a furious rally against the Panthers. The Eagles offense has found a new dimension behind quarterback Adrian Whipple, who’s thrown for over 400 yards and 3 touchdowns, while rushing for 81 yards and 4 scores in the Eagles flexbone look. A majority of Whipple’s targets have been to receiver Gavin Pedersen, who’s caught 8 balls for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns. Another top target has been running back Aaron Alaniz, who’s caught 5 passes for 132 yards, while rushing for 153 more yards. The Eagles bread and butter has been fullback Trenton Robinson, who’s run for 501 yards and 3 touchdowns on 105 carries, while Leelan Spencer has 275 yards and a touchdown on 46 carries. While not the biggest, the Eagle Grove offensive line, with 4 year starters such as Reece Demuth and Hayden Schafer.
Defensively, the Eagles have relied on a veteran unit throughout much of the season. The defensive line has made a lot of noise through the first half of the season, as Christian Martinez has made big plays with 9 tackles, 7.5 TFL and 2 sacks, as Trenton Robinson has tallied 14.5 tackles, 3 TFL and a sack. Eagle Grove’s 2nd and 3rd levels have been busy, as MIKE backer Hayden Schafer leads the team with 40 tackles, 5.5 TFL and a sack, as Arturo Reyna Salazar has added 19 tackles and 4 TFL, while Caden Hauenstein has 14 tackles. The defensive backfield has played very well, as Gavin Pedersen leads the unit with 16 tackles, 3 interceptions and a pick six. Dylan Terwilliger leads the unit in tackles with 25 and an interception, while Cam Sisson has 21 tackles and a TFL.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM on Friday Night at the Clarion Football Field, and can be heard on 95.7 KQWC or streaming online at kqradio.com.