The Cowboys of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows traveled north on Friday to Forest City to take on the Indians in non-district play. CGD, having equaled their win total from 2020 in just 2 weeks, were looking to finish non-district play unbeaten for the 1st time since 2016.
The game started slow for the Cowboys, as Forest City marched down the field, only to be stopped on 4th down to give CGD the ball at their own 22-yard line. Two plays later, Cowboys quarterback Preston Gardner fumbled and the Indians pounced on it. Moments later, Kellen Moore dashed in from 18-yards out to give Forest City an 8-0 lead. Gardner would redeem himself with a fantastic, 29-yard touchdown run to set the score at 8-6 at the end of the 1st.
Neither side could muster up any drives in the 2nd quarter, until CGD went into it’s 2 minute drill. After a long referee discussion about whether Preston Gardner got a spike off with 1 second left, the officials decided he had. Gardner would sneak in a 1-yard touchdown at as time expired in the 1st half to give CGD a 13-8 halftime lead.
On the first drive of the second half, Gardner did it again with his legs, ripping off a 61-yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys a 20-8 lead. The Cowboys defense continued to stymie Forest City, before Gardner ripped off 24-yard touchdown run to set the score at 26-8. Gardner finished the night with 20 carries, 208 yards and 4 touchdowns. A late Forest City touchdown gave the final score of 26-14.
Forest City opens up district play on Friday against Cresco, Crestwood. Clarion-Goldfield-Dows will host Class 2A #1 Estherville-Lincoln Central on Friday in the KZWC Game of the Week.
