The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys made the trip west into southwestern Webster County on Friday night, to take on the defending Class 2A State Champions in the Jaguars of Southeast Valley. The Cowboys entered Friday with a 4-1 record and 1-1 in district play, while the Jaguars entered with a 2-3 record and 0-2 in district play.
The game was a defensive slugfest for much of the first half, until Southeast Valley’s Carl Berglund would rip off a 36-yard touchdown run to put the Jaguars up 8-0 with the 2-point conversion. The Cowboys would respond in kind, with quarterback Preston Gardner ripping off a long, 72-yard touchdown run to put the bring the score to 8-7 in favor of the Southeast Valley headed into halftime. The second half would then belong to CGD, with Nevan Foss ripping off a 69-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the 2nd half to give the Cowboys a 14-8 lead. A Brallon Gomez 40-yard field goal gave Clarion-Goldfield-Dows a 17-8 lead going into the 4th quarter. A Southeast Valley fumble gave the Cowboys good field position, where Preston Gardner capped off the drive with his 2nd touchdown run of the night to give the Cowboys a 24-8 lead. The CGD defense would hold serve the remainder of the night and gave the Cowboys a 24-8 win.
The win secured a playoff spot for Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, while giving them a 5-1 record on the year, the best 6-game start for the Cowboys in the Quik Stats/Varsity Bound era. CGD hosts 2A #4 Spirit Lake on Friday night for senior night, while Southeast Valley takes on Pocahontas Area on Friday.