The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows football team returned to action on Friday night, as they hosted a their North Central Conference and Highway 3 rivals in the Hampton-Dumont-CAL Bulldogs at CGD Middle School in Clarion. The Cowboys entered at 1-0 after their Week 1 win over Eagle Grove, while HD-CAL entered at 1-0 as well, after their Week 1 42-20 win over Iowa Falls-Alden.
CGD opened the game with the ball, but couldn’t muster any offense before giving it to HD-CAL for their opening drive, and the Bulldogs didn’t take long to make themselves known as quarterback Gavin Meader took off for a 34-yard touchdown run to put HD-CAL up 7-0. Following a CGD punt, HD-CAL wasted little time in making another big play, as Gavin Meader went up top to Tucker Heeren for a 60-yard touchdown pass to put HD-CAL up 15-0 after the 2-point conversion. CGD would drive the ball down the field on their ensuing possession, but HD-CAL would get a 4th down stop to get the ball back, and once the Bulldogs got into Cowboy territory, Gavin Meader again broke away, this time for a 37-yard touchdown run to HD-CAL up 21-0. CGD would get on the board before halftime with Carson Nesheim going up top to Colin Kirstein for a 41-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 21-7 HD-CAL, which would be the halftime score.
Hampton-Dumont-CAL would take the ball in the 2nd half and march down the field, capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run by Gavin Meader to make the score 28-7. CGD would take the ensuing drive and march down the field to inside the HD-CAL 5-yard line, but the Cowboys were stuffed on 4th and goal at the 2 as the Bulldogs took back over on downs. After both sides traded punts into the 4th quarter, Gavin Meader would break off a 72-yard touchdown run to ice the game for the Bulldogs in a 34-7 victory.
Gavin Meader would go just 2/12 with 64 yards and a touchdown, while carrying the ball 9 times for 169 yards and 4 touchdowns. CGD quarterback Carson Nesheim would go 12/23 with 183 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Clarion-Goldfield-Dows returns to action on Friday, when they take on the (2A) #9 Southeast Valley Jaguars in Gowrie at 7 PM.