The Wright County Rivalry will be renewed for 113th time on Friday Night, as Clarion-Goldfield-Dows hosts Eagle Grove at the Clarion Football Field. The Cowboys hold an all-time series lead of 61-44-8 dating all the way back to 1902. CGD is coming off a 3-6 campaign and a playoff appearance in 2023, while Eagle Grove is looking to bounce back following an 0-9 season in 2023.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows has some things to be excited about in 2024, thanks in part to their performance against South Hamilton in last Friday’s scrimmage. The Cowboys sophomore class is chalked full of self-made starters such as tight end/linebacker Huxley Lingenfelter, running back/defensive back Charlie Campbell, quarterback/defensive back JD Morrical, and North Iowa-transfer lineman JT Kelso. Lingefelter made an impact on defense right away as a freshman, leading the Cowboys with 46 tackles and 5 TFL, while Charlie Campbell added 39 tackles in the secondary, while rushing for 249 yards and 4 touchdowns on offense. JD Morrical steps into the QB role and presents a dual-threat presence, while JT Kelso adds to a large offensive and defensive front that already included Bryce Lindaman, Cole Rothman, Cesar Rosales and Cristan Rosales.
Eagle Grove is looking to rebound from an 0-9 season in 2023 in which opportunities slipped away from the Eagles time and time again throughout the season. The Eagles do bring back a large portion of their production last year, starting in the backfield with junior running back Leelan Spencer, who showed his speed at times in 2023, rushing for nearly 245 yards. The backfield will be a rather new one, with Brett Ascherl appearing to have the upper hand in the quarterback battle with Adrian Whipple, while Trenton Robinson moves from offensive line to fullback. Other backs to watch include senior Josh Miller and sophomore Arturo Reyna Salazar. The offensive line will being back much experience in guys such as Reece Demuth, Jesus Baez and James Harle, while the defensive side will see players such as Jayden Kreitlow, as well as Baez, man the interior. The linebacking core is an experienced one as well, with athletes such as Hayden Schafer, Kaden Dalton and Trenton Robinson back for another season together. The defensive backfield will also be experienced, returning Jaxon Morris, Brett Ascherl and Josh Miller.
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, with pregame starting at 6:15 PM.