The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows and Eagle Grove Eagles football teams opened their 2024 regular season on Friday night, as the two foes met in the 113th Battle for Wright County at the CGD Football Field in Clarion. Clarion held the series lead of 61-44-8 coming into Week 1.
Eagle Grove would start off with a 3-and-out, before a penalty on the punt would move CGD into plus territory to start, and Selvin Gonzalez took full advantage, taking the Cowboys first play for a 37-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 CGD. After another Eagle punt, CGD marched the field and capped off their 2nd drive with their 2nd touchdown on a 3-yard run by Charlie Campbell to put the Cowboys up 14-0. CGD would the force and Eagle Grove turnover, and get back on the board in the 2nd quarter with a JD Morrical quarterback sneak to go up 21-0. Following another Eagle turnover, the Cowboys would go to the air as Morrical found sophomore tight end Huxley Lingenfelter for a 14-yard touchdown pass to put the Cowboys up 27-0 after a blocked PAT. CGD would see the end zone one more time before half, this time on a short Selvin Gonzalez touchdown run to put CGD up 34-0 at halftime.
The 2nd half would be a stalemate throughout, as CGD would not put up another touchdown until late in the 3rd, on a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Cowboys up 42-0 at the end of the 3rd quarter. Eagle Grove would get on the board in the 4th with a 67-yard touchdown run by Arturo Reyna Salazar to make it 42-8, before Colin Sesker put the finishing touches on things with a 14-yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys a 48-8 win.
The Player of the Game for CGD was junior running back Selvin Gonzalez, who had 124 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 carries, while the Player of the Game for Eagle Grove was Arturo Reyna Salazar, who had 2 carries for 72 yards and a 66-yard touchdown run.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows returns to action on Friday, as they make the trip east on Highway 3 to take on Hampton-Dumont-CAL in Hampton at 7 PM. Eagle Grove returns to action on Friday when they host Southeast Valley at Gene Hinrichsen Field in Eagle Grove.