The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys football team returns to action on Friday night, as they hit the road for the first time in 2024 to take on the Hampton-Dumont-CAL Bulldogs in non-district action at HD-CAL High School in Hampton. The battle between the two NCC foes was won by Hampton-Dumont-CAL by a score of 34-6 in 2023, but Clarion has the all-time series lead of 54-44-5, dating back to 1902.
Hampton-Dumont-CAL picked up a hard-fought win in Week 1 over Iowa Falls-Alden by a 13-0 final, to win the Bradford Trophy for the 4th consecutive time. The Bulldogs are fielding a nearly-entirely new roster in 2024 after their 2023 squad narrowly missed the 3A Playoffs with a 5-4 record in the Class’s toughest district. Ryder Strother now has the keys to the Bulldog offense, replacing Gavin Meader, as Strother went 5-for-8 passing with 47 yards against IF-A. Colin Bird was the key to the Bulldogs win on Friday, as his 52-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter allowed HD-CAL to never look back. Bird finished Friday with 103 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown, while Aaden Keehn also ran for a touchdown in the Bulldogs win. The passing game is on the limited side for the Bulldogs, as Brody Strother, Caden Woods and tight end Brady Harr step into larger roles, while the offensive line is in a rebuild.
Defensively, The Bulldogs do bring back their leading tackler from a season ago in Taylor Mahler, and Brody Strother was a big contributor in the secondary. Elsewhere, Brady Harr made noise from his defensive end spot, picking up an interception that led to the Bulldogs second touchdown in their win over Iowa Falls-Alden. However, the defensive line will be challenged by the size of the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows offensive line.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows will look to build off their opening win over county rivals Eagle Grove, and may be inclined to get the passing game more involved against the Bulldogs. JD Morrical’s favorite target in the opener was tight end Huxley Lingenfelter, who can be a game breaker on both sides of the football for the Cowboys. Look for this game to be a battle of the trenches.
Kickoff is slated for 7 PM on Friday Night at Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School, and the game can be heard on 95.7 KQWC or streaming online at kqradio.com.