Bethel spoils Meeker homecoming, 28-8

Meeker’s offense ground to a near halt Friday night, with the result being a 22-8 Bethel win in the Wildcats’ first game in Class 2A.

The Bulldogs got a safety for a 2-0 lead in the lead in the first quarter but didn’t back on the scoreboard until Caden Wolford ran for a touchdown with two minutes left in the game. In between those scores, Bethel put up four touchdowns and built a 28-2 lead.

“I always want to give credit to the other team. They practice hard and they’re trying to win, too,” Meeker coach D. J. Howell said. “Give them credit, but we didn’t play well. We made critical errors throughout the game.

“You could make out a list - and we did - of things we didn’t do well, things that we didn’t do, that we will work on in practice.

“We have to go back to work this week. I told the guys it was a valuable learning experience but we have to get better.’

The Bulldogs get back into action this week with a game at Purcell. Then they’re off for a week before opening district play the following Friday at Kellyville.

Against Bethel, Meeker’s usually overwhelming running offense never really left the station.

The Bulldogs ran for an even 100 yards, with Wolford picking up 81 on 15 carries, and threw for 65.

The Wildcats threw for 231 yards and had 335 in total offense.

“It just snowballed on us,” Howell said. “It starts out 2-0. We’re fixing to get great field position and then we give them the ball back and then give them a fourth down on the ensuing drive.

“Suddenly they were up 14-2 The rest of the night, we played great defense but the offense did not do anything .

“It was mostly mental. We’re definitely talented enough to catch a snap, definitely talented enough to run the play that’s been called. It wasn’t one guy or one thing. It was a bunch of things

Meeker was dominant in its opening win over Stroud, but Howell said the Bulldogs’ play against Bethel was “sloppy.”

“This was the kind of game I expected last week.

“The whole key is this - we have got to back and address the things we didn’t do well and fix the things were self-inflicted.”