Wolford has breakout game as Meeker looks to turn corner
— Last season, Meeker coach DJ Howell was excited by the prospect of his young running back. Still, Howell didn’t want to put too much pressure on him.
This season, Caden Wolford forced the coach’s hand.
Meeker is coming off a zero week upset victory against Luther on Friday night, beating the Lions 32-6.
Wolford, a sophomore, rushed for 207 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries. He recorded two sacks on defense.
For his performance, Wolford is The Oklahoman’s Player of the Week.
“As a freshman I just didn’t want to put that much on his plate,” Howell said. “But this is a guy that works as hard as a kid can work. And we decided he’s a guy we are going to strap ourselves to this year.”
Part of the inspiration for turning to Wolford came last season against Luther when they were whipped 41-0.
Howell said his team was outmuscled by Luther, a feeling he did not enjoy.
“We were physically whipped that night, and we told ourselves that’s not going to happen again,” Howell said.
“We are going to figure out a way to be more physical and push people around, and I think we had Caden in mind for that.”
Long hours in the weight room and out on the field doing conditioning drills in the summer have the Bulldogs in fighting shape.
Wolford said his team last year, which finished 5-6 after making a firstround playoff appearance, set the tone for his team this season.
“They set us up for this year,” Howell said. “Obviously we have to keep getting better, and we know we still have a ton we can improve on, but we are excited about the start.”
For Wolford, who is the younger brother of former 3-star recruit and Texas A&M lineman Adrian Wolford, he was excited to get a chance to show what he was capable of.
“The pressure is on me because I’m Adrian’s younger brother,” Caden said. “But it was exciting getting out there. I just wanted to run hard.”
Even as a sophomore, Caden Wolford has the physique of an upperclassmen at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. Howell said he’s a kid that never takes a day off and never complains.
“He’s ready for it,” Wolford said. “I feel so comfortable saying here ya go because I’ve seen the work he’s put in. He wants to be good, and he’s a guy that’s very enjoyable to coach.”
Meeker is preparing to host McLoud for its home opener on Friday, another test for the Bulldogs to display their toughness and for Wolford to build on his firstweek success.
“We are just trying to push to be better,” Wolford said.