Out on his family’s 11,700-acre farm, Samuel Meisner calloused his hands and made himself a champion.
The Wray senior is part of the fourth generation to contribute to the family business, Lenz Farms. And long summer days spent fixing fences, servicing equipment, sorting potatoes and scouting fields turned the 17-year-old into a football star (running back/middle linebacker on the Eagles’ undefeated title team) and wrestling state champion.
“Growing up on the farm, it’s built character because it’s taught me a lot of lessons about hard work,” Meisner said. “Especially the grunt work. Yeah, it sucks. But at the same time, a job needs done, and that mindset has shaped me into who I am as an athlete as well.
“Whether it’s lifting weights, or working hard in practice, the farm work is always in the back of my mind that I need to keep working to get the job done.”
Meisner’s sweat equity resulted in a bountiful yield during the calendar year 2024.
To start, he won his first wrestling title at Class 2A 144 pounds in February after top-four podium finishes as a freshman and sophomore. Then this fall, he led Class 1A in rushing with 1,764 yards and 28 touchdowns, while also ranking second with 130 tackles as the Eagles captured their first state crown since 1993.
As Wray football coach Levi Kramer explained, Meisner’s dedication in the summer established a championship standard for a team that sniffed the trophy the two years before but came up just short. Wray had a fourth-quarter lead over Limon in the ’22 title game but lost, then fell in overtime in the semifinals to Strasburg last season.
“We’d start weights at 6 in the morning, and it’s about a 30-mile drive to get into Wray for him,” said Kramer, the QB on the last Eagles title team 31 years ago. “That means he’s getting on the road at 5:15, getting here and working out for about an hour and a half, then getting back on the road and working 10 to 12 hours on the farm.
“When you’re another kid looking at what one of your best players and leaders is putting in, and you see he doesn’t ever make excuses, that sets the tone.”
Fellow senior captain Tavery Chappell describes Meisner as “almost like a dad on the team.” He led team prayers. He broke down huddles and addressed the Eagles after practice. He played the bad cop, too, as Chappell says Meisner “would be the one setting people straight when (they slack off).”
While Meisner was a primary offensive force, he was also a solid blocker and a decoy for his cousin, senior dual-threat quarterback Casey Midcap. That allowed Midcap, the team’s other captain, to rack up 1,566 yards and 22 TDs through the air as he got the passing game going to junior wideouts Aaron Tena and Austin Collins. Midcap also ran for 1,054 yards and 21 TDs.
That offensive variety, coupled with a stout defense on a team stacked with two-way stars — Wray allowed a meager 9.23 points per game — enabled the Eagles to steamroll to the title. No one came close to beating them. Their average margin of victory was 35.6 points, with the closest contest a 48-21 victory over Forge Christian in the title game on Nov. 30 at Dutch Clark Stadium. The performance snapped a five-game championship losing streak for the program.
Meisner ran wild for 286 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries en route to player of the game honors. It was a fitting cap to a 13-0 campaign and an all-time career at Wray for No. 3, who finished as the program record-holder in career scoring, single-season scoring, single-season rushing yards and career rushing yards with 4,191.
“That game is something that will live with me the rest of my life,” Meisner said. “I’ll tell my kids about it someday. It was such a relief, too, knowing that all the work I put in paid off. And what made it even more special was the sea of purple in the stands.”
Midcap says Meisner’s resume proves “he deserves a shot at playing college ball.” Currently, Meisner’s only college option is a walk-on offer from Chadron State College.
“We’ve always pushed each other to be the best possible version of ourselves, and it’s incredible to see how he’s pushed himself to be the player he’s become,” said Midcap, who is committed to play safety at Drake. “Even though I was the CHSAA 1A player of the year, the honor could’ve been given to him, too.”
While college football is on Meisner’s mind, his focus this winter is on the mat. He moved up to 157 pounds, where he’s currently the No. 1 wrestler, per On The Mat’s latest rankings.
While Meisner is capable of another state title, Midcap and Chappell are looking to avenge runner-up finishes last year, and Collins is seeking a repeat as the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 138 pounds.
With those guys headlining, Wray has a chance to pad its CHSAA-best team championship total, which currently stands at 16. The Eagles took third last season after back-to-back titles in ’22 and ’23.
“We’ve got to work our butts off, give it 100% in the room, do things the right way all the time,” Wray wrestling head coach Matt Brown said. “If we can do those things, we’ll end up on top.”
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