YEEHAW, COWBOYS. Eau Claire's semi-pro football team returned this year after COVID-19 put them on pause. (Photos via Facebook)

The Eau Claire Cowboys have returned with a vengeance and have hit the ground running this season. Crushing opponents in all directions, the Cowboys have had a hot season in the Northern Lights Football League (NLFL) with a record of 6-1 winning games in dominating fashion. After taking a break from competitive games due to COVID-19, the Cowboys are once again blitzing UW-Eau Claire’s Simpson Field for home games and scattering a plethora of touchdowns in their wake when they travel.

The history of the Cowboys is rooted back in 2017 when Bob Brown started the Stanley Cowboys. In their first season, the team was only one game away from going to the NLFL championship. The following 2018 season in the NLFL, the Cowboys went 16-1. Eight of those wins were shutouts with the season resulting in an NLFL championship victory against the Kenosha Cougars. During the 2019 season, the Cowboys moved to Eau Claire to play at historic Carson Park. In that first season in Eau Claire, the Cowboys finished the season with only two losses, one of which was a defeat in the championship game to the Minneapolis Warriors. Unfortunately, following that loss, the Cowboys ceased operations due to the pandemic, until this May when Cowboy’s co-owner and former player Chase Phetteplace and former co-owner Sunny Richardson brought the team back to Eau Claire.

The team is presently run by Phetteplace who maintains the football operations and works collaboratively with current co-owner Theresa ReNae who oversees the business logistics. The Cowboy’s coaching staff consists of head coach Brian Pinno, offensive coordinator Bob Brown, defensive coordinator Seth Kuhn, special teams coach James North, and assistant coach Jamar Dean.

In the midst of a stellar 2023 campaign, the Cowboys are looking to close out their season as they face off with the Central Wisconsin Bandits away, the River City Rough Riders at home, and the Madison Mad Dawgs away. The final home game of the season on July 15 versus the Rough Riders will carry division championship and playoff implications within the NLFL North West division.

“This game is huge in my eyes as it's the two best teams in the league and an inner division rivalry,” Phetteplace said.

According to the Cowboy’s Facebook page, the July 15 home game is also Fan Appreciation Day with gates opening at 2:30pm, so come out and show support for your local semi-professional football team and join in the success of the Cowboy’s 2023 season!

Find more information about the EC Cowboys on their website and keep up with them on Facebook. Tickets for the final home game can be purchased here.