Panthers play shorthanded

TEKOA – The Cusick Panthers football team took 10 players, including four freshmen who hadn’t seen much playing time previously, to play the Tekoa-Rosalia Timberwolves Friday, Sept. 19. Cusick didn’t get the win, losing the non-league game 36-14, but Panther coach Dustin Person was happy with his team’s work ethic.

“Trevin Williams, a freshman, had his first start and played almost all of the snaps and did a great job,” Person says. “Most of the upperclassmen played every snap in 85 degrees and worked very hard.”

Daniel Lyon had a 45-yard third quarter touchdown run but it didn’t offset the team’s defensive problems.

“We had trouble stopping their quarterback scramble when they spread the offense which led to most of their scores on big plays,” Person says.

Tekoa-Rosalia was up 16-0 at the half after two long runs. They scored twice more in the third quarter, once on a 29-uyard run and again on a 7-yard run before Lyon uncapped his touchdown sprint. The Timberwolves came back with a 33-yard fourth quarter TD run before Cusick’s Mylind Whitford rushed for Cusick’s final score. Lyon scored on a 2-yard extra point run.

Cusick forced a turnover and got an onside kick.

Whitford picked up the fumble he forced. “We were plus two on turnovers which is a marked improvement from the previous two weeks,” coach Person says. “Proud of the boys’ attitudes and willingness to play with minimal substitutions. We are continuing to improve. Judah Sutton, our middle linebacker, continues to lead the defense with tackles.”

Person completed 12 of 23 passes for 60 yards. Whitford caught four of them for 35 yards and Lyon caught four passes for 18 yards and Judah Sutton caught four for 7 yards.

Lyon led Panther runners with 76 yards on nine carries. Sutton had 13 carries for 40 yards.

Next up for Cusick is an away game with Almira-Coulee-Hartline Saturday, Sept. 27 at 5 p.m.