Cusick falls to Pomeroy

POMEROY – The Cusick Panthers football team struggled to stop a high-powered Pomeroy Pirates team, falling 66-8 in a play-in game for the state 1B 8-man football tournament Friday, Nov. 7 at Pomeroy. Pomeroy won the Southeast 1B Wheat League with a 5-1 league record. They were 8-1 overall.

“It was a tough game,” Cusick coach Dustin Person says. Cusick played without two of its starters because of injury in the previous game, and struggled to stop the Pirates, who ended up the No. 6 seeded team in the state 1B tournament.

“They were able to dominate the line of scrimmage,” Person says.

He said the Panthers were able to move the ball on offense but gave up some turnovers early that led to quick Pomeroy scores.

“We had to move some guys to spots they haven’t been playing which is a tough ask of freshmen and eighth graders,” Person says.

Judah Sutton rushed for a Panther first down on Cusick’s opening drive, followed by an 11-yard Kaden Person to Daniel Lyon pass reception for a second first down. But Pomeroy picked off a Person pass. A few plays later Pomeroy was in the end zone on a run. Cusick stopped the 2-point conversion run.

Pomeroy capitalized on a running game, scoring three more TDs before the quarter was out. They were up 30-0 at the end of the first quarter and 52-0 at halftime.

With Pomeroy up 60-0, Cusick was able to score in the third quarter on a 10-yard Sutton run. He also ran in the 2-point conversion. Pomeroy scored once more in the fourth quarter to get the 66-8 win.

Sutton had 27 carries, rushing for 117 yards and a touchdown and the PAT run. Lyon, one of only two Cusick seniors, had 100 yards receiving. Person completed five of 20 passes for 100 yards. He had three interceptions. Tulmeen Whelsula had three kickoff returns, including one for 23 yards.

Person says the Panthers lose two seniors, Lyons and Ondrej Suchenek, a foreign exchange student from the Czeck Republic.

“Ondrej played the entire year for us on the offensive line,” Person says. “He is a very smart and intuitive kid. He asked great questions and was a big asset to the team down the stretch.”

Person says the team was young and will get most of their starters back next year.

“We are excited for the future at Cusick for our football program,” Person says. “The kids had great attitudes and were hard workers. We started this year wanting to build a foundation for moving forward and we accomplished that.”

Person, a first-year coach, says he can’t thank the players and other coaches enough for the tough and rewarding season. Cusick finished the season 3-2 in league play and 3-5 overall.