Panthers scrap hard with Wildcats

CUSICK - The Cusick Panthers fought hard in an offensive shootout but fell to the Wilbur-Creston Wildcats by a final score of 80-50 last Friday during a home game. Despite the loss, the Panthers showed tremendous offensive firepower and resilience throughout the game.

Cusick got off to a strong start, recovering an onside kick to open the game and quickly capitalizing with a touchdown to take an early 6-0 lead. However, Wilbur- Creston responded with a quick score and recovered an onside kick of their own. The Wildcats converted the short field into another touchdown and suddenly found themselves ahead 16-6.

The Panthers refused to back down. Behind a productive offense led by junior quarterback Kaden Person, senior running back Judah Sutton, and senior receiver Daniel Lyon, Cusick continued to battle throughout the first half. The Panthers put together an important scoring drive late in the second quarter, finding the end zone with just 16 seconds remaining before halftime to close the gap to 3830, pulling within one possession and carrying momentum into the break. The Panthers suffered a key loss in the second quarter when starting guard, Aiden Schubert had to leave the game due to an injury.

Unfortunately, Wilbur-Creston recovered another onside kick to open the second half and quickly turned it into points, extending their lead back to two touchdowns. The Wildcats maintained control from there and never looked back, eventually securing the 80-50 victory.

“Our offense executed well and showed the ability to score in a variety of ways,” coach Dustin Person said. “We moved the ball effectively and had several players step up with big performances. Defensively, we have areas that need improvement, and we’ll continue to focus on fundamentals and execution as we prepare for next week.”

While the final result was not what the Panthers hoped for, the offense executed well throughout the game, producing 50 points and over 350 yards of offense.

Defensively, the Panthers showed effort but will look to improve execution and consistency as they prepare for next week’s contest.

The Panthers travel to Curlew for a game Friday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m.