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CUSICK – The Cusick Panthers won handily when they hosted the SelPort Lumberjacks last Friday night in the north Pend Oreille County rivalry game. It was senior night for the Panthers, who came out fired up and took an early lead.
“This was a really good team win for us, especially on Senior Night and against one of our league rivals,” Cusick coach Dustin Person said. “Our kids came out fired up, took the lead early, and never looked back. I was proud of the way we played together and how hard our kids competed on both sides of the football.”
Cusick quarterback Kaden Person completed 12 of 18 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns. He spread the football around to several receivers and helped the Panthers consistently move the chains and finish drives.
Judah Sutton rushed for 76 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries while also catching two passes for 44 yards.
Steve Mathis rushed eight times for 115 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns. His 196 yards of offense and three touchdowns were part of a strong performance that also included eight tackles on defense.
Daniel Lyon caught four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, scored another touchdown on the ground, and provided one of the biggest plays of the night with a 66-yard kickoff return touchdown. Lyon also led the Panthers defensively with nine tackles.
Mylind Whitford had a 40-yard run and three receptions for 59 yards, while Brock Decker added another rushing touchdown for the Panthers.
Lyon led the Panther defense with nine tackles, followed by Mathis with eight. Charles Whitford recorded six tackles, Zach McGuire added five, and Sutton finished with four.
“Offensively, scoring on all nine of our possessions says a lot about how well everyone executed,” coach Person said. “Our offensive line did an outstanding job controlling the line of scrimmage, and that allowed us to be successful running and throwing the football. Kaden distributed the ball well, and we had a lot of different players step up and make plays.”
“Defensively, our kids played physical football and continued to compete throughout the game,” Person said. “Most importantly, I was proud of how our players handled themselves. They stayed focused, played for one another, and took care of business. It was a great team effort and a great way to celebrate our seniors.”
For SelPort, Cameron Mawdsley stepped up in the loss, rushing for 160 yards and a pair of scores while picking up 8 yards per carry, and also picking up 44 receiving yards and one TD.
Weston Hedrick was another key player, throwing for 191 yards and 1 touchdown.
Friday night, the Panthers travel to Republic, who have an 0-7 record.
Selkirk hosts Inchelium Friday, for their homecoming game. Kickoff is a 7 p.m.
