Panthers' power stops Wildcats at Newport

Anchored by a big aggressive line on a snow slick field, Cusick’s Panthers rolled past Colton 54-26 Friday night at Newport to remain undefeated and advance to the state semi-final round Saturday against Tri-Cities Prep, the SE champions.

The loss ended the Wildcats’ season at 9-2 with their two losses against the two semi-finalists, Cusick and Tri City Prep.

The TCP Jags advanced to the semi round after a 52-22 elimination win over Almira Coulee Hartline.

Cusick senior Spencer Shaneholtzer scored five TDs and passed for a sixth TD against the Wildcats.

Cusick’s defense was also able to keep the pressure on Colton QB Josh Straughan, and the Wildcat’s open field running game was stifled by the conditions. Snow had hit the Newport area Thursday night, melted down and was then hit by the rain just before the start of the game.

“We depend on our speed and like to open out the field, and we just couldn’t do that Friday,” Coach Clark Vining said. .

He also credited Shaneholtzer, who topped the 10,000 mark in career yards, with being the real deal.

“He’s just very hard to stop, especially behind their line,” Vining noted.

Colton senior Sam Robertson again led the Wildcats. He had two of the Colton TDs and scored the other two in kickoff returns.

“We had flashes of brilliance in some places in the game, but we just couldn’t keep it up,” Vining noted.

Colton finished with just 178 yards. Robertson packed the ball 17 times and finished with 87 yards. He finished the year with 2,218 total.

Shaneholtzer, who took a toll with a draw play off Colton pass coverage, rambled 25 yards for the opening score.

The Wildcats upped the ante when Robertson broke lose on the ensuing kickoff return and covered 80 yards for a score.

Cusick came back with Shaneholtzer hitting his favorite receiver, 6-4 Tyler Edwards on a 42 yard pass play. Robert Ives scatted the ball into the end zone with 6:33 left in the first quarter. A two-point conversion run by Shaneholtzer put the Panthers on top, 14-6 and they kept the lead for the duration.

Colton looked like they would keep pace on another score by Robertson, but it was called back on a holding call. The Wildcats later lost another TD on the same scenario.

“Both of those call backs hurt. We could have used those touchdowns,” Vining said.

Cusick bumped it to 20-6 on another Shaneholtzer run with 1:21 still left in the first quarter.

Cusick scored twice in the second quarter with Edwards booking the first one on a on a 15-yard run and Shaneholtzer hitting Shem Norton on a 45-yard pass play with five seconds left in the half.

The Wildcats came to life after the halftime break with two rolling pass plays on the Cusick side of the field.

Coach Vining noted the Wildcats at the break decided to split Robertson wide and put five blockers on the line to try to slow up the Panthers’ strong rushing attack.

Steve Eacker caught the first pass and Robertson took the second one for a TD. A two-point run by Robertson cut it to 34-20, and Colton’s defense, aided by three penalty calls on the Panther offense, stopped the Panthers’ next drive.

The Wildcats were unable to do anything with the ball, and Cusick followed up with another TD run to put the lead at 40-20 with 7:03 left in the third.

Shaneholtzer added two more TDs, and Robertson wrapped up his grid career with a 46-yard escape in the fourth quarter.

Coach Vining expects the TCP-Panther clash at Lampson, which will precede the Colfax-DeSales game, will be a real battle.

The game will match up Shaneholtzer with TCP’s Will Hoppes.

“They both play a lot alike,” Vining noted.

Cusick will have the size advantage.

“They’re a team which likes to come right at you,” Vining noted.

TCP will be playing almost on a home field, and Lampson’s turf will help their more complicated offense.

Vining noted Robertson can be expected to advance to the next level with several Division II college teams expressing an interest in recruiting him.