Wildcats pick up first win

In a season marked by youth, low numbers and some lopsided scores, the work of the Custer High School football team finally paid off last Friday evening in Martin.
The Wildcats used stout defense and a strong running attack to grab a 24-0 lead on the way to a 24-6 win and a sigh of relief from both players and coaches.
“Winning was great for us. Not really just the win itself, the idea of them getting a win under their belt is a great thing as a motivator,’ head coach Dave Williams said. “Hopefully it motivates them to get better in everything we do.”
The Wildcats churned out 184 yards on the ground, 64 of which came from freshman Tyrin Scott, who also scored a touchdown and had a long run of 30 yards.
Six Wildcats gained positive yardage in the game, including quarterback Mikael Grace, who ran for a pair of scores while also passing for 25 yards and a touchdown, which was corralled by Dossen Elmore.
“We went back to our original offense and ran a lot of power,” Williams said. “We threw out of it a little bit, but it was mostly boots and powers and we took charge of the game.”
Williams piled praise on his defense, saying the Bennett County offense had likely as many negative yards as the Wildcats had positive yards.
“Our defense was again stellar and made stops,” he said. “We got good field position and didn’t make mistakes this game. It was a fun game.”
Williams said the young offensive line, which has struggled at times this year, played well, despite missing one of its anchors in Zayne Severyn.
Tackle leaders for the game were Gage Tennyson and Quade Parker, who both had seven. Bradley Immormino added six.
With no chance at reaching the playoffs, the Wildcats will play their final game at 6 p.m. Thursday evening when the Chamberlain Cubs come to town. The Cubs, like the Wildcats are 1-7 on the year, and have lost by similar scores as Custer to common opponents both teams have played.
“They are pretty big. It seems like they want to pound it, but they throw the ball a lot,” Williams said. “We need to get pressure on their quarterback. They have a big running back. We have to make tackles on him. If we do that, we should be in good shape.”