Odessa Marches On To Tacoma Tigers Beat Cusick; Crescent Next

Game after game, Odessa’s defense has sent rival offenses to the sidelines.

Game after game, Odessa receiver Troy Grall waited on the sidelines.

Odessa’s defense and Grall both had chances to shine Saturday in the Tigers’ 18-8 win over Cusick in a State B-8 semifinal at Albi Stadium.

Odessa’s first-team defense held Cusick scoreless one week after it opened the playoffs by shutting out LaCrosse-Washtucna. Cusick’s score came with 12 seconds left, against the Tigers’ second squad.

Odessa has allowed 16 or fewer points in eight games.

Grall, who broke the little finger on his right hand in his first game, caught five passes for 78 yards and one touchdown. Against L-W, in his first full game back from the injury, Grall had four receptions for 40 yards.

Now the consistent defense and boosted passing game will take a shot at Odessa’s third state title. Odessa (11-0) meets Crescent (12-0) at 4 p.m. Friday in the Tacoma Dome for Gridiron Classic II.

Crescent humbled Touchet 72-14 earlier Saturday at Kennewick. Odessa beat Touchet 8-6 on Sept. 20, when Grall broke his finger.

“We’re excited about (the final),” said Odessa coach Myron Kramer. “Many of these kids went as freshmen (during Odessa’s last title year) and got to watch the whole thing.”

Crescent is 0-4 in title games.

Odessa’s Randy Carlson completed 15 of 22 passes for 199 yards and two TDs. Both running games had trouble with footing on the rain-soaked field. Odessa’s Lance Meise led all rushers with 74 yards on 18 carries.

Carlson’s 28-yard pass to Grall, to the Cusick 20-yard line, set up the first score. Carlson, under a rush from two defenders, somehow wormed a 5-yard TD to Grall between two deep backs with 5:33 left in the first half.

“The guys were on me pretty good,” Grall said of the DBs. “I just hoped Randy could get it to me. If not, I was going to knock it down.”

Carlson missed on the two-point conversion pass, as he did on two later chances.

Odessa reached halftime with a 6-0 lead and a 131-29 edge in total yards. Cusick’s 1,700-yard rusher Justin Finley had just 18 yards on seven carries.

Cusick (7-4) changed looks to open the second half, installing Joe Akai at fullback to share the load and block for Finley. The Panthers marched to the Odessa 8 on their opening possession, but sophomore quarterback Tell Hamilton, with a receiver open, threw an interception to Joel Hardung near the end zone.

“I saw it coming the whole way, then it was right there in my hands,” said Hardung, a junior who led the team in tackles this year. “He just underthrew the ball.”

“We should have scored,” said 31-year Cusick coach Fred Vogel. “That was really the turning point.”

Odessa responded with its best drive, a 10-play, 85-yard series that ended with Carlson’s 11-yard TD pass to Sean Moon with 1:58 left in the third quarter. Two passes to Grall, for 27 yards, assisted the drive.

Odessa’s next possession also struck gold. An 18-yard completion to Grall on fourth-and-5 set up Meise’s 1-yard run with 7:52 left.

Cusick avoided the shutout when Finley raced behind reserve DB/QB Scott Kramer for a 71-yard strike from Hamilton.

“That was disappointing, but, oh well, we’re the ones going to Tacoma,” Hardung said.

Vogel said Cusick will miss its four seniors, especially Finley and lineman Cubby Birchall.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: COMING UP Odessa meets Crescent on Friday in the Tacoma Dome for the B-8 championship.