LaCrosse-Washtucna-Kahlotus edges Cusick

Little separated the two unbeaten football teams, as might be expected when they met for a berth in next week’s State 1B eight-man championship.

Ultimately what did during the 36-32 victory by LaCrosse-Washtucna-Kahlotus over Cusick on Saturday afternoon at Joe Albi Stadium was the ability to convert extra points.

Each team scored five touchdowns, but the Tigercats were successful on three 2-point conversion attempts, the Panthers just once.

Telling, too, was the quickness of LWK’s linemen, who enabled the victors to consume time by running the ball 51 times for 399 yards and helped contain Cusick’s offense.

“Run the ball,” said victorious coach Jeff Nelson, who has the Tigercats back in the title game for the fifth time in seven years. “That’s where it starts and that’s where it ends. That’s how our good teams have always been.”

The Tigercats were able to get to the corners where tailback Garrett Blauert, a 155-pound junior, piled up many of his 297 yards rushing on 29 carries. Conversely, Cusick found itself hemmed in and finished with a mere 131 yards on the ground.

“It all starts up front with the offensive line,” quarterback Justin Aune said. “It gives our tailback lots of open lanes to run and on defense made (Spencer) Shanholtzer scramble around and rush his pass.”

Aune scored twice and at safety was a major defensive factor.

A mantle of fog settled into Albi as the two teams traded scores typical of eight-man football.

Cusick jumped on top with a game-opening drive that covered 80 yards, including a pair of Panthers penalties. The series featured the running and passing of Shanholtzer, who passed for 226 yards in the game. Telling, however, was the incomplete 2-point conversion pass.

One play after getting the ball back on a punt, Blauert got to the corner for 66 yards and tight end Garrett Whitney’s extra points put the Tigercats up 8-6.

“Blauert’s a lot quicker than they were used to,” Nelson said.

A 48-yard pass by Shanholtzer to a wide-open Tyler Edwards made it 12-8 48 seconds later.

The Tigercats’ next drive featured Whitney’s touchdown and Blauert’s 2-point conversion run that nearly made it the equivalent of a TD lead though each team had scored twice.

Shanholtzer passed for 24 yards and ran for 29. Villegas did the rest, and it was 18-16 Cusick. For the third time the extra points failed. So too did the Tigercats’, but for the first time following Aune’s 24-yard TD and 22-18 halftime lead.

The Tigercats turned it over twice in the third quarter, losing a fumble and interception. Shanholtzer hit Kevin Villegas for 33 yards and a 24-22 Cusick lead.

But the game turned, aided by a Cusick fumble, and suddenly it was 36-24 lead with touchdowns just over a minute apart in the fourth quarter. Blauert carried eight times for 103 yards.

“Once the big guys up front make a hole for me, I’ve just got to make my magic and get going,” Blauert said.

Cusick mounted one last scoring drive before the Tigercats ran out the clock.

The Tigercats will face Wishkah Valley (10-1) in the championship game Saturday at the Tacoma Dome. Wishkah Valley defeated Lake Quinault 48-24.