Cokeville Wins Battle of Unbeatens
After each team took their opening drives down the field and scored, the Cokeville defense took over. The Panthers kept their unbeaten season intact beating Lusk (10-1) 26 to 6 in the 1A Championship game.
Lusk took their opening drive 80 yards and scored on a 10 yard run by Jerit Degering. Cokeville answered 90 seconds later and kicked their PAT to lead 7 to 6 midway through the first.
A huge turning point in the game came when Lusk fumbled the ball right at the Cokeville goal line late in the first quarter. The Panthers recovered in the endzone for a touchback, thwarting the would be Lusk TD.
Cokeville would score again in the second period on a 1 yard run by Beau Peterson. Peterson had hit Dustin Davis on a 32 yard pass to set up the short TD run. The Panthers led 14 to 6 at half. They would add two more scores in the second half. One of them was a 4th down 19 yard pass from Peterson to Davis. Davis then scored again in the fourth on a 22 yard run.
Lance Hladky, the Lusk QB, left the game with an injury in the second half. Cokeville's Chance Maddock would be taken off the field on a cart after sustaining a leg injury with about four minutes left in the game.
Score by Quarters
Niobrara Co. Tigers 6 0 0 0= 6
Cokeville Panthers 7 7 6 6 = 26
Scoring Plays:
LUSK - DeGering, J. 10 yd run (Arnett, Tyler kick failed), 10-80 4:02
COKEHS - Maddock, C. 5 yd run (Henderson, A. kick), 4-63 1:29
COKEHS - Petersen, B. 1 yd run (Henderson, A. kick), 5-42 1:32
COKEHS - Davis, D. 18 yd pass from Petersen, B. (Henderson, A. kick failed), 9-52 3:38
COKEHS - Davis, D. 22 yd run (Henderson, A. kick failed), 4-40 0:59
Rushing:
Lusk- Degering 25 for 84 1 TD; Hladky 9 for 66; Smith 8-32; Thurston 4-14
Cokeville- Maddock 22-90 1 TD, Thornock 13-98, Peterson 14-42 1 TD; Davis 2-24 1TD
Passing:
Lusk- Hladky 1 for 3 for 8 yards
Cokeville- 2 for 3 51 yards and 1 TD
Receiving:
Lusk- Johnson 1 for 8
Cokeville- Davis 2 for 51 1 TD