WyoPreps Game of the Week: #3 Southeast at #5 Lusk [VIDEO]

For the second time in three weeks, Lusk, WY gets the spotlight. It is the place for the fan-voted, small school WyoPreps Game of the Week, as third-ranked Southeast visit visits the No. 5 Lusk Tigers. The Cyclones are 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. Lusk is 1-2 overall and 0-2 in league games.

These two long-time SEWAC rivals enter under different circumstances. Southeast has blown out Big Piney, Wright in a conference game, and Wind River over the first three weeks. The Tigers won their opener at Rocky Mountain, but have lost two East Conference games over the last two weeks. They fell to top-ranked Lingle-Ft. Laramie and No. 4 Saratoga.

WyoPreps previews the game with Cyclones head coach Shawn Burkart and Lusk head coach Chris Skeen. Coach Burkart discussed his team’s good start, how some key players have played well, others have stepped up, areas they still need to improve in, what he sees in the Tigers, and defending their passing attack. Coach Skeen pointed to some lessons they’ve taken away in two different losses over the last two games, building character within the team, hoping for continued good play on defense, how they prepare for Southeast, and simply executing what they’ve planned.

Southeast ranks No. 2 in total offense in the 9-man division at 367 yards and 37.3 points per game. They rush for 237 yards and pass for 130 yards per game. Both at in the top three of the class. Defensively, the Cyclones only allow 249 yards and 13.7 points per game. That puts them third. One of their key players is Ayden Desmond. He leads the offense at the QB spot and averages 130.3 yards per game. Desmond has 4 TDs, zero interceptions, and has completed nearly 64 percent of his passes. Carter Blevins leads the ground attack, while Kannon Tippetts is the top target on the outside. Defensively, Desmond ranks fourth in the defensive points per game at 23.7.

Lusk has not been able to get their aerial attack going full throttle thus far. They are averaging 255 yards and 14 points per game. On defense, the Tigers allow only 329 yards and 27 points per game. QB Jackson Smith triggers the offense. Ridge Kupke totes the ball, while Nathan Miller and Brady Swisher are the top targets. Miller also leads the defense and is seventh in points at 20.5 per game.