Strong defense brings ’Cats first win

Clinging to a 19-18 lead late in last Friday evening’s game in Deadwood, the Custer High School football team needed one more defensive stop. They got it.
On a fourth and four from the 50 yard line, the Golddiggers ran a double pass—something they had run earlier, along with a bevy of screens—but the Wildcat defense was ready, with safety Brady Virtue stepping in front of the pass for an interception.
Game over.
“The kids were all fired up. They were locked in, they were focused,” said head coach Russ Evans said. “I had no doubt they were going to get the job done. They  made big stops all night.”
The Custer offense was able to grind out the final minute of the game, with Riley Trout carrying the ball for eight yards on a second and eight to give Custer a first down and send the ’Cats into victory formation for the 19-18 win over the Lead-Deadwood Golddiggers on the ’Diggers’ homecoming night.
“It feels good to win. After the first four games, to get this victory and overcome the things we did, it’s a good feeling,” Evans said. “I’m happy for the kids. I’m happy for the coaches, I’m happy for Custer and those who support us.”
Senior running back Danny Immormino, who had 175 yards on 25 carries, said the win is what the Wildcats had been working for all season.
“We’ve put our hearts and souls into this,” he said. “We’re finally getting rewarded for our hard work.”
The defensive stand was indicative of a game where both teams made key defensive stops, including on Custer’s first possession, when the Golddiggers broke through the line to block a Wildcat field goal attempt.
The ’Diggers appeared to be poised to score on the next possession, as on a fourth and one a Lead runner burst through the line toward the end zone before David Lewis made a touchdown-saving tackle on the 13-yard line, one of his seven stops in the game.
The Wildcat defense held the Golddiggers to a field goal and a 3-0 advantage.
The ’Diggers got a strip sack on Custer’s next possession, but the Wildcats returned the turnover favor when Logan Olson tipped an attempted Lead screen pass to himself and rumbled down the field to the Golddigger 35 before being tackled.
Olson said when he realized nobody was attempting to block him, he knew a screen was coming, something the team had seen on film.
“I was expecting a screen and the ball came right to me,” he said, while admitting he “bobbled it” before reeling it in.
Did he think he was going to score?
“No,” he said with a smile. “I’m not that fast.”
The Wildcats did take advantage of the turnover, however, scoring a touchdown on a nine-yard jaunt by Immormino. The two-point conversion try failed, leaving Custer with a 6-3 lead.
The Wildcats were set to punt on their next possession, but after a high snap, Immormino, who serves as punter, took off around the right side for a first down to continue the Custer drive. 
It ended up being fortuitous for the Wildcats, as quarterback Veek Johncour found Brady Virtue on a short pass, with Virtue shaking a pair of tacklers and racing 49 yards for the score. Another failed two-point try left the score at 12-3.
The Golddiggers nearly scored on the ensuing kickoff, with Immormino saving the touchdown deep in Custer territory.
The Wildcats defense was up to the challenge once more, as on a fourth and one the Golddigger ball carrier was hammered and driven backward by defensive lineman Lincoln Golder, sending Custer into the half with a 12-3 lead.
Custer had another bad snap that allowed Lead-Deadwood to set up shop on the Custer 16 at the outset of the third quarter, and Peyton Percy made Custer pay with a 14-yard touchdown run. The following point after cut the Custer lead to 12-10.
A Golddigger personal foul and a 41-yard burst by Immormino put Custer in scoring possession on the Wildcats’ next possession, with Johncour scampering in for a touchdown shortly thereafter. A Kiran Pesicka extra point put Custer back up by nine at 19-10.
The Golddiggers wasted little time answering, as on their next possession quarterback Cannon Rogers rolled out and found Blake Janssen behind the Wildcat defense for a 59-yard bomb that was followed by a two-point run by Percy to make the score 19-18 in favor of Custer.
Custer went three and out on its next possession, but was able to make the needed stop via the Virtue interception on the double pass to put the game away.
“We knew they were going to come with some trickery,” Immormino said. “We were ready for it.”
“We were hyping each other up and keeping each other’s head up,” Olson said. “Everybody did their job.”
Evans said he knew Lead-Deadwood would come out and play hard, having been winless like Custer, and also playing its homecoming game.
“We helped them keep the game close with mistakes and costly penalties. We haven’t got them fixed yet,” Evans said. “I’m proud of how our kids stayed together. They stayed together and came up with the plays when they needed to.”
The Wildcats finished with 268 yards rushing, while Johncour completed six of 11 passing attempts for 96 yards. Virtue caught four passes for 79 yards.
Virtue led the defense with 10 tackles, while Golder had eight total tackles and Blaise Arp had six.
The Wildcats will try to put together a winning streak Friday evening when their rivals from the south, the Hot Springs Bison, come to Wildcat Field. The Bison come into the game with a 3-3 record, and will feature a heavy dose of 6-3, 210-pound running back Connor Kramer.
Evans said there is no doubt Kramer will get the ball early and often.
“That’s smart football. If you can control the game with the running game, run that clock, start wearing them down, that’s not a bad strategy at all,” he said.
Evans said his players were already talking about Hot Springs not five minutes after defeating the Golddiggers.
“I’m expecting a great week of practice. We’re going to get things polished up and we’ll be ready to go next Friday,” he said. “It’s against our rival and it goes back way before my time.”
“We want to bring that (Southern Hills Showdown) trophy home and make Custer proud,” Immormino said.