Wampus Cats drop season opener

CRAIGMONT — The shorthanded Wampus Cats held their own for a half, but a big and physical Lewis County team eventually wore them down, posting a 52-14 win in season opening football action Friday in Craigmont.

Due to some eligibility issues, the Wampus Cats (0-1) were only able to suit up 10 players, and for most of the first half they went toe-to-toe with a solid 1A Division II opponent.

Toben Pincher scored on a one yard quarterback sneak, and the defense got stop after stop early in the game.

The game was tied 6-6 and appeared to be headed to half, when a defensive breakdown led to a long touchdown pass in the final seconds of the first half, which ended with Lewis County leading 14-6 and seizing momentum.

“The first half went pretty well. We played really good defense,” said Cats head coach Brian Arthun. “We just got worn down. They were more big and physical than us. Both of their backs were 200 plus pounds, which is bigger than most of the guys on our team.”

The second half was all Lewis County, as the Wampus Cats had trouble generating offense and getting stops. Dakota West provided the Cats lone second half touchdown with a nifty 60 yard kickoff return for a score.

West also had 13 tackles to lead the defense, while Cameron Garcia had two pass break ups, Josh Constantin two sacks and Theo Icardo three tackles for loss.

The Wampus Cats should be up to as many as 16 players for Kootenai, which will help in the North Star League opener. It was a tough first opponent for the Cats, who will go about fixing some issues.

“We started fast, but we have to put four quarters together. When the wheels started coming off we fell apart. We need to work on some mental toughness issues,” said Arthun. “Dakota had a good game with the kickoff returns and he had several runs over 10 yards. We’ll have to get more physical.”

Clark Fork is at Kootenai next Friday in a North Star League showdown.