Big Sky list draped with Husky standouts

Max Martin, Jacob Justesen and Maverick Winslow were first-team winners on both sides of the ball, Ryan Asher was a second team pick as an offensive lineman and an honorable mention pick on defense, Wyatt Stutzman was honorable mention at linebacker and running back, and Nic Lesh was a second-team offensive lineman.

Winslow, a 2014 first-teamer on both sides, as well as an all-state honoree, added two more pieces of hardware to his trophy case for leading the Huskies to a 5-1 record in league play.

On defense, Winslow had 85 tackles, 51 solo, four sacks, an interception and three fumble recoveries.

Offensively, the junior, rushed 133 times for 1,329 yards for a 9.99 yard per rush average to go with 14 touchdowns.

Always a threat through the air, Winslow led the Huskies with 15 catches for 399 yards and eight scores.

In a 70-32 win over Mitchell-Spray-Wheeler on Oct. 8, Winslow finished with 135 yards rushing on eight carries, had running scores of 25, 4 and 68, and also had four catches for 134 yards with touchdown trips of 14, 80 and 25.

“Maverick has been an offensive catalyst for us,” said Sherman head coach Bill Blevins. “He can really take advantage of getting the ball in the open field as well as run for tough yards in the middle.”

Getting off to a late start did not hurt Martin at all, as he jumped in the mix and contributed at defensive end and tight end.

On defense, Martin, a junior, logged 42 tackles, five sacks and a fumble recovery in eight games.

Martin had five tackles and a sack against Dufur, and then tallied 5.5 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery the next week versus Mitchell-Spray-Wheeler.

In last week’s playoff loss, Martin had an 11-yard touchdown catch and added a 74-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.

“Max has done a fantastic job blocking for us from the tight end position,” Blevins said. “He has good footwork and is also a threat on pass patterns. Max has been great at keeping contain from the defensive end position. He also has the speed to get after the quarterback on pass plays.”

Justesen was thrust into the quarterback role and he dazzled with his legs and his arms, to lead one of the state’s best offenses.

All told, Justesen rushed the ball 64 times for 386 yards and eight touchdowns, and he completed 29 of 49 passes for 571 yards and 13 touchdowns.

While split out wide, Justesen notched 10 catches for 198 yards and four touchdowns.

In consecutive games versus Mitchell-Spray-Wheeler and Arlington, Justesen had his breakout moment with 163 yards rushing and four touchdowns and he completed 10 of 15 passes for 247 yards and six scores.

“Jacob has been a dual threat for us at quarterback,” Blevins said. “He possesses the ability to escape the pass rush and make plays with his feet.”

From his safety position, Justesen ended his season with 48 tackles, had nine interceptions and recovered six fumbles.

Against Perrydale, a 52-20 loss on Oct. 23, Justesen had a fumble return and interception return for touchdwons.

“Defensively, Jacob has a knack for the ball with nine interceptions this season,” Blevins said. “He does a great job of returning interceptions, two pick sixes. He also does a nice job of run support having 48 tackles.”

In all, Sherman racked up 3,380 yards, 2,468 on the ground, so much of that output is due to the offensive line, including Nic Lesh, a 6-foot-2 inch, 220-pound sophomore.

“Nic has done a nice job of stepping in this year to anchor the middle of our offensive line,” Blevins said. “He has made great strides in his technique and footwork during the course of the season.”

Asher was an honorable mention pick for his play at defensive tackle and the junior was a second team selection at offensive guard.

The 6-1, 200 pound specimen helped Husky quarterbacks to a completion rate of 58 percent with 912 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Asher also had 15 tackles on defense.

“Ryan has been consistent for us all season long,” Blevins said. “He has provided us with needed leadership on both the offensive and defensive lines. He has great technique.”

Stutzman, a former all-league lineman, switched to fullback this season and averaged 7.02 yards a carry.

He had 78 carries for 547 yards and nine touchdowns, and had eight catches for 186 yards and four scores.

Stutzman rumbled for five carries and 140 yards to go along with three touchdowns to lead Sherman against South Wasco County, and he added eight rushes for 139 yards and two scores versus Mitchell.

On defense, Stutzman, a middle linebacker, who made the calls for coordinator Kyle Blagg, ended up with 50 tackles, 14 solo, and two fumble recoveries.

In a game versus Mitchell, Stutzman had 8.5 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Blevins said he will miss Stutzman’s heart.

“Wyatt has provided a lot of leadership for our young team,” Blevins said. “He is a fantastic kid and a tough football player. He has been great for us at middle linebacker. He shoots the gaps well and makes a lot of tackles for losses.”