The energy and tenacity shown by the Cuba High School football team in its summer workouts translated to a strong performance at the Sullivan Jamboree on Friday in its last preseason tuneup before its season opener June 28 against Linn.

The new look Wildcats, unofficially dubbed ‘The Wildcards’ after co-oping with the Steelville Cardinals, played Lutheran South, St. James and Salem in the scrimmage, where each team had 12 plays of offense and defense against each opponent, regardless of the result.

Cuba was dominant in its first matchup against Lutheran South, showcasing a potent rushing attack. Seniors Ethan Noltkamper and AJ Flores and sophomore Nicholas Gipson each scored rushing touchdowns in limited carries.

Noltkamper looks prime for a stellar senior season after rushing for 942 yards and nine total touchdowns in eight games in his junior year. He took a handoff for against Lutheran South for a long touchdown run that was called back for a holding penalty. Undeterred, Noltkamper then took the ensuing carry to the house, which brought the large contingency of Wildcat faithful in the stands to their feet.

Cuba head coach Kaleb Cason said that his team’s starting offensive line of seniors Judah Folz, Max Harmon, Damion Ferguson, Zane Brown and junior Luke Whittaker stood out to him when assessing his team’s performance at the jamboree.

“Honestly, our O-line handled business at the line of scrimmage, and that was our number one goal,” Cason said. “I wanted to see the offensive line do their jobs, and we really only had one blown assignment all night, and that was a big thing for us.”

Senior defensive end Will Bailey and linebacker Gipson led the charge for the Wildcats’ stout defense, each making multiple thumping tackles that drew hoots and hollers from their teammates on the field and on the sidelines.

In Cuba’s matchup against St. James, both teams played their junior varsity lineups, allowing game reps for its younger players. Each team scored once and the Wildcats crossed the endzone on a nifty catch and run from sophomore Ripken Halbert, who made multiple defenders miss after receiving the pass from sophomore quarterback Billie Thompson.

The Wildcats brought back their varsity lineup for nine of the 12 plays against Salem in the final duel of the evening. Noltkamper scampered to the end zone once more for a Cuba touchdown and Salem scored late against the Wildcats’ junior varsity defense.

Heading into Friday’s 7 p.m. kickoff versus Linn, Cason said that he hopes to see more of what he saw from his team in the jamboree.

“I want to win the line of scrimmage and I want to play fast and confident. That’s our big thing,” he said.