LebCo Male Athlete of the Week: Jackson Custer (Week Ending September 15, 2024)

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Jackson Custer

On Thursday night, September 12th, the Cedar Crest Falcons traveled to Millersville to play Penn Manor. Once the game started, it was all Crest as they rolled to a 58-7 victory. The Falcons were led by senior quarterback Jackson Custer, who completed six of seven passing attempts for 138 yards and two touchdowns to teammate Jack Waranavage. In limited action due to the big lead, Custer also rushed eight times for 100 yards and a touchdown. As a result, the LebCoSports.com voters rewarded Custer with Athlete of the Week honors.

Custer’s performance was even more impressive considering that it was a quick bounce back from the team’s offensive struggles in their 19-3 loss to Warwick the previous Friday. According to the senior who has been leading the Falcon offense since mid-way through his sophomore season, “It was much needed from a team perspective.” The victory moved Cedar Crest to 3-1 on the season.
In terms of preparation, Custer said, “My offensive coaches do a great job of formulating our offense and giving me the ability to be a dual-threat QB. This style of play really fits not only myself but also our team as a whole.”

While Custer gave credit to his coaches, he also credited Cedar Crest’s Strength & Conditioning Coach, Travis Dresch, for helping to prepare him for his senior season.

Cedar Crest Head Coach Nicholas Lambros said of his senior leader, “Jackson is the engine of our offense. His leadership has been a stabilizing factor in our team’s growth all off-season and through our first 4 games.”

Lambros continued, “Jackson’s decision-making and savvy drive our offense, and his character sets the standard for what Cedar Crest Football should look like. Very proud of how he has responded to adversity, and I’m grateful he’s our leader.”

For as good as Custer has been in leading the Falcons, which included guiding them to eight wins and a District Playoff appearance in 2023, his talents have not been limited to the football field. Custer is also a key member of the Falcon Basketball team, serving as a key rotational player when they won the Lancaster Lebanon League Championship last season. He is also a member of the varsity Baseball team. Additionally, he was a contributing member of the Golf team when they won the Lancaster Lebanon League Championship in 2022 before giving up the sport to focus on his duties playing quarterback.

Helping Custer manage his athletic success is his mother, who herself was a collegiate athlete at the University of Michigan, where she played Field Hockey. In terms of genetics, Custer is also the second cousin of Chas McCormick, who won the 2022 World Series as a member of the Houston Astros after a successful collegiate career at Millersville.

As for where Custer sees himself in the future, he is planning on going to college and majoring in either Finance or Criminal Justice. When asked, he did not mention athletics, but it would be hard to believe if he is not competing somewhere next year.

For now, Custer is focused on helping Cedar Crest make the postseason. While they did lose a tight battle in their most recent game against Wilson to move to 3-2, the way that they played against one of the State’s best teams should make for an interesting run throughout the rest of their schedule.

We wish Jackson and all of his Falcon teammates all of the best as they begin the second half of their season.

Photos by Rachelle Isgriggs

Read about this week’s LebCo Female Athletes of the Week:

Delaney Miller & Lily Rohrer

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting:  September 9 – 15

Previous Winners

Myles Watson (Week of August 19th)

Isaiah Zimmerman (Week of August 19th)

Bryce Keller (Week of August 26th)

Steven Rosado (Week of September 2nd)

Jozef Shkreli (Week of September 2nd)