Malad Friday night football has seen its last hometown showing for the Malad Dragons in their fall 2024 season.  With two wins and two losses to their season, their final home game against their newest district opponent, the Wendell Trojans, had the potential to promote their season into a winning record for the first time in years.

The Dragons, receiving the kickoff, made quick work converting their opening drive into a scoring opportunity. Starting on the Dragon 43 yard line, Malad took the ball up the middle for a minimal gain.  On down two, Brady Showell made his way around the defense to the right side line, surging ahead to the 31 yard line for a first down.  They made another push up the middle, shoving the defensive line back as charged ahead another 5 yards.  Quarterback Brycen Howe took the snap again, stepping back to handoff to Holden Tubbs.  Tubbs wound his way around the defense for a 10 yard gain and another Dragon first down.

Now only 16 yards to the endzone, Howe played a quarterback keep for another small gain.  Within scoring range, Malad snapped the ball, finding Justine Toone open for the short pass.  After securing the football, Toone turned and ran the last 5 yards in to score the first touchdown of the game.

Up 6-0, the Dragons kicked off to the Trojans, starting their drive on their own 25 yard line.  Wendell made small, but steady progress on their opening drive.  The Malad defensive line made every play a struggle as they rushed the quarterback into hasty decisions.  A number of times, the MHS defense took down their opponent for a loss, forcing them to scramble to regain any ground.

But the Trojans were relentless in their efforts to move toward the Dragon endzone.  14 downs from the kickoff, they finished their drive with a touchdown and field goal PAT to take the lead, 6-7.

Receiving the kickoff deep in their own territory, Malad began running the ball back, deflecting tackles and breaking around defenders until coming down at the 42 yard line.  The Dragons covered the 58 yards to endzone in minutes, running only 6 plays before scoring their second touchdown of the game.  

On down three and inches from another first down, the Dragons made a push up the middle.  Just when it seemed that the offense was getting bogged down, the MHS running back broke through the back to run the ball in for a 37 yard touchdown.

Running the ball to the 29 yard line but being taken back to the 15 for a flag on the play, the Trojans had a lot of field ahead of them.  Before snapping the ball, the Wendell offense was called on a false start, pushing them back an additional 5 yards.  The first quarter allowed only two plays before the horn signaled the second quarter.  Coming back to the field, the Trojans went two downs before punting possession to the Dragons.

Malad steadily marched the ball down the field, with significant gains by Showell, Tubbs, Matt Briscoe, Dawsyn Peterson, and Drake Morrison.  Briscoe earned a big first down for the Dragons, taking the handoff and then juking to the right before splitting left to break down the field for a 12 yard gain.  Now on the WHS 25 yard line, Howe took the snap for a quick handoff to Tubbs.  As he began moving towards the right sideline, Peterson came running by, taking the ball and streaking past the defenders still chasing the fake run to the right.

Down just inside the 10 yard line, Morrison took the handoff, snaking his way around the defense for being tripped up just inches from the endzone.  Taking the pitch, Peterson finished the drive to bring the score 18-7.

The Trojans dominated the remainder of the first half, with a bit of luck on their side.  They managed a touchdown on a Hail Mary pass deep in Dragon territory that only turned into a scoring opportunity after they fell on the fumbled ball in the endzone.  As Malad moved to answer on their next drive, they slipped a fumble, Wendell taking possession in excellent field position.  The Trojans led as the two teams broke for half time, 18-21.

But the final half was all Dragon offense and defense.  The first MHS drive was relentless with strong runs and completed passes for the touchdown and successful PAT to take the lead for the final time as they went up 26-21.  On defense, the Dragons had solid coverage and containment.  Their pressure on the Trojan quarterback gave only enough time for rushed passes and insignificant gains.  Deep in their own territory, they were forced to punt again, setting Malad up for another successful drive.  

Just two plays into the fourth quarter, Showell ran the ball in for another 5 yard touchdown, piggybacked with another successful PAT to bring the score to Malad 34, Wendell 21.  The Dragon defense forced another failed drive for the Trojans as they punted once again.  The MHS team turned their opportunity into a final scoring drive.

Stopped just before the endzone on a third drive, the Dragons went for the touchdown.  Attempting to simply drive ahead, it seemed as if their effort would end in vain.  Just then, the line surged ahead, the ball carrier breaking through to score a final time.  Going for the kickoff PAT, Howe put the ball through the uprights to end the game 41-21.

The win was an exciting way for the eight seniors to finish their final Dragon home game.  The graduating seniors include Brady Showell (running back and linebacker), Gabe Hooste (guard and linebacker), Kaden Hatch (wide receiver and corner), Dekan Williams (wide receiver and corner), Brycen Howe (quarterback and defensive end), Zayne Thomas (wide receiver and corner) Waylon Hill (center and defensive line), and Ryan Jensen (wide receiver and linebacker).  

The Dragon football team are scheduled to next play in Aberdeen on Friday, October 11.