It was an action-packed game as the Dragon football team hosted the Declo Hornets on Friday, October 17.  The final seconds of the game may have decided the victory in Declo’s favor, but the minutes between the initial kickoff and the final play were anything but exciting.  The late game loss was a disappointment for the MHS team, but the contest against one of the top teams in the state was filled with both offensive and defensive successes. 

The Dragons first drive of the game was marked by big gains amidst insignificant attempts.  Holdan Tubbs ran for more than 30 yards to get the first down of the drive, a big play after suffering a loss on the previous play.  It was on the next third down, quarterback Easton Green connected with Tubbs on a bullet pass for another big gain and first down after two unsuccessful attempts to run the ball down field.  Like deja vu, the two made the same progress on the following third down to put the Dragons on the 14 yard line where they punched in the final yard to earn yet another first down.

Within the red zone, Malad inched their way to the endzone.  Coming up just short of the touchdown by less than a yard, the MHS attempted to doze their way through to the first score of the game.  Unfortunately a fumble resulted in a turnover to the Hornets rather than a Dragon touchdown. 

The Hornets were forced to move the ball the length of the field in their attempt to score.  The Dragons did well to slow their progress as they made incremental gains as they ran the ball.  Unfortunately, as they turned to a pass play, a Declo receiver slipped behind the Malad defenders, making the catch in the open backfield.  With no one to stop his run to the endzone, the Hornets made quick work of a scoring drive.

Down 0-7, the MHS were set to do the work in their second drive.  Slowly, but consistently, the Malad offense made their way down the field as Tubbs, Green, and Chase Martin, and ran the ball down through the Hornet defense.  Inside the 20 yard line and knocking on the endzone, the Dragons went to the pass, a play that was sure to score them their first points of the night.  Unfortunately, Declo’s defense not only thwarted the scoring play but intercepted the pass.

Now in the second quarter, Malad’s defense stepped out on the field in an attempt to keep Declo from finding their way across the goal line a second time.  The Hornets looked like they might march down the field once again with their slow gains until the MHS defensive line forced three downs without a gain.  As Declo went to punt, the snap was muffed, rushing the eventual kick that finally landed at the DHS 37 yard line.

This time their drive ended squarely in the end zone, the Dragons making quick gains with their running plays.  Tubbs punched in the touchdown for Malad, rushing the ball across the goal line after a quick pitch from QB Green.  Sending the field goal through the uprights, Matt Briscoe tied the score at 7 points.  

With time running short in the half, the Hornets were laser focused on a scoring drive.  The Dragons had successfully shut down their previous running game, so Declo turned to the pass- a strategic move that caught the MHS team on their heels.  Malad struggled to contain and tackle in backfield, allowing the Hornets time and space to move down field.  With second left on the clock, Declo punched in a second touchdown for the half, making the score 14-7.  

Kicking off to start the second half, the MHS team came out in a big way to hold the Hornets, forcing a punt after just three downs.  The Dragon offense struggled to get going and appeared that they would be forced to do the same when Green scrambled to make a first down with defenders hot on his heels.  Green connected with Parker Price to make a successive first down, Price securing the catch despite the defenders surrounding him.  Mixing things up to keep the Declo defense guessing, Malad turned their drive into a scoring opportunity.  

Successfully running the football in for a touchdown, the Dragons were disappointed to hear the score called back for an offensive penalty.  Undeterred, Green handed off to Martin who zigged and zagged across the field to carry the ball across the goal line, outpacing the defense as he skirted to the pylon to make it in the endzone. Going wide on the field goal PAT, Malad trailed 13-14 after the score.

The two teams traded another pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the Dragons going for a two point conversion after their score.  The strategic move proved successful, tying the score at the 21 points with less than two minutes on the clock.  The MHS team had high hopes of stopping the Declo drive, sending the game into overtime.  On their first play of the drive, the Hornets sailed a long pass down the field, landing them just inside the MHS 30 yard line.  Four plays later, the officials signaled a touchdown after unpiling the heap of players straddling the goal line.

Now 21-28 and with only 3 seconds remaining to play, the Dragons had only a small chance of making a comeback.  Attempting a long pass, the QB and receiver were unable to connect and the final horn closed out the game.

Commenting on a game packed with highs and lows, Head Coach Brady Price shared, “I was really pleased with the resilience of the team throughout the game. There were plenty of times that they could have quit and kept playing.

“I thought on offense we had a really good mix of run and pass that kept Delco off balance.  Defensively we played the run really tough but we had too many mistakes on the pass. If a few things had gone our way it would have been a different outcome.”   

Looking ahead to their last game of the season Coach Price said, “In the end I think the team is really ready for the final game of the regular season this week against West Side. It's a tough game but I like how we are playing right now. If we want to have some success against them, and others in the state playoffs, we need to continue to play tough and clean up our mistakes to have a chance.”

Friday, October 24, the Dragons will play their final home game as they host the West Side Pirates.