Malvern holds off Conotton Valley for 35-20 win

By Carol McIntire, Editor

Conotton Valley picked the Malvern defense apart for 278 yards through the air and gave the Hornets a scare Friday on the Rockets’ home field.

Malvern won 35-20 on the field by putting points on the board, but on paper, the Rockets won the battle for total yards 297-280 and passing yards 278-95. Malvern found success on the ground, piling up 185 yards on 44 carries while the Rockets could muster only 16 yards on 17 carries.

Coach Derek O’Hara’s Rockets opened the scoring in the first period when Zach Putnam connected with Kam Wright for a 51-yard scoring pass. The 2-point conversion attempt failed.

The lead was short-lived as Malvern junior Roy Simmons returned the kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. Tyler Cobb was good with the extra point, the first of five successful boots in the contest, to give the visitors a lead they would not relinquish the remainder of the game.

Junior Julius Gore added a 1-yard touchdown later in the first quarter to give the Hornets a 14-6 lead after one quarter.

Hornet quarterback Jared Witherow found Gore open for a 25-yard score in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 21-6.

The Rockets would not away.

Putnam connected with Gavin Henry for a 16-yard score to cut the margin to 21-12. The 2-point conversion pass fell incomplete.

Malvern stretched the margin to 28-12 before intermission when Darnell Jackson found the end zone from one yard out.

Neither team scored in the third quarter.

Brooks Bower pulled in a 40-yard pass from Putnam in the fourth quarter and the 2-point conversion pass form Putnam to Wright was good to cut the margin to one score at 28-20.

Drake Hutchison shut the door on Conotton Valley’s hopes when he scored from a yard out and Cook added the extra point.

Putnam completed 26 of 42 pass attempts while Witherow connected on 10 of 21 for 95 yards.

Bower pulled in six passes for 97 yards, Wright seven for 81 yards and Henry six for 56 yards.  Roy Simmons caught four passes for 29 yards for Malvern and Rodney Smith pulled in two passes for 23 yards.

Malvern’s success on the ground was led by Hutchison and Gore as the workhorses. Hutchsion gained 85 yards on 18 carries and Gore 53 yards on 14 carries.

Defensively, Haney and Leggett both had interceptions for Conotton and Smith had one for Malvern.

Luke Smith led the Rockets defense with nine tackles, seven assists, one sack and a tackle for loss (TFL). Malvern was led by Hutchison with eight tackles and a TFL.

Malvern travels to Harrison Cenrtal for a non-league contest with the Huskies Friday and Conotton Valley travels to Newcomerstown. Both games begin at 7 p.m.