Hornets execute game plan to perfection

By Carol McIntire

Editor

The teacher and his student met on the football field Friday night at Malvern.

The teacher, Matt Chiurco, head coach of the Malvern Hornets. The student, Jeremy Taylor, new head coach of the Tusky Valley Trojans, who served as the defensive coordinator for the Hornets last year. 

Chiurco used the football field as his blackboard to lay out a game plan clicked on all cylinders and earned his team a 41-6 victory.

When asked following the game if he prepared any differently, knowing Taylor was well-educated on the Malvern defense, Chiurco was quick to reply, “No, not really. We had a couple wrinkles and a couple things we thought we could use to our advantage. We used them, but it’s up to our guys to go out and execute. That’s what it came down to.”

The Hornets executed well.

Quarterback Jared Witherow completed 14 of 19 passes for 269 yards. The rushing corps of Drake Hutchison, Roy Simmons and Julius Gore broke through and ran around the defense, picking up 143 yards on 20 carries.

The Hornet defense allowed only two pass completions for 28 yards and gave up 117 yards on the ground on 25 carries. The host Hornets did not commit a single turnover while turning the lone Tusky Valley miscue into a touchdown. 

“For the most part, this was our most complete game and that is what we want to see,” Chiurco said. “We want to see them keep getting better and put four quarters together, which is what they did tonight. The defense flew around and made plays. We kind of knew what was coming. I’m proud of them.”

Malvern wasted no time putting points on the board. 

After Drake Hutchison returned the opening kickoff to their own 47-yard line, it took just three plays and one-minute, 19-seconds for the hosts to find the end zone. Witherow found Rodney Smith open for a 26-yard catch and run touchdown. The kick failed, but the Hornets led 6-0.

Malvern began cranking up the scoring machine midway through the second period when, with 6:26 on the clock, Witherow lofted the ball over the defense to an open Smith in the right corner of the end zone. The 10-yard score was followed by a successful 2-point conversion pass from Witherow to Hutchison and widened the lead to 14-0.

Less than three minutes later (3:00), junior  Simmons took the handoff from Witherow, started to the right, planted his foot, reversed direction and outran the defense for a 14-yard touchdown. Tyler Cobb added extra point.

As many teams have learned from the Hornets, and the Trojans learned Friday, giving the ball back to the Hornets with any time on the clock is a dangerous move. 

Following the touchdown, Chiurco’s defense forced a four-and-out and set up the offense on the 46-yard line. There was 1:42 remaining on the second quarter clock. 

Witherow found Smith open in the secondary for big gain to the 25-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Witherow tossed the ball to Hutchison who scampered through the defense to the 6-yard line. Hutchison went the final six yards for the score on the next play.

There was still 39-seconds on the clock. 

The kick was no good, but the Hornets went into the locker room with a 27-0 lead.  

Smith opened the third quarter scoring when he intercepted a Luke Miller pass and returned it 32 yards for the score. Rocco Marinucci, the holder for the extra point kick, picked up ball on a bobbled snap and converted the 2-point conversion at the 9:59 mark of the third period. The lead stretched to 35-0. 

Gore went the final five yards and dove across the goal line for Malvern’s final score of the night early in the fourth period.

Tusky Valley’s lone score came late in the game when Hunter Witts scored from three yards out. The extra point kick was good by Vlacovsky.

Smith picked up the Lion’s share of Malvern’s passing yards with five catches for 109 yards. Simmons snared four balls for 66 yards and Josh Untch three catches for 56 yards. 

Hutchison was the workhorse on the ground with nine carries for 84 yards. Simmons added 30 yards on three carries. 

Gore led the defense with six tackles and one tackle for loss.

Malvern takes its unblemished record (4-0) into Sugarcreek Friday to take on the unbeaten Garaway Pirates. 

Chiurco said his team has had a ton of success in recent years, but one thing is missing: that signature win. 

“Going to Garaway and beating them on their home turf where they haven’t been beaten since 2018 or 2019, that would be the signature win,” he said, adding, regardless of the outcome it’s going to be fun.”

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.