Hornets hold off Lucas, advance to second round

By Carol McIntire

Editor

Malvern quarterback Jared Witherow threw for 347 yards and six touchdowns as the Hornets held off the Lucas Cubs at home 40-26  in the first round of the Division VII football playoffs Friday. 

The Hornets came into the game as the No. 3 seed in Region 25 and the Lucas Cubs as the No. 11 seed. Malvern (10-1) will now host Lowellville (7-4) in a regional quarterfinal contest Friday at 7 p.m..

Malvern Coach Matt Chiurco was well-versed on the Lucas team, as the Hornets faced the Cubs in a previous playoff contest and had his team ready for battle.

The Cubs were equally prepared. 

The Hornets found success through the air while the Cubs found success on the ground. Malvern quarterback  Witherow threw for 347 yards and six touchdowns as he completed 21 of 24 passes. Receivers Rodney Smith and Roy Simmons both topped the 100-yard mark. Smith caught nine passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns and Simmons pulled in eight passes for 107 yards

Lucas found success on the ground. The Cubs picked up 317 yards on 54 attempts and four touchdowns.  Two players surpassed the 100-yard mark – Brady Guegold, 115 yards on 21 carries, and Tim Daley, 114 yards on 18 carries,’

In comparison, Malvern gained just 36 yards on the ground in 21 carries and Lucas completed just two of four passes for 22 yards. 

Chiurco’s team took the opening kickoff and marched 65 yards in less than four minutes to put the first points of the game on the board. 

The 65 -yard, seven play drive culminated with a 27-yard scoring strike from Witherow to  Smith in the left corner of the end zone. Witherow’s pass to Simmons was good for the two-point conversion. 

Lucas answered with a 58-yard scoring drive on its first possession. 

Daley capped off the drive with a one-yard drive at the 3:08 mark of the first period. The extra point kick, that came after a 10-yard holding penalty on the two-point conversion attempt, was not good.  Malvern held an 8-6 lead after the first quarter. 

Seven plays into the second period, Smith pulled in a nine-yard pass from Witherow for a touchdown. Witherow found Jordin Detchon who pulled in the two-point conversion pass for a 16-6 Malvern lead at the 10:22 mark of the second. 

Again Lucas answered the score when Guegold scored from seven yards out and the two point conversion run was good. The Cubs were back to within 16-14.

The Hornets pulled ahead just before the half when Witherow connected with Drake Hutchison for a five-yard touchdown. The two- point conversion failed and the hosts went into the locker room with a 22-14 lead at intermission.  

The teams traded touchdowns in the third period. Lucas scored on a one-yard Guegold run  to pull within 22-20 and Malvern hit paydirt with a 15-yard Witherow to Simmons pass. Neither two-point conversion was successful. Malvern led 28-20 heading to the four period.

 Guegold pulled his team back to within two points early in the fourth period. Malvern responded with a 40-yard Witherow to Detchon touchdown pass.

Lucas put together a drive deep into Malvern territory later in the fourth period and it looked like they might take their first lead of the game. 

A fumble, the only turnover of the game, by Lucas was recovered by Drake Hutchison and set up a 79-yard touchdown pass from Witherow to Smith that sealed the win.

 Junior Owen Ball led the defensive effort with 15 tackles and a sack. Clayton Abel and Julius Gore both recorded nine tackles. Abel also had a sack. Hutchison, Braidon Miller and Smith all had eight tackles.