The Malone University football team brought its 2009 campaign to a close in thrilling fashion on Saturday afternoon at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois as the squad racked up 669 yards of offense in a 57-35 Mid-States Football Association Mideast League victory.  The Pioneers trailed 16-13 at the end of the first quarter but then tallied four second-quarter TD’s to take a 41-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.  A field goal and touchdown pass allowed Malone’s advantage to swell to 50-28 midway through the third stanza before the Tigers cut into the deficit, trimming the Pioneer lead to 50-35 on a TD pass with just under a minute remaining in the period.  Olivet was unable to get any closer in the fourth quarter, however, as Malone running back Joe Peters (pictured above; Sr., Oakland, CA) cemented the win with a 26-yard touchdown run with just 1:49 remaining on the clock.  With the victory, the Pioneers concluded their season with a record of 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the MSFA Mideast while the Tigers dropped to 2-9 overall and 1-6 in league play.

In addition to the 92 points scored, the two squads also combined for 59 first downs (28 for Malone, 31 for ONU) and 1130 yards of total offense.  The Pioneers posted 266 rushing yards and 403 passing yards to account for its total output of 669 yards, marking the third-highest yardage total in the program’s history.  Olivet Nazarene countered with 53 yards on the ground and 408 yards through the air for 461 total yards.  Malone was penalized 15 times for 154 yards in the contest but also forced a season-high five turnovers.

The Pioneers set the tone early on in Saturday’s contest as, on the second play from scrimmage, redshirt freshman quarterback Steve Brohl (Almont, MI) hit freshman wide receiver Derrick McLean (Laurel Hill, NC) with a 73-yard touchdown pass.  The Tigers answered back on their ensuing possession, marching 73 yards on a seven-play TD drive to knot the score at 7-7. 

Peters made it 13-7 minutes later after scoring the first of his three rushing touchdowns on the day, this one from six yards out.  Olivet took some luster off the score, though, as the hosts blocked the extra point and returned it all the way to the end zone for two points, cutting the Pioneer lead to 13-9.

The Tigers then pulled ahead 16-13 at the 2:39 mark of the first quarter on a nine-yard TD pass from quarterback Nick Darland to wide receiver Aaron Swart.  Malone took the lead back on its opening drive of the second quarter when Brohl connected with junior wide receiver Jeff Perri (pictured left; Alameda, CA) on a four-yard pass, making the score 20-16.

The Pioneer lead then grew to 27-16 when junior running back Courtney Greer (Midland, TX) dashed across the goal line on a 22-yard rush with 11:05 remaining in the first half.  A nine-yard Darland TD pass to running back Marshall Fraley trimmed the Malone advantage to 27-22 (two-point conversion failed) before Peters found the end zone on a five-yard run, making the score 34-22.

The back-and-forth affair then continued as each team scored touchdowns on their next possessions.  Darland made it 34-28 with his fourth TD pass of the half, this one a 39-yard strike to wide out Andrew Butler (extra point blocked).  Brohl answered right back for the Pioneers, wrapping up the high-scoring first half with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Perri.

A 31-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Jake Hardy (Ortonville, MI) and a 47-yard TD pass from Brohl to Perri gave Malone a substantial 50-28 advantage with four minutes to play in the third quarter.  ONU pulled to within 50-35 with 58 seconds remaining in the third stanza on Darland’s fifth TD pass of the game, a 15-yard toss to Butler.  However, the Tigers were unable to get any closer before Peters put the game away with his late touchdown run. 

Brohl completed 23 of 37 pass attempts on the afternoon for a career-high 403 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.  McLean posted eight catches for 186 yards and one touchdown to go with three kickoff returns for 114 yards and one rush for 43 yards.  His 346 all-purpose yards in the contest (that included a three-yard loss on a punt return) marked a new Malone single-game record.  The impressive total also made a mark on the MSFA record book as it ranks as the second-highest total for all-purpose yards in MSFA history (The only player to post more yards in a single game was Terry Taylor, who piled up 400 all-purpose yards for Iowa Wesleyan University in 1999).  Perri also put together a stellar afternoon as he tallied seven catches for 158 yards and three touchdowns.

Peters gained 122 rushing yards on 14 carries (8.7 average) with three touchdowns while also pulling in four catches for 13 yards, returning two kickoffs for 60 yards and running back two punts for 17 yards.  With this strong afternoon, Peters moved his 2009 rushing total to 1048 yards, becoming just the fifth Pioneer to rush for 1000 yards in a single season (Bernard Payton rushed for 1637 yards in ’07, Joel Peterson gained 1165 yards in ’01, Eric Smith posted 1012 yards in ’04 and Dan DeGeorge gained 1003 yards in ‘94).  Greer also turned in a solid performance, gaining 105 rushing yards on 23 carries (4.6 average) with one TD to go with three pass receptions for 39 yards.

Defensive back Jon Latimer (pictured left; Sr., Dallas, TX) notched a team-high seven tackles to go with a pair of interceptions.  With the two picks, Latimer moved his 2009 total to six, breaking the Pioneer single-season record for interceptions (previous record of five was accomplished eight different times).   Linebacker K.P. Fonseca (Jr., Aiea, HI), linebacker Montana Russo (Jr. Monterey, CA) and defensive back Patrick O’Malley (Jr., Padua Franciscan H.S.) each followed with six stops apiece.  In addition to their tackle totals, Fonseca also notched one fumble recovery while Russo picked up a sack and forced a fumble.

Senior punter Mike Skvor (Long Beach, CA) averaged 37.7 yards on three punts with two of those kicks downed inside the 20.  Skvor ended an excellent senior year with an average of 42.0 yards per punt and 18 kicks downed inside the 20, both new Malone single-season records.

For Olivet Nazarene, Darland completed 36 of 66 pass attempts for 408 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions.  Tight End David Scherer posted eight catches for 124 yards and one TD.  Fraley gained 49 rushing yards on seven carries while also pulling in eight catches for 83 yards and one score.  Linebacker Travis Powers paced the defense with eight tackles and a fumble recovery.

Malone Notes:  The Pioneers and Tigers combined for 811 passing yards on Saturday which marked the highest combined single-game passing yardage total in Malone history…McLean’s 186 receiving yards marked the third-highest single-game total in school history (Josh Settlemire tallied 198 receiving yards  against Urbana University in 2005 and Derek Deardorff posted 187 against Northwestern College in the 2008 Victory Bowl).

The Malone University football team lost a hard-fought Mid-States Football Association Mideast League contest at Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday afternoon as the host Knights fought back from a 21-7 third-quarter deficit to register a 28-24 victory.  After Marian had tied the game 21-21 at the start of the fourth quarter, Malone put together a methodical 73-yard, 19-play drive, grabbing a 24-21 lead with just over two minutes remaining on a 31-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Jake Hardy (Ortonville, MI).  However, the Knights got the ball back with 2:11 showing on the clock and proceeded to drive 68 yards on 13 plays, converting a pair of fourth downs before taking their first lead of the game with only 10 seconds to play on a two-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Rogers to running back William Stubbs.  The Pioneers managed to move the ball into Marian territory in the final moments but were unable to reach the end zone before time expired.  Malone’s record fell to 3-6 and 1-5 in the MSFA Mideast while the Knights improved to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in league play with the come-from-behind victory.

Each team posted 20 first downs in the evenly-matched contest.  The Pioneers totaled 174 rushing yards and 210 passing yards for 384 total yards of offense while Marian posted 98 yards on the ground and 272 yards through the air for 370 total yards.  Malone converted on nine of 17 third-down conversions and held a slight edge in time of possession (31:23-28:37) but the visitors were also penalized 11 times for 120 yards.

The Pioneers pulled ahead 7-0 midway through the first quarter when senior running back Joe Peters (Oakland, CA) broke free for his longest run of the season, a 62-yard sprint to the end zone.  After an interception by Pioneer senior defensive back Jon Latimer (Dallas, TX) brought Marian’s ensuing drive to a halt, redshirt freshman quarterback Steve Brohl (Almont, MI) pushed Malone’s lead to 14-0 with just four seconds remaining in the opening stanza after connecting with junior wide receiver Jeff Perri (Alameda, CA) on a 17-yard touchdown pass.

The Knights cut the deficit to 14-7 at the 11:33 mark of the second frame as they scored the only points of the quarter on a 36-yard TD pass from Rogers to wide receiver Julian Williams.  The Pioneers answered back on their opening drive of the second half when Peters took off on his second lengthy touchdown run of the game, this time for 36 yards, to put Malone on top 21-7.

Rogers evened the score at 21-21 after hitting wide out Chris Rutherford on touchdown passes of 15 and 59 yards.  Malone then took almost 11 minutes off the fourth-quarter clock with its long drive that culminated in Hardy’s go-ahead field goal.  Marian had just enough time left, though, as the Knights drove down the field for the game-winning TD.

On the afternoon, Brohl completed 22 of 34 pass attempts for 210 yards and one touchdown.  Perri caught five passes for 54 yards and one score while junior wide receiver Mike Medina (San Diego, CA) pulled in four catches for 49 yards. 

Peters totaled 145 rushing yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns.  He also contributed in the passing game with five catches for 42 yards.  Sophomore linebacker Matt Vick (Perry H.S.) led all tacklers with 12 stops.  Junior defensive back Patrick O’Malley (Padua Franciscan H.S.) followed with nine tackles, including one tackle for loss while Latimer and freshman linebacker Antonio Scassa (Massillon Washington H.S.) each posted six tackles apiece.

Senior punter Mike Skvor (Long Beach, CA) averaged 46.2 yards on four kicks with a long boot of 66 yards.

For Marian, Rogers completed 17 of 29 passes for 272 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.  Stubbs gained 91 rushing yards on 20 attempts.  Rutherford caught six passes for 150 yards and two scores while linebacker Brock Caraboa paced the defense with 11 total tackles.

This week, Malone (3-6 overall, 1-5 MSFA Mideast) will conclude its season with a 1:30 p.m. CST (2:30 p.m. EST) contest at Olivet Nazarene (IL) University.  The Pioneers hold a 4-0 lead in the all-time series and defeated the Tigers on the road last season by a final tally of 43-3.

Malone Notes:  Saturday marked the first time that Marian, now in its third year of intercollegiate football, has defeated the Pioneers (Although Malone still holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series)…Peters needs just 74 more rushing yards to become the fourth Malone player to rush for 1000 yards in a single season…Latimer needs one more interception to tie the Pioneer single-season record of five.

The Malone University football team racked up 580 yards of total offense on Saturday night at Fawcett Stadium as it rolled to a 48-12 Mid-States Football Association Mideast League victory against Trinity International (IL) University.  The Pioneers led 27-6 at halftime and then tacked on a pair of third-quarter rushing touchdowns to put the contest out of reach.  The win improved Malone’s record to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the MSFA Mideast while Trinity International fell to 0-10 overall and 0-6 in league play.

The Pioneers tallied 244 yards through the air and 336 yards on the ground to account for their season-high total of 580 offensive yards.  The Trojans countered with 168 rushing yards and 91 passing yards for a total output of 259 yards.  In addition to its sizable advantage in yardage, Malone also led 29-11 in total first downs, intercepted two Trinity International passes and held the Trojans out of the end zone on two trips inside the Malone 20 yard-line.

Junior running back Markus McFolling (Seaside, CA) put the Pioneers in front 7-0 on the game’s opening possession after capping a nine-play, 69-yard Malone scoring drive with a four-yard TD plunge.  After recovering a Pioneer fumble deep in Malone territory, TIU then pulled to within 7-6 at the 2:58 mark of the first quarter when Trinity quarterback Daniel Beals connected with tight end Kyle Mowen on a 33-yard touchdown pass.  The Trojans then looked the knot the score but their extra-point try was blocked by Pioneer defensive lineman Chris Story (Jr., Las Cruces, NM), keeping Malone in front 7-6.

The second quarter was all Pioneers as the hosts scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions in the frame while outgaining Trinity International by a 214 to 20 margin.  McFolling pushed the Malone lead to 14-6 with 10:46 remaining in the half on a one-yard touchdown run.  After forcing a punt on the Trojans’ ensuing drive, the Pioneers then struck quickly as redshirt freshman quarterback Steve Brohl (Almont, MI) found freshman wide receiver Derrick McLean (Laurel Hill, NC) on a 94-yard scoring strike.  The lengthy catch and sprint to end zone by McLean pushed Malone’s lead to 20-6 (ensuing extra point was no good) and broke the Pioneer school record for the longest pass from scrimmage (the previous mark was established during Malone’s inaugural season against Geneva College on a 90-yard touchdown pass from Shane Nalepa to Eric Miller).  Brohl then wrapped up the second-quarter scoring with his second TD pass of the evening, a two-yard toss to tight end Brent Altenburger (Black River H.S.) that stretched the Pioneer advantage to 27-6.

Malone’s lead then grew to 41-6 in the third stanza with two more touchdown runs, the first an 11-yard sprint by senior running back Joseph Peters (Oakland, CA) and the second a seven-yard dash by junior running back Courtney Greer (Midland, TX).

Trinity trimmed the deficit 41-12 just over two minutes into the fourth quarter as Beals raced to the end zone on a 90-yard TD run.  The Trojans were unable to get any closer over the remainder of the contest, however, as McFolling capped the scoring two minutes later with his third touchdown run of the game, this time from eight yards out.

Brohl completed 13 of his 19 pass attempts on the evening for 244 yards and two touchdowns.  Junior wide receiver Jeff Perri (Alameda, CA) pulled in four catches for 70 yards, junior wide receiver Mike Medina (San Diego, CA) snagged three catches for 36 yards while McLean caught two passes for 101 yards, including the record-setting TD grab.

Peters, Greer and McFolling all eclipsed 80 rushing yards in the contest as Peters totaled 153 yards on 21 attempts (7.3 average) with one TD, Greer posted 99 yards on 10 carries (9.9 average) with one score, and McFolling registered 81 yards on 14 attempts (5.8 average) with three touchdowns.

Defensive back Jon Latimer (Sr., Dallas, TX) and defensive end Cody Carroll (Jr., Chardon H.S.) each posted a team-high eight tackles with Latimer also tallying one interception and Carroll recording three tackles for loss, including two sacks.  Senior defensive lineman Nick Rousher (Canfield H.S.) and freshman linebacker Antonio Scassa (Massillon Washington H.S.) each followed with five stops apiece.

Punter Mike Skvor averaged over 47 yards on his three punts with a long of 63.  In addition to the lengthy boot, his other two kicks were each downed inside the Trinity eight yard-line.

For the Trojans, Beals completed 10 of his 21 pass attempts for 91 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.  He also notched 114 rushing yards on 18 carries, including the long TD run.  Wide receiver Dave Hardt caught three passes for 26 yard while defensive back Pete Miller recorded a game-high 11 tackles.

This week, Malone (3-5 overall, 1-4 MSFA Mideast) will travel to Indianapolis, Indiana for a 1:00 p.m. matchup with Marian University (5-4 overall, 2-3 MSFA Mideast).  The Pioneers won both of their previous two meetings with the Knights, including a 45-37 victory at Fawcett Stadium last season.

Malone Notes:  The Pioneers’ 580 total yards marked the highest offensive output since the squad piled up 633 yards in a 42-17 win over Taylor (IN) University on October 11th of last season…Saturday marked the second time this season that the Pioneers have eclipsed 300 rushing yards as the squad tallied a school-record 442 yards on the ground in a 65-10 win at Anna Maria (MA) College on September 26th…Malone now holds a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series with Trinity International.

The Malone University football team dropped its fourth straight Mid-States Football Association Mideast League game on Saturday afternoon at Fawcett Stadium as local rival Walsh University recorded a 31-14 victory after erasing a 14-7 halftime deficit with 24 unanswered third-quarter points.  The loss snapped a three-game Pioneer winning streak in the annual battle for the Dick Gallagher Memorial trophy while dropping Malone’s record to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the MSFA Mideast.  The Cavaliers, who were ranked 20th in the most recent NAIA National Poll, improved to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in league play with the win.

After a closely contested first half, Walsh dominated the final two quarters, limiting the Pioneers to one first down and 107 yards of total offense.  The Cavaliers held a an over 15-minute advantage in time of possession on the afternoon, forced three Malone fumbles, and allowed the hosts to convert on only three of their 11 third-down attempts.  Walsh totaled 316 offensive yards with 257 of those coming on the ground and just 59 coming through the air.  Malone countered with 117 passing yards and 159 rushing yards for a total offensive output of 276 yards.

The Cavaliers pulled ahead 7-0 at the 3:45 mark of the first quarter as quarterback Jim Shiplett capped a 12-play, 99-yard scoring drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Joe Morgan.  Pioneer wide receiver Derrick McLean (Fr., Laurel Hill, NC) returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the Walsh 28 yard-line and five plays later, junior running back Markus McFolling (Seaside, CA) dashed into the end zone from a yard out to even the score at  7-7.  The Pioneers then grabbed a 14-7 advantage with exactly four minutes remaining in the first half when McFolling powered his way across the goal line on another one-yard TD run.

The Cavaliers came out of the locker room and quickly seized momentum at the start of the third quarter as defensive back Brian Williams set the Walsh offense up with a first and goal on the Malone five yard-line after returning to second-half kickoff 87 yards.  Cavalier running back Clint Blossomgame then evened the score at 14-14 on the very next play with a five-yard rushing TD.

A fumbled kickoff return and a three-and-out limited the Pioneer offense’s time on the field over the next few minutes and Walsh capitalized at the 5:27 mark of the third stanza, pulling ahead for good on a 42-yard field goal by kicker Eric Buchanan.

Walsh concluded its 24-point, third-quarter scoring outburst with two more trips to the end zone, putting the game out of reach with an eight-yard TD run and a 23-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

McFolling ended the day with 105 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries (8.8 average) while fellow running back Joe Peters (Sr., Oakland, CA) picked up 69 rushing yards on 16 attempts to go with four pass receptions for 25 yards.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Steve Brohl (Almont, MI) completed 12 of 28 pass attempts for 117 yards.  Wide receiver Jeff Perri (Jr., Alameda, CA) notched three pass receptions for 34 yards while senior wide out Jason Malone (Warrensville Heights H.S.) caught two passes for 14 yards.

Senior defensive back Jon Latimer (Dallas, TX) notched a game-high 15 total tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss.  Linebacker Wesley Kauffman (Jr., Anchorage, AK) followed closely with 14 total stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss while defensive back Patrick O’Malley (Jr., Padua Franciscan H.S.) totaled nine tackles with one pass break-up.  Punter Mike Skvor (Sr., Long Beach, CA) averaged 41.8 yards on five punts and twice pinned Walsh inside its own eight yard-line.

For the Cavaliers, Blossomgame registered 103 rushing yards on 35 carries with one TD.  Shiplett completed six of 16 passes for 59 yards and one score while wide receiver Robert Wigfall caught two passes for 38 yards.  Linebacker Mike Welce paced the defense with seven solo tackles, including three tackles for loss and one sack.

This week, Malone (2-5 overall, 0-4 MSFA Mideast) will host Trinity International (IL) University (0-9 overall, 0-5 MSFA Mideast) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in its final home game of the season.  The Pioneers hold a 5-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Trojans and have won each of the last two meetings between the teams, including a 32-27 victory in the most recent matchup that occurred on September 1st, 2007.

Malone Notes:  Walsh now holds a 9-6 lead in the all-time series between the local rivals…The Pioneers have gained 150 or more rushing yards in five of their seven contests this season…2009 marked the second year in a row that Malone has held Walsh under 60 passing yards as the Cavaliers gained just 34 yards through the air in the Pioneers’ 24-21 victory last season.

The Malone University football team endured a 66-31 Mid-States Football Association Mideast League loss on the road Saturday afternoon to Saint Xavier (IL) University.  The Cougars, who were ranked eighth in the most recent NAIA National Poll, quickly pulled away in the contest as the hosts entered the second quarter with a 42-0 lead.  Saint Xavier scored on each of its first five offensive possessions and then tacked on a blocked punt for a TD in the final seconds of the opening stanza.  Although Malone was able to get its offense on track later in the game, the Pioneers were unable to overcome Saint Xavier’s first-quarter scoring barrage as the Cougars went on to record the 66-31 victory.  The loss dropped Malone’s record to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the MSFA Mideast while SXU kept its unblemished record intact, improving to 8-0 overall and 5-0 in league play.

An interception return for a touchdown and 31-yard field goal increased the Saint Xavier lead to 52-0 midway through the second frame.  The Pioneers refused to give up, though, as the visitors managed to pull within 52-14 at halftime after a one-yard touchdown plunge by junior running back Markus McFolling (Seaside H.S.) and a 16-yard touchdown pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Steve Brohl (Almont, MI) to junior wide receiver Jeff Perri (Alameda, CA).

The Cougars answered back quickly, however, pushing their advantage to 66-14 with a pair of touchdown passes in the first five minutes of the second half.  Despite the large deficit, Malone continued to chip away over the remainder of regulation, adding 17 more points on a 44-yard field by sophomore kicker Jake Hardy (Ortonville, MI), a fumble recovery in the end zone by defensive back Jon Latimer (Sr., Dallas, TX), and a 10-yard TD pass from Brohl to Perri.

Malone ended the day with 356 total offensive yards with 195 of those coming on the ground and 161 coming through the air.  Saint Xavier, meanwhile, registered 112 rushing yards and 422 passing yards for a total of 534 offensive yards.  The Pioneers held a nearly six-minute advantage in time of possession but also committed four turnovers (one fumble, three interceptions) and converted on just three of 18 third downs.

Brohl completed 15 of 33 pass attempts on the afternoon for 137 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.  Perri hauled in a total of eight catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns while fellow wideout Mike Medina (Jr., San Diego, CA) snagged four receptions for 47 yards.

Senior running back Joe Peters (Oakland, CA) gained 99 rushing yards on just 14 carries (7.1 average) while also returning three kickoffs for a total of 72 yards.   McFolling posted 55 yards and one TD on 13 rushing attempts.

Junior defenisve lineman Cody Caroll (Chardon H.S.) led the way for the Pioneer defense with 10 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss.  Junior linebacker K.P. Fonseca (Aiea, HI) followed with nine total tackles and one tackle for loss while junior defensive back Eric Hart (Labrae Local H.S.) posted seven solo tackles with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

On special teams, senior punter Mike Skvor (Long Beach, CA) averaged 42.2 yards on six punts with two of those kicks downed inside the 20 yard-line.

For SXU, quarterback Anthony Kropp connected on 20 of 27 pass attempts for 424 yards and five touchdowns.  Wide Receiver Mike Maher caught eight passes for 172 yards and two scores.  Running back KJ Franklin rushed five times for 34 yards and a touchdown while linebacker Ryan Fejedelem   paced the defense with five solo tackles.

This week, Malone (2-4 overall, 0-3 MSFA Mideast) will take on NAIA #21 Walsh University (5-2 overall, 2-1 MSFA Mideast) in a 1:00 p.m. home contest at Fawcett Stadium.  The winner of the annual rivalry contest receives the rotating Dick Gallagher Memorial Trophy, named in honor of the late former Executive Director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  The Cavaliers lead the all-time series between the two schools 8-6 although the Pioneers have won each of the last three meetings, including a 24-21 victory last season.

Malone Notes:  SXU’s 66 points marked the most ever allowed by the Pioneers…Prior to Saturday, the most points ever scored against Malone was 58 in a 58-17 home loss to the University of Saint Francis (IN) on October 27, 2001… Malone has gained 195 or more rushing yards in four of six games so far this season.