Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff middle linebacker Parker Poteete reaches to grab a Commerce running back.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff’s Davion Johnson, who ran for two touchdowns, dashes through a crease Oct. 4.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
James Studley of Malakoff stiff-arms a Commerce player during Oct. 4’s football game.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff receiver Kayland Davis eludes Commerce on his way to one of his two touchdowns.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Jerrion Hall of Malakoff takes the handoff from quarterback Mike Jones against Commerce.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Mike Jones of Malakoff starts off a quarterback keeper for an 11-yard touchdown Oct. 4.

MALAKOFF–The Malakoff Tigers roared to a 37-0 halftime lead against Commerce Oct. 4, winning their 21st consecutive football game by 53-6 in Malakoff’s District 7-3A opener, fueled by five Mike Jones touchdowns, four of those through the air.
Malakoff (5-0) scored first with a 13-yard Jones pass to Kayland Davis with 9:58 left in the first quarter. The Jacob Padron extra point made it 7-0, Tigers. Then, with 7:56 remaining in the first quarter, the Commerce punter took a snap in the end zone and touched his knee down in the process, causing a safety. Malakoff now led 9-0.
The ensuing kick from Commerce allowed Malakoff to set up shop at the Commerce 42-yard line. From there, Malakoff running back Davion Johnson jaunted to the 24-yard line. On fourth-and-5 from Commerce’s 25, Jones connected with Davis for a first down at the 11. The next play, Jones ran the ball 11 yards for a Tiger touchdown with 5:07 left in the opening quarter, the extra-point increasing the Malakoff lead to 16-0.
The next Tiger possession, Jones threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Davis with 2:21 left in the first quarter, extending Malakoff’s lead to 23-0. To answer, Commerce crossed midfield with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Malakoff but fumbled on the next play (with 5:21 left in the second quarter). The Malakoff drive that followed was capped off with a 17-yard Johnson touchdown run to increase the Tiger advantage to 30-0.
Then, with 6 seconds remaining until halftime, Jones threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to tight end Parker Poteete to give the Tigers a 37-0 intermission advantage.
Commerce scored a touchdown on their first possession of the second half, but their 2-point conversion attempt failed as Malakoff’s Jason Tennyson grabbed the ball and ran the other way for two Tiger points, increasing Malakoff’s lead to 39-6 with 8:10 left in the third quarter.
With 4:34 left in the third quarter, Jones threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jack Hustead for a 46-6 Malakoff lead. Then, with 10:19 left in the fourth quarter, Johnson ran for his second touchdown of the night, this time a 5-yard rush. Padron’s extra point pushed the winning margin to 53-6.
In other Oct. 4 Cedar Creek Lake-area football action, 1-5 Eustace lost 48-42 at Mount Vernon. Kemp, Trinidad and Kerens were off that night.