Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Coach Jamie Driskell smiles as he and his players sing the Malakoff school song following the Tigers’ win over Groesbeck, capping off an unbeaten regular season.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Josh Garcia of Malakoff gains control of an 18-yard touchdown pass Nov. 3 against Groesbeck.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff’s Jerrion Hall crosses the goal line on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Mike Jones.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Jack Hustead sees open-field yardage after making a Malakoff interception versus Groesbeck.

MALAKOFF–The 10-0 and second-ranked Malakoff Tigers clinched the District 8-3A crown and finished their fourth undefeated regular season in school history Nov. 3 with a 52-14 beating of the Groesbeck Goats, who came into Tiger Stadium with only one district loss.
Previously, the Tigers had unbeaten 10-win regular seasons in 1940, 1947 and 2016. The district championship is the school’s sixteenth, it was announced following the game, with nine of those coming during the 15-year reign of Coach Jamie Driskell.
The Tigers got on the board 1 minute, 11 seconds into the game when quarterback Mike Jones threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Chauncey Hogg. Late in the opening stanza, Jones found Jerrion Hall for a 36-yard touchdown pass to increase the Tiger lead to 14-0.
Groesbeck scored on a 5-yard quarterback keeper early in the second quarter, but the Tigers responded 16 seconds later with a 63-yard Jones-to-Bubba Hicks touchdown pass to move Malakoff ahead 21-7. Midway through the second quarter, Hall added a 7-yard touchdown run to make it 28-7, Malakoff.
Next, Groesbeck threw an interception to Jack Hustead, who returned the ball to the Goats’ 27-yard line, then Jones eventually found Josh Garcia for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 3:38 left in the half. Malakoff kicker Landon Boswell tacked on a 23-yard field goal as the halftime horn sounded to give the Tigers a 38-7 intermission advantage.
On the initial play of Malakoff’s first second-half possession, Hicks galloped 38 yards for a touchdown, giving the Tigers a 45-7 lead with 8:09 left in the third quarter. Later, Garcia recovered a Groesbeck fumble at the Goats’ 1-yard line; the next play, Hall plunged in for Malakoff’s seventh touchdown and a 52-7 lead. The Goats scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper with 4:20 left in the game to account for the 52-14 final.
Malakoff is scheduled to begin postseason tonight (Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.) with a Bi-district match against Maypearl, to be played in Corsicana.