Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff Coach Jamie Driskell hoists the University Interscholastic League State Championship trophy following Malakoff’s victory over Franklin. 

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
The Malakoff Tigers football team celebrates with the University Interscholastic League (UIL) state title trophy while wearing their UIL gold medals after the Dec. 14 championship game. 

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff receiver Chauncey Hogg outraces the Franklin defense to complete a 32-yard touchdown reception.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff quarterback Mike Jones (left) and Tiger middle linebacker Parker Poteete are named Offense and Defense MVPs, respectively, after the Dec. 14 Class 3A Division 1 State Championship game.

ARLINGTON–The Malakoff Tigers capped off a perfect 16-0 season with a 14-7 defeat of the Franklin Lions Dec. 14 at AT&T Stadium to capture the Class 3A Division I State Championship, which is the school’s first football title.
Malakoff quarterback Mike Jones, who completed 10 of 14 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns (both thrown to Chauncey Hogg) while rushing for 103 yards on 21 carries, was named the game’s Offensive MVP. Tiger middle linebacker Parker Poteete received Defensive MVP honors after making 13 tackles (six solo) and half of a tackle for a loss.
After the game, Head Coach Jamie Driskell, who took the reins at Malakoff in 2009, thanked former Malakoff players and the community for their support. “Back in ’09, we started this thing from the ground-up, and they were awesome (the former players),” Driskell said. “They bought into our program right away. I want them to know they are part of this. I wish I could give them all a medal.”
The Tigers had previously played in the 2018 state championship game against Grandview, losing 35-21. “People don’t realize how hard it is to get here,” Driskell stated. “It feels awesome. It feels unreal. Sometime during the middle of that (postgame) celebration, it really hit me.”
Driskell also thanked a former Malakoff coach, Gerald Hurd, who is now at Kerens. “These kids are not how they are and not where they are without Gerald Hurd. He’s the man, and I wish he was here. But we’re going to celebrate tonight winning, and Gerald Hurd is a huge part of our program.”
Against Franklin, Malakoff’s high-flying offense, which averaged 52.3 points per game entering the contest, found itself in a defensive struggle. Malakoff held Franklin to 224 total yards of offense, with the Lions completing only three of 11 third-down attempts.
Malakoff struck first with a 32-yard Jones to Hogg touchdown pass with 6 minutes left in the first quarter. Then, after leading 7-0 at halftime, Malakoff drove 73 yards in six plays on the first drive of the second half to take a 14-0 lead, capped off by a 41-yard Jones to Hogg touchdown pass with 9:10 left in the third quarter. Later in the third quarter, Franklin got on the board after converting a fourth down and then running 5 yards for a touchdown on the next play to cut Malakoff’s lead in half.
What looked like another promising Malakoff drive with 6:50 left in the game was stymied when a Jones-to-Jack Hustead pass that would’ve been a first down at Malakoff’s 42-yard line was reversed on review, which showed Hustead’s feet out of bounds.
Next, Franklin drove deep into Tiger territory, converting one fourth down to Malakoff’s 21-yard line with 4 minutes left in the game. Franklin later faced third-and-7 from Malakoff’s 15-yard line, with that pass falling incomplete. Franklin’s fourth-and-7 pass also was denied with 1:53 remaining in the game, turning the ball over on downs to Malakoff. Jones then ran out the clock after the Malakoff quarterback picked up another first down with no Franklin timeouts remaining.