Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff head football coach Jamie Driskell hoists the UIL Football Regional Semifinal trophy after the Tigers defeat Jefferson 31-21 in Tyler Nov. 29 to advance to the Class 3A Division I State Quarterfinals (the Region II Final), which also will be played in Tyler Dec. 6 against the Liberty-Eylau Leopards. 

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff quarterback Mike Jones plows through Jefferson defenders for an 8-yard second-quarter keeper touchdown Nov. 29 in Tyler.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Malakoff’s Jack Hustead (No. 5) tosses the ball to the referee after making a fourth-quarter interception at the Tigers’ 1-yard line to preserve a 31-21 lead.

TYLER–The 13-0 Malakoff Tigers won their 29th-straight game Nov. 29 at Tyler’s Rose Stadium with a 31-21 victory over previously-unbeaten Jefferson Bulldogs in the Class 3A Division I Region II Semifinals, fueled by five interceptions by the Tiger defense to secure a spot in the State Quarterfinals Dec. 6 against Liberty-Eylau.
If Malakoff (who is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A Division I by The Associated Press) defeats the Texarkana-area school Dec. 6, the defending State champion Tigers would face either Shallowater (located near Lubbock) or Paradise (which is near Decatur) in the State Semifinal round the following week, with a trip to the Dec. 19 State title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on the line. Paradise and Shallowater, both 11-2, face off at the same time the Tigers play Liberty-Eylau, with their game played in Abilene.
Against Jefferson, the Tigers led 17-14 at halftime when Jacob Padron drilled a 25-yard field goal as time expired. Fifty-seven seconds into the second half, Jefferson grabbed an interception and returned it for a 52-yard touchdown to take a 21-17 lead.
To answer, Malakoff scored on a 1-yard Mike Jones quarterback keeper with 4:19 left in the third quarter to retake control at 24-21, which was set up previously by a Jones first-down keeper on fourth-and-8 at Jefferson’s 26-yard line.
Then, early in the fourth quarter, Malakoff’s Michael Elliott snagged an interception and ran 75 yards for another Tiger touchdown, extending Malakoff’s lead to 31-21. Jefferson tried to answer with a long pass from midfield that was intercepted by Malakoff’s Jack Hustead at the Bulldog 1-yard line with 10 minutes left in the game.
After Malakoff punted, Jefferson mounted another drive, which was stopped on fourth-and-9 at the Bulldogs’ own 26-yard line, this time by a Jerrion Hall interception (Malakoff’s third pickoff of the second half), downed at Malakoff’s 35 with 2:51 left in the game. Malakoff’s offense then ran out the clock.
Early in the game, Malakoff’s Parker Poteete put his paw on a Jefferson pass for an interception, then two series later, after a short Jefferson punt spotted at the Bulldog 35, caught a fourth-and-7 Jones pass to the 9-yard line. Two plays later, Jones crossed the goal line for an 8-yard keeper touchdown with 8:22 left in the second quarter for a 7-0 Malakoff advantage following Jacob Padron’s extra-point kick.
After Jefferson responded with a 42-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7, Jones connected with Poteete again, this time on the first play of the ensuing offensive series to cover 62 yards for a Tiger touchdown and a 14-7 Malakoff lead with 7:51 remaining before halftime.
Jefferson appeared to score a rushing touchdown, but that was brought back by a holding penalty to Malakoff’s 20-yard line. From there, Jefferson threw a touchdown pass to knot the game at 14-14 with 3:36 left in the second quarter, a tie broken later with Padron’s field goal.
Jones ran for 118 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 161 more yards while also making an interception that set up the late second-half drive ending in the Tigers’ field goal.