One sign of a good football team is its ability to adjust to an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. After a record-setting passing performance in week one, the Malcolm football took to the ground in its 49-13 rout of Raymond Central in its Sept. 1 home opener.
With Noah Gonyea unavailable due to injury, Dalton Amen moved from wideout to running back and carried the rock eight times for a team-high 84 yards. The first of three touchdowns for the senior came less than three minutes in when he got loose on a 44-yard scamper.
“We knew their long, tall corners would make it tough for us to throw deep like we did the week before,” Malcolm head coach Scott Amen said. “We thought the play action up the middle might be there for us. So, we game-planned around that.”
Maddox Meyer — the signal-caller for the No. 6 Clippers — picked up 47 yards on the ground on six carries. The senior’s longest run of the night was a 20-yard touchdown midway through the opening frame.
Amen’s second touchdown came with just under two minutes to go in the first quarter. After the Clippers’ defense forced a turnover on downs on at their own 25-yard-line, Meyer connected with Amen for a 75-yard scoring strike on the first play of the possession.
After the Mustangs chewed up nearly six minutes of the second quarter with their first of two touchdowns in the frame, Amen returned the kickoff 85 yards for his final score of the night.
“Overall, I thought Dalton played well,” Coach Amen said about his son. “As a runner, he needs to be more confident lowering his shoulder and taking on some contact. But he’s never played that position before.”
After a 23-yard touchdown run from Tyler Peterson, Raymond Central got within 12 points of the Clippers late in the first half.
“I didn’t love how our defense played at times in the first half,” Amen said. “We played a little cautious, like we were afraid to put on a big hit. We got more physical in the second half and looked a lot better.”
As the Clippers extended the lead in the second half, the Malcolm coaches were able to get some second- and third-string players into the game. One who shined was Tristan Boehle. The junior linebacker led the team with three tackles-for-loss in the second half.
“Tristan is gaining some confidence in himself and his ability to do what we ask of him,” Amen said. “He was well-disciplined and had a great night.”
Malcolm hits the road Friday, Sept. 8, to face No. 4 Oakland-Craig (1-1). The Knights opened the season with a loss to top-ranked Norfolk Catholic before escaping with a 22-20 win at Fort Calhoun last week.
“We know they’ll be big and physical,” Amen said. “They have an all-state caliber quarterback who plays hard. We’ll have our work cut out for us.
