On a chilly, damp Oct. 24 night in Malcolm, the No. 10 Clippers earned a 20–7 win over No. 7 Lincoln Lutheran, extending their six-game win streak and claiming the C2-1 district championship. That was round one.
After a scoreless first half marked by more punts than first downs, Malcolm took control in the trenches and wore down the depleted Warriors.
“I thought this would be one of our most physical games,” Malcolm head coach Matt Coufal said. “They’re big up front, but they don’t sub much. I think we had more in the tank in the second half and kept coming at them.”
A Preston Kucera interception — his fifth of the season — gave the Clippers momentum early in the third quarter. Six plays later, Gavin Little found Isaiah Baeza open in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown to put Malcolm on the board.
The teams traded short drives before Malcolm struck again early in the fourth. A 13-yard Lutheran punt gave the Clippers prime field position at the Warriors’ 35-yard line, and two minutes later, Little capped the drive with a six-yard run to extend the lead to 14–0.
After Little intercepted a Henry Prokop pass on the next series, the Clippers again capitalized on a short field. A few plays later, Brixon Meyer powered into the end zone on a two-yard dive. The senior led the team with 19 carries for 68 yards.
Lutheran’s lone score came on a 61-yard connection from Prokop to Charlie Caldwell late in the game.
One of the night’s biggest storylines was the performance of Cody Barton. The linebacker — a 120-pound state wrestling silver medalist — spent much of the game matched up against 6-6, 235-pound Grant Kuhlmann. Despite giving up a foot and more than 100 pounds, Barton made life difficult for the South Dakota State commit, breaking up passes and limiting yards. He finished with a team-high six tackles while breaking up three passes.
“Cody was a concern for us going into the season because he’s small for both fullback and linebacker,” Coufal said. “But he’s tough — mentally and physically. He’s our little firecracker out there.
“We told our guys, don’t try to do too much, just do your job. Cody did his job and had a great night.”
The reward for Malcolm (7–2) is a rematch with Lincoln Lutheran (6–3) in this week’s opening round of the Class C2 playoffs.
“It’ll be different this week,” Coufal said. “They may have guys suited up who sat out last week to injury. The field conditions could also be totally different.
“We have plenty to fix — that should keep us humble and hungry. Like Coach Rhule said recently, ‘you have to be humble enough to prepare, but confident enough to perform.’”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, in Malcolm.
