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Malone pulls out win over Walsh
The 24-21 win was the third straight by the Pioneers against the Cavaliers.
CANTON – For Malone University football coach Mike Gardner, every game is emotional. But when it’s against rival Walsh, it’s the thing tears are made of.
So after the Pioneers scored with 1:18 to rally for a scintillating 24-21 victory Saturday afternoon at Fawcett Stadium, he couldn’t help but break down.
“I’m sorry, this game is just so emotional,” said Gardner, who improved to 3-0 against the Pioneers’ crosstown rival. “No Malone team has ever beaten Walsh three times in a row, so this was a big win for us.
“I have so much respect for the kids and coaches at Walsh. We both recruit the same kids and some go there and some come play for us. Kids on both sides played their hearts out today and fortunately, we got the score we needed at the end.”
In addition to facing its rival, Malone had plenty of motivation for victory. Assistant coach Dustin Miller has been fighting leukemia all season and is undergoing chemotherapy treatments.
Also, longtime Malone athletic director Hal Smith spent game day in the Cleveland Clinic undergoing kidney and liver transplants. He had been on the waiting list for several years.
“I told the kids before that last drive that this was for Coach Miller,” said Gardner. “There were just so many emotional things going on today.”
After the teams played to a 14-all tie after three quarters, things got exciting in the final quarter.
Walsh took a 21-14 lead with 12:13 left via an 8-yard scoring run by Jeff Tallman. In his first career start, he finished with 276 yards.
Malone, which converted just 3-of-6 red zone opportunities, battled back on the next drive. The Pioneers drove to the Walsh 10, but settled for a 30-yard field goal to trim the deficit to 21-17 at the 8:10 mark.
The Pioneer defense forced the Cavaliers to punt on their next drive, to give Malone’s explosive offense a chance to score with 4:33 left.
Starting from their own 4, Malone mixed the run with the pass and methodically drove 96 yards in 3 minutes,15 seconds. The effort was capped by an over the shoulder touchdown catch by Tyler Davis from quarterback Billy Bob Orsagh.
That score gave Malone a 24-21 advantage with 1:18 remaining. The Pioneer defense held on fourth down to secure the win.
“Our defense played well all day, except for that last drive,” said Walsh coach Jim Dennison. “You put them back at their 4 and if you don’t keep them from going 96 yards, you don’t deserve to win the game.”
The Walsh defense held Malone’s offense in check in the red zone. The Pioneers missed two field goals and could not convert on a fake kick attempt.
Despite not putting up big points, Malone piled up 458 total yards, including 236 passing from Orsagh. Howland High grad Josh Settlemire led the Pioneers’ receiving corps with six catches for 74 yards.
Malone defensive back Eric Hart (LaBrae) tallied an interception in the third quarter. Nick Rousher (Canfield) also got in the game for the Pioneers.
Ursuline grad Michael Paul Jenkins started at center for Walsh as a true freshman. Lou Ward (East Liverpool) and Mike Welce (Columbiana) also saw action for the Cavaliers.