Malden football team rolls by Scott City to stay unbeaten

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Prior to his team's game against Scott City, Malden coach Joel Wyatt was looking forward to watching the Green Wave execute some new offensive plays they implemented in practice earlier this week.

Less than a minute into the game it was evident they wouldn't need them.

Malden senior Nick Thompson rushed for a 59-yard touchdown on the third play of the game, four other players got into the end zone in the first half and the Green Wave finished with 274 total yards in a convincing 51-8 victory over the Rams at William Wilthong Field on Friday.

"It's one of those things where we worked on them and worked on them, then didn't really have to use them because our normal plays were hitting," Wyatt said. "They've known these plays since June and you can tell they like them. I mean right from the start Nick had a nice hole, and it looked like it was just going to be about a 10-yard gain. Then he trucks some guy and goes all the way. That was the way to start it."

With the win, Malden (3-0, 2-0 SEMO South) moved into sole possession of first place in the conference standings.

Scott City, meanwhile, fell to 2-2 overall and 0-2 in the SEMO South while being held to just 64 yards and four first downs.

Malden's Kylus Thompson shakes off a tackle from Scott City's Braden Cox in the second quarter Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 in Scott City. (Glenn Landberg)

"We didn't come out ready to play. We didn't have a good week of practice," Scott City coach Jim May said. "I don't know if we were intimidated by them, but there were points where I thought we just kind of laid down in the first half."

The Rams moved the ball across midfield just once in the first half but the drive ended in a turnover on downs.

Both teams went three and out on the next two drives of the game before Trey Stevenson intercepted Scott City quarterback Ty Wilthong's third pass of the game and returned it 30 yards to the end zone to extend the lead to 16-0 at the four-minute mark.

Thompson scored again on a 15-yard run on just his second carry of the game in the final minute of the first.

After another failed series to begin the second quarter for the Rams, who turned the ball over on downs at their own 40-yard line two minutes into the period, Malden quarterback Chapen Riley found Tyler Currie on a wheel route down the right sideline.

The senior caught the pass around the 30 and darted his way between defenders beforediving into the endzone and pushing the lead to 30-0.

Malden's Chapen Riley looks for an open receiver in the second quarter against Scott City Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 in Scott City. (Glenn Landberg)

"The DB didn't do his job. He chased the slant and just left me wide open," Currie said. "It's a play we've had and it worked for the first time tonight."

Twenty five seconds later, Currie was in the end zone again, this time on the Green Wave's second pick six of the game. He returned it 32 yards for the score and finished with 93 all-purpose yards.

"I gotta give that one to coach," Currie said of his interception returned for a touchdown. "Coach called the right coverage, put us into position and I just happen to be there at the right time."

Wyatt was just as eager to give Currie credit. Currie saw limited playing time as a junior, but scored five touchdowns through four games this season.

"He's had back-to-back huge games here, and on both sides of the ball he's done a really, really good job," Wyatt said. "He's paid his due, and it's really good to see him succeed."

Riley found two more targets through the air -- Zach Gray and Kylus Thompson -- hitting both for 19-yard TDs in the final six minutes of the first half.

Scott City's Ty Wilthong looks for an open receiver during the first quarter against Malden Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 in Scott City. (Glenn Landberg)

The four-year starter finished 9 of 13 with 147 and three touchdowns.

"That's just something we take pride in -- being a multiple threat offense," Riley said. "Being able to move the ball through the air and not only on the ground is huge. Sometimes you have those nights where one aspect is working better than the other, and tonight it all clicked."

Scott City saw little success in the second half and finished with four rushing yards.

Ty Wilthong scored the Rams' lone touchdown of the game on a 6-yard run with 9:50 to play and completed 6 passes for 34 yards in the loss.

"They just came out and man-handled us up front and when you get man handled up front there's not much you can do about it," May said. "Running or passing, we couldn't get either of them going."

Malden will travel to East Prairie (3-1, 1-1 SEMO South) Friday. Scott City travels to Chaffee (2-2, 0-1 SEMO South) next week.

Malden 22 29 0 0 -- 51

Scott City 0 0 0 8 -- 8

M SC

First downs

11 4

Rushes-yards

11-127 14-4

Passing yards

147 60

Passes

9-13-0 17-7-2

Punts-average

1-45 3-15

Fumbles-lost

0-0 0-0

Penalties-yards

3-20 2-10

First quarter

M -- Nick Thompson 59 run (N. Thompson run), 11:09

M -- Tray Stevenson 30 interception return (N. Thompson run), 3:52

M -- N. Thompson 15 run (kick failed), 0:58

Second quarter

M -- Tyler Currie 40 pass from Chapen Riley (Currie run), 10:18

M -- Currie 32 interception return (run failed), 9:54

M -- Zach Gray 19 pass from Riley (Thompson run), 6:12

M -- Kylus Thompson 19 pass from Riley (Riley kick), 0:02

Fourth quarter

SC -- Ty Wilthong 6 run (Braden Cox run), 9:50

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Malden, N. Thompson 4-99, Currie 2-21, K. Thompson 2-(-7), Riley 2-(-8), Stevenson 1-22; Scott City, Cox 6-6, Wilthong 4-(-2) Nick Bickings 2-3, Caden Hillemann 1-1, Trent Pobst 1-(-4).

PASSING -- Malden, Riley 9-13-147-0; Scott City, Wilthong 6-16-34-2, Cox 1-2-26-0.

RECEIVING -- Malden, K. Thompson 4-53, Gray 3-43, N. Thompson 1-11, Currie 1-40; Scott City, Keller 5-46, Jordan Kluesner 1-10, Cox 1-4.