Malverne defeats West Hempstead

Look out Nassau Conference IV foes. The Mules are back. After some lean years on the football field, Malverne, once again, has a team to be reckoned with. 

After last Saturday’s afternoon’s 37-7 road victory over neighboring West Hempstead, the Mules are 4-1 and are among the teams that should challenge for a conference title next month. Dante Lacroix ran for a pair of touchdowns and threw for two others to lead the offense.

The Rams, who fell to 1-4, came out inspired on Homecoming weekend and scored the first time they touched the ball. Senior Tim Shanley capped off a long drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Frank Messina’s kick made it 7-0.

The lead was short-lived. Malverne, behind a solid offensive front comprising Brandon Degand, Mason Richard, Andrew Washington, Radae Teachey, and Malachi Thomas, answered quickly when Amarie Reyes took it in from 10 yards out. Elijah Lewis added the two-point conversation to give the Mules an 8-7 lead.

The second quarter belonged to Lacroix and the offensive line. The senior quarterback had touchdown runs of 24 and 48 yards, and both two-point conversation attempts were successful as Malverne took a 24-7 lead into the locker room at the half.

Malverne head coach Kito Lockwood gave the guys in the trenches their props. “Without a doubt, all the success we’re having is due to the fact that we’ve gotten better on the line,” Lockwood said. “We have tons of guys who can carry the ball. But, without the job the guys are doing up front, we couldn’t be doing what we’re doing.”

After a scoreless third quarter, Lacroix and his favorite target, senior Maurice Teachey Jr., helped to put the game away. The pair hooked up on a 15-yard fade pattern deep in the right corner of the end zone to extend the lead to 30-7.

The Mules, who got tremendous defensive performances from Lewis, and senior linebackers Clarcks Jean-Baptiste and Tyler Curra, put up a terrific goal line stand, stopping the Rams one yard from pay dirt on fourth down.

On the very next play, Teachey Jr., who had 77 yards on the ground and 132 at wide receiver, beat his man on a fly pattern, caught a perfectly thrown pass from Lacroix along the right sideline, used a stiff arm, and sprinted the rest of the way for a 99-yard touchdown reception. It was his tenth touchdown of the season. Lewis’s kick capped off the scoring.

“Bouncing back from last week’s loss to Seaford was vital for us,” Lockwood said. “Our spirits were down this week, because everyone knows Seaford was the big one. The beauty of it is that hopefully we’re putting ourselves in a position to see them again in the playoffs. I’m very happy for my guys. They worked so hard to get to this point.”

Malverne travels to Mineola this Friday night at 7 p.m. The Rams look to get back in the win column at Locust Valley on Saturday at 2 p.m.