H.S. FOOTBALL: Malone, Tide ready for next challenge

TRENTON – Peabody quarterback Kendrick Malone said it sunk in for him late Sunday night what the Golden Tide football team has accomplished.

"I was laying in bed thinking about this week's game, and it hit me," Malone said. "We're playing in the state semifinals this week.

"My heart just felt like it was going to beat out of my chest, and I had a hard time getting to sleep. This is going to be big."

The "this" Malone referred to was the Class 2A semifinal game between Adamsville and Peabody Friday at 7 p.m. at Peabody's Walter Kilzer Stadium.

Peabody is one of four teams in the state still playing after the Tide has come back in each of their earlier games in the first two rounds against Huntingdon and at Trinity Christian then dominating McKenzie at McKenzie last week in the quarterfinals.

Malone was a big part of each of those wins. In the Huntingdon win, he completed 15 of 20 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns. The next week at TCA was his coming out party for being an effective rusher as he carried the ball 39 times for 330 yards and three scores. At McKenzie, Malone completed 14 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns and had two interceptions on defense with one returned for a touchdown.

Malone said he's willing to do what he needs to help his team survive and advance, but he tries to stay within the game plan as much as possible.

When asked if there have been any carries that were originally called for passes when he felt the need to pull the ball down and run with it, he initially laughs.

"I don't go against what Coach [Ricky] Woods tells me to do," Malone said. "I've done that before, and I got an earful and got plenty of work for my legs.

"I've learned to trust coach. He knows better what to do, so I trust him with what he calls and stay within that."

Kendrick said that trust in Woods and the rest of the Golden Tide coaching staff is important this week. Adamsville's defense is as good as it is big. Linebacker Jacob Dengler is among the top tacklers in the area and leads the Cardinals in keeping opponents' production low each week.

"We've played big teams, and we've played hard hitting teams," Malone said. "I plan on being sore Saturday and Sunday, because I usually am.

"But if I need to take a few hits to help our team win, I'll take them."

Brandon Shields, 425-9751