Malverne continues winning ways

It’s hard to imagine that after starting its season 3-0, the Malverne football team could appear any stronger. But that seems to be the case after the Mules picked up their fourth win of the season over, their most complete yet, over Island Trees, 32-0, last Saturday in Nassau Conference IV.
As expected, the Malverne defense was once again dominant, posting its fourth shutout. However, it was the play of senior quarterback Chad Wesley that made the victory all the more encouraging.
Wesley completed a season-high 11 of 16 pass attempts, throwing for 161 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 36 yards on the ground as well.
“As long as I’ve been playing football and coaching football, I was taught, take what the defense gives you,” Malverne head coach Kito Lockwood said. “That left us no choice but to throw the ball. Chad did a great job under the pressure.”
On two of his touchdown passes, Wesley connected with the new wide receiver, Josiah Brown. The Penn State-bound Brown joined Malverne after transferring from Holy Trinity and is a high-impact player both sides of the ball. Against Island Trees, he picked up a third touchdown by returning an interception 48 yards.

“He’s been a great addition,” Lockwood said. “His athletic ability is phenomenal. I mean, his speed, he’s just electrifying when he has the ball in his hands.”
The addition of Brown has only made Malverne’s already vaunted defense that much tougher.
Up front, Lockwood describes the defensive line, led by Tristian Brunson, as one of the best he’s ever coached. Their effort in the trenches has only made things easier for linebackers Hugh Wilkinson III, William Hartley and Jedidiah Aidelogie, to clean up plays.
“We play a run gap defense,” Lockwood said. “We try to force the ball carrier to the sideline to allow those linebackers to contain and make plays.”
Wilkinson III has been making plays for Malverne ever since he was a freshman. He once again leads the team in tackles, as he has in all but one of his four seasons. Now a senior and a captain, he sets the standard for the rest of the team to follow.
“He’s a great person,” Lockwood said. “You got a guy that’s a middle linebacker, that makes crushing hits and punishes opponents. But off the field, he’s the nicest kid you could possibly meet. He’s soft-spoken, he’s humble, he’s respectful and he’s always looking to help others. He’s the epitome of the Malverne football program.”
Malverne has outscored opponents 125-0. With each victory, the support from the community around them continues to grow.
“When you win, everybody loves you,” Lockwood said. “Everybody wants to win. The school administration, the community, everybody has been supportive. It’s a great feeling. We’re just proud and happy to be put in this position. We just want to continue to work hard and stay focused on our goal.”
When asked if a county championship was a realistic goal, Lockwood negated the possibility, at least for now, as Malverne is only concerned with its upcoming game at North Shore Saturday at 3 p.m.