By Andrew McClure
Malverne, the No. 9 seed in the preseason rankings, knocked off Cold Spring Harbor 24-12 last Friday night for its sixth consecutive victory. The Mules, 6-1, finished the regular season in second place and will host a playoff game this Saturday at 3 p.m.
On Friday night, in a game played in a frog-strangling rain storm, the Mules shook off a shaky first half and put up 24 points in the final two quarters. Frank Shanahan, who ran for 84 yards on just 10 carries, broke a 12-12 tie with a 10-yard run for his second score of the night. Early in the second half, Shanahan turned the game around by recovering a fumble and sprinting 75 yards for the score. Senior Steven Alexander, the Mules leading rusher, carried the ball 13 times for 87 yards and a touchdown. The defense was led by Matthew Bates, who had 11 tackles and Cole Hayes.
Coach Colbert Britt was pleased with the effort. "The boys came to play," he said. "The offensive line did an outstanding job in the second half. They opened up holes and the backs ran through them. I'm very happy with the execution." Britt also made mention of the effort put forth by the linebackers on the defensive side of the ball.
Since a 27-0 loss to Seaford on opening day, Malverne has been one of the county's hottest teams. With victories over East Rockaway, Roosevelt and Oyster Bay, the Mules have been put themselves among the teams vying for a conference championship. "Conference IV is always wide open; anything can happen," Britt said. "There's not a lot of difference among the top 10 teams in the league."
Malverne's running game has been one of the driving forces behind the six-game winning streak. Alexander has averaged 135 yards rushing per game during the string. But, it's been far from a one-man show. Shanahan has been an excellent complement to Alexander, and quarterback Glenn Odom has been super running the ball when his own number is called. Jonathan Rogers has also been a threat out of the backfield. Brandon Hightower and Bobby Vitacco have had outstanding seasons for Malverne.
Coming into the season, Britt was confident the guys up front would be able to blow open holes. He was right on the money. The offensive line of Hayes, Bates, Joseph Cucinella, Brent Wiseman and Terry Banks Jr. has been dominant at times.
Britt and the Mules are looking forward to the playoffs. "The boys aren't overconfident by any means, but they're very excited," he said. "The spirit has been great. The whole school is behind the team."
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