The Malakoff mascot is shown during Friday’s football game at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. (Scott Starkey/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The Malakoff Tigers are one win away from returning to the state championship game.

The Tigers, led by standout quarterback Mike Jones, rolled to a 35-0 win over Texarkana Liberty-Eylau in a Class 3A Division I quarterfinal football playoff on a cold Friday night at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler.

Malakoff (14-0) advances to the state semifinals to meet Paradise, a 32-15 winner over Shallowater. The Panthers are 12-2. The winner of Malakoff-Paradise advances to the state title game on Dec. 19 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The Tigers are the defending state champions.

Paradise is in Wise County, about 40 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

The Tigers were dominant in the first half, holding the Leopards to 16 snaps, three first downs and 65 total yards, in taking a 21-0 lead.

Malakoff went up 14-0 in the first quarter as Jerrion Hall bulled his way over from the 1 with 7:36 showing. Jacob Padron made the first of his five PATs.

Hall’s TD was set up when Bud Jones pounced on a L-E fumble on the opening kickoff, recovering at the Leopard’s 33.

Later, Jacob Tennyson found the end zone from 14 yards with 1:16 showing in the first period. Padron’s kick made it 14-0.

After L-E punted on the first play of the second quarter, the Tigers whittled almost eight minutes off the clock with a 13-play, 69-yard drive, all on the ground. Jones topped off the march with a 6-yard run. Padron’s kick made it 21-0 with 4:01 left in the first half.

In the third quarter, Malakoff scored in five plays with a journey of 77 yards. Tennyson scored his second TD on a 1-yard run. Padron’s PAT made it 28-0 with 9:15 showing.

The final score came with 3:51 of the fourth. Jones broke free for a 17-yard run, but elected to slide at the five instead of scoring. However, the Leopards had an unsportsmanlike penalty that moved the ball closer to the goal line. On the next play, Davion Johnson went around end for a 3-yard TD. Padron’s PAT made it 35-0.

Jones led the Tigers with 134 yards rushing on 15 carries. He hit on 5 of 9 passing attempts for 76 yards.

Tennyson added 90 yards on 15 attempts and Hall added 40 yards on 14 totes.

James Studley had a reception for 54 yards.

Malakoff had 28 first downs to the Leopard’s 12.

Quarterback Trip Baysinger led L-E with 102 yards on 18 carries. He connected on 9 of 26 passing attempts for 63 yards. Dequane Prevo had five catches for 30 yards and Keilen Neal had four snags for 33 yards.