MALAKOFF - The 10th-ranked Malakoff Tigers scored on a pair of Judd Miller runs in the fourth quarter Friday night to escape with a 29-27 win against the Rusk Eagles.
Miller scored on a 23-yard run with 8:37 left in the game, capping an 84-yard drive, to put the Tigers into a 22-21 lead. Miller bullied his way into the end zone from 10 yards out with 1:00 to go, seemingly putting the Tigers out of harm’s way. With Hector Romero’s PAT, the Tigers were up 29-21.
With no timeouts, Rusk responded with a four-play, 77-yard drive that culminated with Dee McDuff tossing a 30-yard scoring strike to Joseph Frances. McDuff also went to the air on the two-point conversion, but the pass fell incomplete in the back of the end zone.
McDuff threw for four touchdown passes, hitting Damion Freeny for a pair of nine-yarders.
Miller threw one touchdown pass, a 39-yard to Jaquaylon Hart on the Tigers’ first possession, which knotted the score at 7-7.
Zee Bailey had the Tigers’ other score on an 11-yard run with 2:38 to go in the first half. Bailey’s touchdown capped an 81-yard drive, which had been set up by an Ethan Snow interception.
The win was the 80th career win for ninth-year Tiger head coach Jamie Driskell - all at Malakoff.
The Tigers (2-0) are open next week. Rusk (1-1) entertains Crockett.
-Benny Rogers