Malaki Miller leads University to homecoming win over Lewis and Clark
It’s not every year a high school football team from Spokane Valley can play its homecoming game on the road.
University ceded its home field to Lewis and Clark on a chilly Friday night, then proceeded to win the battle of featured running backs 33-23.
If this game was boiled down to a theater marquee it would feature just two names: Hilburn vs. Miller.
LC’s Gentz Hilburn is an elusive, slashing runner. U-Hi’s Malaki Miller is referred to as “a beast” by his coach, Kaleb Madison.
“Those are the two best backs in the (Greater Spokane) league,” Madison said.
Hilburn got the Tigers on the board first with a 73-yard touchdown run finding a crease on the left side for the final 11 yards just 3 minutes into the game.
Miller wasted no time answering the challenge, threading his way 28 yards for a U-Hi touchdown a couple of minutes later.
The second series separated the teams.
The Tigers ran a first-down reverse that picked up 29 yards to reach the U-Hi 45, but the drive bogged down at the 26. Wilson Hash missed wide left on a 43-yard field-goal attempt.
Jeremiah Owens spelled Miller for the Titans and needed just three carries to get them to the LC 33. After a holding penalty, he sprinted around right end, cut back and rambled 41 yards to the end zone, only to have the play called back on a personal foul. On the next play, he powered around right end, tip-toed along the sideline for three strides and powered into the end zone for a 14-7 lead.
Caleb Wolcott ensuing kickoff found an open space, and the Titans recovered the unintentional onside kick at the LC 33.
“That was just the kids hustling and making a heads-up play,” Madison said. “We weren’t going for an onside kick, but we’ll take it.”
Wolcott, the Titans’ quarterback, squeezed over on the opening play of the second quarter for a 21-7 lead.
Hilburn scored again to get the Tigers within a touchdown. After a U-Hi punt, he raced 53 yards to set up a first down at the 34. LC settled for a 32-yard field goal to get within 21-17 and got no closer in the first half.
University scored on its first drive of the second half with Miller scoring from the 8 to grab a 27-17 lead.
“That was big,” Wolcott said. “It was important to score there and make it a two-score lead.”
Just as important for U-Hi was the 36-yard run Wolcott turned in to set up the touchdown, pulling the ball out of Miller’s belly and darting upfield.
“They were just keying on Malaki because he’s so strong,” Wolcott said. “I just saw an opening and took off.”
The Titans maintained their two-score lead the rest of the way after Wolcott improvised a fourth-down pass from the LC 18. With two Tigers bearing down , the left-handed Wolcott rolled to his right, then threw back across his body to find his little brother, Peyton, all alone in the back of the end zone.
“That’s one of those plays we’ve probably run in the backyard a few times,” Caleb said.
Madison said he was pleased with the way his team rose to the occasion, turning in a solid effort on both sides of the ball.
“Our kids on defense did a good job getting to the ball,” he said. “It’s hard to prepare for a back who is as fast as (Hilburn is). It’s hard to prepare for that – you just have to adjust to it once the game starts.”