2007 Season Recap
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Football Caps Record-Breaking Season With NCCAA Victory Bowl WinThe Malone College football team, under the direction of second-year head coach Mike Gardner, completed a successful 2007 campaign with an 8-4 overall record and a 4-3 mark (fourth-place finish) in the Mid-States Football Association’s challenging Mideast League. The 2007 Pioneers not only posted the program’s highest win total since 1996 but, in the process, also collected numerous postseason accolades while re-writing the Malone record book with an incredible 38 new team and individual records.
The Pioneers’ offense was both powerful and explosive from start to finish this year as the unit racked up 400 or more yards in 10 of its 12 contests and established new single-season team records in numerous categories, including plays (957), total yards (5757), first downs (314), and points scored (393). After a 1-1 start to the season, Malone rattled off six straight victories, highlighted by a thrilling 42-35 overtime win against Walsh University on October 13th in which the Pioneers established new single-game marks for first downs (37), passing yards (464), and total yards (691).
However, following a 21-7 triumph at NAIA #22 Urbana University in week eight, Malone’s lengthy winning-streak came to a halt as the squad committed five turnovers in a 36-20 loss at NAIA #6 Saint Xavier (IL) University. The turnover bug continued to bite over the final two conference games of the year as the Pioneers surrendered a total of four fumbles and five interceptions in consecutive losses to NAIA #5 University of Saint Francis (IN) and NAIA #3 Ohio Dominican University.
With a 7-4 record and a #25 national ranking at the conclusion of the regular season, Malone narrowly missed out on a berth in the NAIA Playoffs but instead received an invitation to face NCAA Division III Geneva (PA) College (away) in the 11th Annual National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Victory Bowl. After falling 56-28 at NCAA Division II North Greenville (SC) University in the 2006 Victory Bowl, Malone fared much better in its second trip to the annual NCCAA postseason event, rolling to a convincing 45-17 win over the host Golden Tornadoes.
Leading the Pioneers’ offensive onslaught for much of the season was senior running back Bernard Payton (Pomona, CA), one of a school-record 20 Malone players to garner All-Conference recognition. Payton earned All-MSFA Mideast First Team honors after rushing for 1637 yards on 327 carries (5.0 average) in addition to catching 57 passes for 569 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns (19 rushing, five receiving). He led the 16-team MSFA in rushing yards per game (136.4), all-purpose yards per game (183.8) and scoring per game (12.2) in 2007. Payton also rushed for 100 or more yards in 10 of Malone’s 12 contests this year (including each of the last eight games) and set a remarkable 13 new individual offensive records including rushes in a season, rushing yards in a season, touchdowns scored in a season, average rushing yards per game for a season (136.4) and average rushing yards per game for a career (112.7).
Junior quarterback Billy Bob Orsagh (Eastland, TX) also had an excellent 2007 campaign, collecting All-MSFA Mideast Honorable Mention accolades after completing 242 of 373 pass attempts (64.9%) for 3293 yards and 24 touchdowns. Orsagh ended the year ranked second in the conference in passing yards per game (274.4) and third in pass efficiency (153.8). In just his first season in a Malone uniform, the 6’0” signal-caller also made a significant impact on the record book, establishing new single-season marks for passing yards, touchdown passes, and total offense (3350).
Orsagh’s favorite target during the season, junior wide receiver Derek Deardorff (Kenton H.S.), was tabbed All-MSFA Mideast Honorable Mention after posting 60 catches and setting new Pioneer single-season receiving marks with 1118 yards and 13 touchdowns. Deardorff joins Eric Miller (1027 yards in 1994) as the only Malone receivers to surpass 1000 yards in a single season.
Senior tight end LaRoi Johnson (Pittsburgh, PA), an All-MSFA First Team honoree, was another common recipient of Orsagh’s throws as he snagged 39 catches for 417 yards with one touchdown. An often underrated but vital component to Malone’s offensive success throughout the season was the stellar play of the offensive line. Junior center Bill Jones II (McKinley H.S.), junior guard Bryon Arena (McKinley H.S., and sophomore tackle Donald Lees (Wooster H.S.) provided strong, consistent run and pass blocking and were each named to the All-MSFA Mideast Second Team.
Strong and consistent are also adjectives that could be used to describe the performance of the Pioneers’ defense in 2007. Although the offense grabbed most of the headlines, the defense also put up solid numbers as the unit ended the year ranked sixth in the conference in total defense, surrendering just over 320 total yards per game.
Senior linebacker Dan Hromada (Padua Franciscan H.S.) was one of many important defensive contributors this year as he earned All-MSFA Mideast First Team accolades after pacing the squad with 120 tackles, including 14.0 tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, one blocked field goal and two pass break-ups.
Senior defensive lineman Jeff Jefferies (Dayton, OH) and senior defensive back Dan Beachy (Lake H.S.) both earned All-MSFA Mideast Second Team honors after playing major roles in 2007. Jeffries notched 33 tackles with seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and three pass break-ups while Beachy posted 39 tackles from his safety position with three tackles for loss, one sack, seven pass break-ups, and one interception that he returned 46 yards for a touchdown.
In two years at the helm of the Malone football program, Coach Gardner has guided the Pioneers to a 15-8 record, two Victory Bowl appearances, and the program’s first back-to-back winning seasons since 1995-1996. With a talented group of recruits joining a skilled cast of returning players, the Pioneers will look to continue this success in 2008 with another strong run at the postseason.
Malone Football Players Named To All-MSFA Mideast Team:
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