Derrick Malone stood around with teammates after Friday’s football game, showing off his war wounds to anyone who wanted a peek.

Sunday, October 10, 1999

Derrick Malone stood around with teammates after Friday’s football game, showing off his war wounds to anyone who wanted a peek.

"Check out this cleat mark," he said, twisting his right arm to reveal a purpling bruise on the inside of his bicep.

Malone had every right to be proud of himself and his battle scars.

The Rochester Century senior tailback did everything in his substantial power to ruin Austin’s homecoming game, a 33-14 Packer loss that dropped the home team to 1-5.

On offense, Malone was so elusive he played like he were spread with butter.

"Basically," said Austin defensive end David Lorenzen, "he keeps his feet moving and rolls away from trouble."

Lorenzen, who played a recklessly fantastic game himself, was the one Austin tackler who was able to bring down Malone consistently.

"I happened to run into him a couple of times," Lorenzen said.

But most of the time, Malone either …

1) Spun his way to safety like he did on the Panthers’ first score. On that play, Malone high-stepped his way through the chaos at the line before being struck by Austin lineman Beau Blake, a 240-pounder. But Malone 360’d his way out of Blake’s arms and finished off the 27-yard scoring run with a burst of speed. "It’s unconscious," Malone said of his spin move. "I don’t plan it; it just happens."

Or, 2) Carried Packers as they clung to his back, legs, arms, torso, shoulders … you name it. On one play – the play Malone chose as his personal favorite – the 6-foot, 3-inch, 200-pound back caught a middle screen at the Austin 46 and was finally hauled down at the 3 after reinforcements arrived with enough punch to tip the scales in Austin’s favor. Malone scored two plays later. It was his third TD of the game, and it gave the Panthers a commanding 20-0 halftime lead.

"He’s a tough kid," said Austin fullback and linebacker Brian Heimer, an observation later echoed by Lorenzen.

Malone said he put on 15-20 pounds of muscle since last season, when he missed three games – including the Austin game – due to injury.

"I wasn’t able to take the pounding," said Malone, who gained a shade over 500 yards as a junior. "So, I lifted weights almost every day."

Now, Malone, with 693 rushing yards for the 3-3 Panthers, is the pounding.

He carried 31 times against Austin and – get this – he played a mean strong safety to boot. (The guy goes both ways!?!)

In the fourth quarter, after Austin ignited comeback hopes by scoring twice in less than a minute, Malone took over.

On Century’s 10-minute, 15-play, 65-yard nail-in-the-Austin-coffin scoring drive, Malone carried the ball 13 times for 52 yards. A remarkable feat considering everybody in the house knew Century wanted to kill the clock, making it Key On Malone Time.

"We think he’s the best back we’ve faced," Austin coach Steve Knox said.

One thing Malone didn’t do was take the Packers by surprise.

"We knew he was going to be this good," Knox said. "He was dominant."

On defense, Malone led the Panthers’ rushing defense by roaming beyond the trenches and using his speed to close on, then collapse Austin’s running backs.

Malone gave Austin defensive coordinator Randy Smith fits. "Nobody’s touching No. 32," Smith cried during the second quarter. "Nobody’s touched him all night."

Austin’s fourth-quarter scoring drive came after Malone stopped playing defense in the third quarter with Century up 26-0.

"Take Derrick Malone out of the game," Knox said, "and it’s a whole different game."

All told, Malone accounted for 188 yards, 68 more than Austin put up as a team.

"One of the big differences in the game," Knox said, "is we average 60-65 offensive plays a game and we ran 44. They ran 72."

Nobody played a bigger part in Century’s ball-control offense or run-stuffing defense than Malone.

Simply put, Malone impacted the football game the way only a great player can. And after the game, he had the scars – and the smile – to prove it.

News-and-Notes

In the fourth quarter, Heimer scored on a 37-yard fumble return after Malone fumbled a pitch. "It was wierd," Heimer said. "the ball bounced right to me." Later in the interview, Heimer called the Packers a "second-half team."

It’s either that or slow starters. On its first series, Austin started at its 33 yard line. The Packers capped the series – marked by penalties and Century stuffs – by quick kicking on third-and-26 from the 17. The kick went 13 yards and Malone scored three plays later.

On its second series, down 6-0, Austin fumbled the ball away to Century.

– Austin’s starting center, senior Mike Kinney, is out for the season after suffering his second concussion this season. It happened in second quarter. "We have a rule," Knox said. "Two concussions in a season and that’s it. We’ve got to look out for the players’ safety." Sophomore Todd Krupicka takes over as the starter.

– Junior Jeff Kvam spent the night in the hospital after suffering a fourth-quarter concussion. He was kept for observation, said Knox, who visited Kvam in the hospital after the game.