CHARLESTON, W.Va. — On a Spring Valley team full of size and strength, it’s a 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior who continues to stand out and do whatever his team asks of him.
The latest example of what Graeson Malashevich means to the Class AAA No. 2 Timberwolves came Friday night against No. 1 Capital at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field.
The shifty speedster, normally utilized at wide receiver or as a change of pace in the backfield, had second half touchdown runs of 39 and 12 yards, allowing the Timberwolves to create separation and defeat the Cougars for a fourth straight time, 21-13.
Malashevich spent the majority of the second half at quarterback, and although he didn’t attempt a pass, he was a big reason the Timberwolves ended the night as one of four remaining unbeaten teams in Class AAA.
“I feel comfortable behind that line at all times,” Malashevich said. “I pride myself on being a versatile player and I try to make plays for my team when they call my number.”
With his team trailing, 7-6, and 7:23 to play in the third quarter, Spring Valley (6-0) took over at its own 45-yard line. A pair of runs by Owen Chafin moved the ball to the Capital 39, before Malashevich handled matters from there with a dazzling touchdown run on a play that featured numerous cutbacks and missed tackles by the Cougars.
“I saw a cutback lane across the field and I had to make a guy miss,” Malashevich said. “They had me on the sidelines, but I was able to make a manuever and stay inbounds and was lucky enough to get to the pylon.”
Malashevich also ran in the ensuing two-point conversion to leave his team with a 14-7 lead at the 6:16 mark of the third quarter.
Capital marched into Spring Valley territory on its next series, but a holding penalty combined with a 10-yard loss on a play ultimately forced the Cougars to punt.
The Timberwolves took back over at their own 16 and needed nine plays to cover 84 yards, with a 41-yard run by Malashevich helping to set up his 12-yard TD run on the very next play.
“If Graeson isn’t one of the best players in the state, I don’t know who is,” Spring Valley coach Brad Dingess said. “That kid’s a ball player.”
The Timberwolves held a 21-7 lead with 10:55 remaining, but the Cougars didn’t go away quietly.
A 25-yard pass by Kerry Martin Jr. to Deshawn Harper on third-and-13 allowed Capital to cross midfield. After Deshaun James got the Cougars in the red zone with a 30-yard run, Kalai Clark scored on his second 1-yard run of the game. The point-after attempt was no good, leaving the Timberwolves with a 21-13 lead and 7:22 to play.
“Kerry Martin … that kid’s unbelievable,” Dingess said. “We had him in the end zone and he throws it like those old Nintendo John Elway passes where you run around and let the guy get all the way down there and then throw it.
“If you came to this ballgame, you saw a fun show between No. 1 (Martin) and No. 7 (Malashevich). It was two great football teams.”
The Cougars (5-1) were in need of a stop to get the ball back and have a chance to tie. Instead, the Timberwolves dialed up 12 consecutive running plays, including four of which were good for first downs to run the clock out.
Chafin’s 2-yard run on fourth-and-2 at the Capital 23 with 1:22 remaining sealed the win. Earlier in the drive, Chafin had a key 5-yard run on third-and-5 from the Cougars’ 36.
“That was kind of classic us. I’m proud of our kids. You want to talk about a great football game,” Dingess said. “There wasn’t a turnover. That was a clean, hard-fought football game and it was gritty. We did a little bit of everything.”
Capital got on the board first as it marched 92 yards over 15 plays, before scoring the game’s first points on Clark’s 1-yard run 10:25 before halftime. Harper’s 15-yard run on a fourth-and-2 play allowed the Cougars to enter the red zone prior to the game’s first touchdown.
The Timberwolves put together their first scoring drive on their third possession, traveling 72 yards in eight plays and reaching the end zone on Chafin’s 8-yard TD run with 1:22 to play in the first half. The Timberwolves went for two and tried to take the lead, but threw an incomplete pass that left them with a one-point halftime deficit.
“We played well enough on defense to win,” Capital coach Jon Carpenter said. “There’s a fine line on being ready to play these games when they get tough. That’s where I haven’t done a good job of making them understand that. It takes a lot of mental toughness and a lot of focus all week long to block out all the noise and get things fixed and stay together. Obviously I didn’t have them ready to play.
“Five or six plays makes a huge difference in that game. And those five or six key plays all went their way.”