Malta Improves to 5-1, To Face Cut Bank

The Malta Mustangs are enjoying a five game winning streak thanks to their 49-6 win over the Conrad Cowboys in Conrad last Friday, September 30.

The Mustangs are set to travel to Cut Bank on Friday, October 7, to face the Cut Bank Wolves, another team that has struggled so far this year. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

The Wolves picked up their first win of the year, a 22-7 victory over Wolf Point last Friday. The Wolves are now 1-4.

"Cut Bank is a solid football team with a lot of playmakers," Malta Head Coach Nick Oxarart said. "They have a lot of seniors. They play really aggressively on defense. Their quarterback has a number of receivers he can get the ball to along with two good running backs that can make big plays."

Despite their record, Coach Oxarart and the Mustangs are not taking Cut Bank lightly.

"They present a big challenge for us to overcome," Coach Oxarart said. "Cut Bank is always a long road trip and a tough place to play."

The Mustangs had a slow start in their win over the Cowboys last Friday.

Conrad was first to get on the board with a one-yard touchdown run by Roscoe Shaw with 2:29 left in the first quarter.

"We struggled on our first few possessions and gave them a short field on their scoring possession," Coach Oxarart said. "We have to come out more focused and establish our offense early in the game. Our guys battled hard and never panicked and we were able to create some explosive plays and get on the board."

Malta went on to score 29 points in the second quarter. And then 20 more unanswered points in the second half.

Malta's first scoring drive was spearheaded by a 38-yard completion from sophomore quarterback Stockton Oxarart to fellow sophomore Kyle Darrington. Oxarart connected to sophomore Treyton Wilke on the next play for a 9-yard touchdown. Senior Spencer Gibbs kicked the point after attempt, putting Malta up 7-6 with 9:26 remaining in the first quarter.

Oxarart was 6-of-9 passing for 130 yards and three touchdowns.

Camryn Mears led the rushing attack with 64 yards and one touchdown on seven carries. Oxarart had four rushes for 59 yards and one touchdown. Gibbs had four carries for 35 yards and one touchdown. Treyton Wilke and Colton Honey each had one carry for 11 yards. Blaine Downing had two carries for nine yards, and Dawson Hammond had three carries for six yards.

Gibbs led the receivers with one catch which was a 40 yard touchdown. Darrington had one catch for 38 yards. Honey had two catches for 27 yards. Bishop had one catch for a 16-yard touchdown. Wilke had one catch for a nine yard touchdown.

Coach Oxarart was asked about the team's offense's success after struggling initially.

"We had a nice mix of run and pass plays," Coach Oxarart said. "Stockton Oxarart threw the ball well and our receivers made some big plays. Our line did a good job of giving Stockton some time to throw and we were able to score a lot of points in the second quarter to establish a half-time lead."

After Malta's first score, S. Oxarart made a play on defense, intercepting a pass which set Malta up on Conrad's 49-yard line.

Oxarart then broke off a 47 yard run to the 2-yard line, and then ran it in on the next play. Gibbs kicked the PAT and put Malta up 14-6.

Malta's defense stepped up and forced a turnover on downs during Conrad's next drive.

"Our defense created three turnovers and we were able to slow down their run game and force them to pass the ball," Coach Oxarart said. "We were able to get good pressure on their quarterback and make him hurry his throws."

Bishop and S. Oxarart each had one interception, and Camryn Mears forced and recovered a fumble.

Oxarart threw a 40-yard pass to Gibbs on the next play, which featured a stiff arm and gallop into the endzone. Gibbs also made the PAT. Malta was up 21-6 with 6:01 remaining in the first half.

After another defensive stop, Kaden Bishop returned a Conrad punt to the 17-yard line. Gibbs scored a 17 yard rushing touchdown on the next play. Wilke caught the two-point conversion pass from Oxarart. Malta was up 29-6 with 3:41 remaining in the first half.

Malta's special teams opened up the second half with a bang as Darrington scored on a 82-yard kickoff return. The PAT was made, putting Malta up 36-6 with 11:47 left in the third quarter.

Oxarart found Bishop for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 7:33 remaining in the third quarter. A PAT kick was made by Gibbs. The score was 43-6 with 7:33 remaining in the third quarter.

Mears scored the last points of the game with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter, on a 20-yard touchdown run. The PAT was no good. Final score was set. Malta won 49-6.