KENNETT -- The trophy from the Delta Bowl has returned to Kennett.
From the opening whistle until the final ticks came off the clock, the Malden backfield had Kennett defenders breathing down its neck.
Malden's MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 opponent was zeroed in on quarterback Tye Miller all night. Miller entered the game averaging 170 rushing yards per game. He rushed for minus-1 yard on six carries Friday, by far his lowest mark of the season in a game where Malden leaned on its passing game.
"We knew coming in -- and I want to tip my hat to (Kennett head coach Joel Wyatt) and his staff. They've done a great job here. ... We were mismatched a little up front, and it showed," Malden coach Kevin Collier said. "We just have to regroup and go again."
On the other side, Kennett's offense was operating like a well-oiled machine on the way to a 49-0 victory, marking the second time Malden (2-6) has been held scoreless in the past three weeks.
"I was kind of surprised they brought (the trophy) here, but we made a big deal about it. It's important, just like any rivalry game in college you see with the trophy, so it's kind of a cool thing we've got going on," Wyatt said.
Kennett (7-1) tailback Marsayv'aun Harrell showed the game's importance by having plenty of strong-side runs that gained chunk yardage and got outside. When those plays weren't working, sophomore quarterback Bodey Ellis lined up under center and kept the snap to run right up the middle for his share of big gains.
Harrell averaged just over 12 yards per carry, tallying 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns on a dozen carries. Senior Elijah Lemons provided a nice change of pace from Harrell, racking up 45 yards and a score on five carries up the middle. Ellis totaled 61 yards on seven rushes.
Malden's biggest play of the night came in the first quarter from a well-executed trick play. Miller took the snap and handed the ball to Drew Blankinship before sneaking out to the flat on the weak side. Blankinship then threw it back across the field to a wide open Miller who turned on the jets for a 51-yard gain.
"(Assistant coach Jimmy Deberry) was determined that we were going to run (trick plays)," Collier said. "They were effective for us."
Malden's drive ended when a pass from Miller to Chris Castillo fell a yard shy of converting a fourth-and-6.
Kennett marched 80 yards in seven plays to score on its ensuing drive, capped off by Lemons muscling into the endzone for a 5-yard score to make it 14-0.
Malden's next drive ended with just one first down, but the Green Wave got some help on the drive via two 15-yard penalties after receiver Parker McClain scored on a 15-yard screen pass from Ellis for a 21-0 lead.
Kennett was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for simulating the Malden snap count in an attempt to draw a false start. Two plays later, the Indians were flagged for roughing the passer. The Malden drive died on a first-and-10 from the Kennett 34 when Miller was picked off at the 14 by senior Justin Woods.
The Indians again rattled off a seven-play drive for another touchdown. Harrell made it 28-0 with a 4-yard score up the middle.
Malden's defense did have some solid plays, including a pair of fumbles forced in the first half.
In the first quarter, Harrell fumbled inside the Malden 5, and Marcellus Fleming recovered it for the Green Wave. With 3:59 left in the second quarter, Blankinship slapped the ball out of the hand of Ellis as he scrambled out of the pocket on a first-down inside the red zone, and Dalton Headley scooped up the ball and returned it 16 yards.
"We were a little disappointed after the first quarter, only being up 7-0," said Wyatt, who coached previously coached the Green Wave from 2010 until 2016. "It was really aggravating about the turnover down inside the 10, but we got it rolling and had a real good second quarter. Really it was our O-line controlling the line of scrimmage and our D-line doing it on the other side."
A running clock in the second half led to a quick second half in which Kennett added two more touchdowns despite running 12 plays.
With the running game not getting much yardage -- the team netted 34 yards on 19 carries -- Malden attempted a quit-hitting passing attack to relieve some of the pressure Miller was facing in the backfield.
"They blitzed a lot. They played man, which allowed them to blitz a lot more," Miller said. "We tried quick passes, and I mean they're just strong up front. That was probably the strength of their defense is their D-line. They just beat us up front."
The biggest beneficiary was Blankinship, who caught four passes for 45 yards in the third quarter alone.
"That was our game plan, catch the ball and get it out quickly because we felt like that was what we had to do, but nevertheless they did a good job and took it to us," Collier said.