Malden edges past Chaffee in fourth quarter for 7-6 win

MALDEN, Mo. -- After losing three of its last five games by seven points or fewer, Malden was due.

The Malden defense has allowed 18.3 points per game, well below the 26.3 points a game they averaged through six games last year.

The Green Wave finally delivered Friday night for homecoming. Malden made two huge fourth-down stops to end the first half on its way to a 7-6 win over Chaffee.

"We've been getting beat on fourth down all year, and this time we didn't," Malden coach Gary Blaylock said. "We got lucky a couple plays. We had a couple bad calls, but we overcame it."

The Green Wave had to stop Chaffee on a 13-play drive to snare the win.

Red Devils quarterback Jordan Yahn tossed an incomplete pass on fourth-and-3 from the Green Wave 10 with a minute and a half to play to end Chaffee's threat.

It was the second time that Malden's defense stopped the Red Devils deep in Green Wave territory. Malden's Patrick Wilson picked off Yahn in the end zone with 11 seconds to play in the first half to preserve a 7-0 halftime lead.

"We couldn't get any pressure on their quarterback because they were doing that little misdirection stuff," Blaylock said. "But our corners played pretty darned good. They completed a couple passes, but when it was crunch time, our guys were there."

Malden quarterback Travis Gregory led his team down the field on a 12-play drive in the second quarter for the team's only touchdown.

Wilson, who returned after not playing last week due to an injury, ran in a 6-yard score with 7:16 to play in the quarter. He ran the ball seven straight plays leading up to the touchdown.

The Green Wave came out in the third quarter on a long drive that took them to the Red Devils 8-yard line, but were stopped on fourth-and-4.

Chaffee (1-5, 0-3) responded with a long drive of its own, marching 93 yards. The Red Devils capped the drive on Yahn's 24-yard touchdown sprint up the middle of the field. The Green Wave blocked the extra-point try, which in the end lifted them to the win.

Yahn finished with a team-high 103 yards rushing. He also was 8 of 16 passing for 74 yards.

Chaffee 0 0 6 0 -- 6

Malden 0 7 0 0 -- 7

Second Quarter

M -- Patrick Wilson 6 run (Lemarr kick), 7:16

Third Quarter

C -- Jordan Yahn 24 run (kick blocked), 1:59

CHF MAL

First downs 17 12

Rushes-yards 39-220 44-149

Passing yards 74 74

Passes 8-16-1 5-10-1

Punts 2-52 3-93

Fumbles-lost 1-1 0-0

Penalties-yards 6-45 2-45

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Chaffee, Jordan Yahn 15-103, Nathan Cicardi 9-50, Trevor Cannon 6-20, Zach Dannenmueller 5-29, Tyson Estes 2-11, Alex Davie 1-7, Daniel Lawson 1-0. Malden, PWilson 17-49, Johnson 7-24, Lemarr 8-21, Rowe 9-15, Gregory 3-7.

PASSING -- Chaffee, Jordan Yahn 8-16-74-1. Malden, Gregory 5-10-74-1.

RECEIVING -- Chaffee, Zach Dannenmueller 2-43, Mike Rutherford 3-14, Nathan Cicardi 2-8, Daniel Lawson 1-9. Malden, PWilson 1-34, Johnson 1-17, Lemarr 1-10, QJackson 1-9, McMunn 1-4.