MALAKOFF – What a way to end the regular season:

• Beat your oldest rivals for the first time in 18 years;

• Earn your way into the playoffs; and

• Bring home a district title for the first time in this millennium.

Malakoff (8-2, 5-1 in 14-2A) did all that by beating Kerens, 23-16, before a standing-room-only crowd at Tiger Field Friday night.

Malakoff is co-district champs with Mildred, which also won Friday night. The Tigers’ playoff opponent will be announced Saturday.

The Tigers won the way they have so many times this season, by coming up with big plays in all three phases of the game — offense, defense and special teams.

And give part of this win to the crowd as well. With less than a minute left, Kerens took over the ball on its own 20 with a final chance to try and drive the field and tie the game. The Tiger defense — riding the emotional wave of the standing, screaming fans — never gave the Bobcats a chance.

It is fitting that Cody Davies sealed the game for Malakoff with an interception on the final play. Davies had his best game of the season with three receptions for 110 yards and two touchdowns.

But all of that came after Kerens opened up a 9-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Bobcats came out firing, and took the opening kickoff to the end zone in five plays, scoring on a two-yard pass from Pat Faulk to Trey Lindsey.

Kerens missed the kick, but Ryan Leerskov came back on the very next possession with a 19-yard field goal to give the Bobcats a 9-0 lead.

A slow start is something that has plagued Malakoff at times this season, but not Friday night. After spotting Kerens the lead, the Tigers exploded for 23 unanswered points, helped along by some big plays on special teams.

First Cornelius Richardson returned the kickoff following the field goal all the way to the Kerens 36. With a short field, Malakoff marched down and scored on a six-yard run by Bernard Hall. Cesar Garcia’s extra point was blocked.

The defense forced Kerens into a four-and-out, and the Tigers took over on the Kerens 47. Eleven plays later, Garcia kicked a 24-yard field goal to tie the score. The drive was helped along by a roughing the punter call on the Bobcats.

Kerens muffed the ensuing kickoff and Malakoff’s Roger Beltran pounced on the ball giving the Tigers a first down from the Kerens 20.

The Bobcats held however, and got the ball back on downs only to give it right back after four plays. Malakoff had the ball again with great field position at the Kerens 31.

This time Malakoff didn’t waste the opportunity. Hall hooked up with Davies on a 29-yard scoring strike, and with Garcia’s extra point the Tigers had a 16-9 lead late in the second quarter.

And that’s when Malakoff first-year head coach Jamie Driskell went for the throat. Driskell called for an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and Garcia was able to recover his own boot to give the Tigers the ball near midfield.

Three plays later, on third and short and with the Tigers in their jumbo package, Hall faked to Jackson Blacketer and threw deep down the middle to Davies for a 41-yard touchdown and a 23-9 lead.

The special teams still weren’t done. On the next kickoff, the Tigers forced a fumble and Hall recovered to give Malakoff another scoring opportunity. The Tigers came up short, however, and gave the ball back to the Bobcats.

The half ended when Malakoff’s Richardson intercepted Faulk.

From the time Kerens took a 9-0 lead midway through the first quarter until halftime, Malakoff ran 30 plays from scrimmage compared to the Bobcats’ 11, not counting kicking plays. During that stretch Malakoff scored three touchdowns and a field goal, while Kerens committed four turnovers.

The second half was not nearly as exciting, but was very effective for the Tigers. Malakoff kept the ball on the ground, grinding down the clock by running Blacketer into the heart of Bobcat defense. Blacketer had 113 yards on 19 carries in the second half alone, and finished with 151 yards on the night.

He didn’t do it on his own, of course. The Tiger offensive line of Colt Murdoch, Cody Barnes, Andrew Keheley, Zack Green, and Hank Hustead dominated the Bobcats defensive front.

Although the Tigers didn’t score in the second half, Malakoff was able to keep the ball away from the Bobcats for long stretches of time.

Faulk was able to score once late in the fourth quarter on a five-yard run to cut the lead to 23-16, but the Bobcats never again got close.