Malvern handed first IVC North loss by Newcomerstown, 40–12

It hasn’t been much of a secret that Malvern’s main offensive weapon this season has been Julius Gore. After all, the senior running back has been averaging just shy of 150 yards per game on the ground while scoring 15 TDs.

Well, against host Newcomerstown, Malvern discovered that the Trojans have their own version of Gore. He goes by Dom Singer and he ran over and through the Hornets defense as Newcomerstown broke open a close game by scoring 24 unanswered second-half points en route to a 40-12 win.

With the win, the Trojans assumed control of first place in the Inter-Valley Conference North division.

Running 41 times as opposed to only five passing attempts, Newcomerstown piled up 331 yards on the ground as Singer ran for 182 yards to go along with his four touchdowns, while Mason Shaolsky added 120 yards.

Newcomerstown struck in the first quarter on a 27-yard TD pass by quarterback JJ Justice before Singer rumbled for his first score of the night. The Trojans – as was the case all night – were successful on both two-point runs for a 16-0 advantage.

Gore then led the Hornets back in the second quarter with two long scoring runs, the first for 33 yards and the second for 26. Both 2-point passes fell incomplete and Malvern trailed 16-12 entering halftime.

Singer then took over for Newcomerstown (5-3, 3-0) with three second-half TD runs to put the game out of reach and hand the Hornets (5-3, 2-1) their first loss in the IVC North.

Gore finished the night with 135 yards rushing on only 19 carries, while Jaxon Jones completed 13-of-28 throws for 127 yards and an interception. Jones’ primary target was Roy Simmons, who hauled in seven catches for 55 yards, while Josh Untch caught three for 49 yards. Defensively, Owen Ball was a beast, recording 16 tackles, including two for a loss, while Simmons added seven tackles.

Volleyball

The Lady Hornets had a busy week as they prepare for the postseason sectional tournament. But before they can turn their attention to that business, they had to complete their IVC North schedule. Malvern began its week Oct. 7 with a visit to Newcomerstown where the Hornets won the first set before falling 3-1 (22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-22).

Junior Whitney Smith led Malvern with 13 kills. Meanwhile Avery Sprague and Ashlyn Bush each served for 15 points, while sophomore Reese Cole logged four blocks. Sprague led defensively with 29 digs and Bush contributed 25 assists.

Malvern then hosted East Canton Oct. 8 for its final conference match which just happened to be Senior Night. Malvern came away a 3-1 winner (25-22, 25-17, 22-25, 25-22) in the battle of the Hornets. Smith had a huge night with 22 kills and 20 digs, while Ella Debo and Addy Mitchell each served for 15 points, and Bush recorded four aces while also dishing out 36 assists for the Hornets, who finished 2-10 in the IVC.

Malvern wrapped the week up with an appearance at the Inter-Valley Conference Volleyball Showcase 2025, hosted by Strasburg-Franklin Oct. 11. The Hornets faced off against the IVC South’s Claymont and lost to the Mustangs 2-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-20).

Sprague was top defender for Malvern with 18 digs and 20 service receptions, while Zoe Sikorsky was top server with eight points. Debo came up big with 14 kills and an impressive 10 blocks, while Bush passed out 15 assists.

Cross Country

As the season draws to a close, it’s time for conference meets. Malvern’s cross-country squads competed at the IVC Championship, hosted by Sandy Valley Oct. 11. Both of the Hornets’ teams placed fifth at this competitive meet. The boys scored 118 points, just ahead of East Canton. Tusky Valley won the team title with a low score of 35. The Lady Hornets scored 126 points, while Tusky Valley was again victorious, scoring 24 points.

Dalton Pennington (18:13.22) paced the boys’ team, placing 15th and earning Honorable Mention recognition, while teammate Jacob McClelland was not far behind in 19th. Cooper Dorr finished 26th, Dekon Pennington was 35th, and Blaze Garrot 53rd. McClelland, Garrot, and Parker Babiczuk all recorded lifetime PRs.

On the girls’ side, Emma Maher, who received Honorable Mention accolades from the IVC, placed 20th with a time of 21:51.98. Less than a minute behind was her sister, Oliva Maher, who placed 22nd. Mya Doughty finished in 32nd place, Lexus Buchman set a lifetime PR in placing 41st, and Renz came in 57th place.