Malibu High School won its third consecutive game with a dominating effort last Saturday at home, defeating Flintridge Prep of La Canada 49-0. With the win, the Sharks improved to 3-2 overall, marking the first time since 2008 that the program is above .500.
Devon Baldinger rushed for 118 yards on five carries, including touchdown runs of 21 and 66 yards, as Malibu piled up 295 yards rushing on the afternoon. Nate Dowler contributed 71 yards on the ground, Cooper Smart returned a kickoff return 87 yards for a touchdown and recovered two fumbles, and back-up quarterback Brennan Cassone played a solid game in replace of injured starter Dylan Miller.
“It was awesome,” Malibu Coach Ray Humphrey said of the convincing victory. “I’m proud of these guys because they keep improving every week. I still don’t believe we have had a ‘bad’ game yet this year. We fell short the first couple of games. We are playing like I know we are capable of playing. We played our game and hit them in the mouth.”
The game started strong for Flintridge Prep (1-3) as they moved the ball at will on the opening series. Rebels running back Stefan Smith caught a 40-yard pass from quarterback Clayton Weirick and added a 28-yard run two plays later as Flintridge Prep was on the doorstep of scoring first.
Facing third down on the six-yard line, the Malibu defense stiffened and linebacker Hunter Johnson intercepted a pass in the back of the end zone to thwart the Rebels.
The Sharks then took matters into their own hands by going 80 yards in five plays, capped off by Smart’s 28-yard touchdown run with 5:33 left in the first quarter. Smart then recovered a Rebels fumble on the ensuing possession at the Flintridge Prep 42-yard line and Baldinger cashed it in from 21 yards out for a 14-0 Sharks lead.
Moments later, the Rebels fumbled again and Smart pounced on the football for his second fumble recovery in less than two minutes. Malibu regained possession and Cassone hooked up with wide receiver Jackson Hurst on a 49-yard touchdown pass with 7:56 remaining in the first half.
In the blink of an eye, the Sharks had converted three first half turnovers by the Rebels into 21 points to take an early 21-0 lead, and they never looked back. Humphrey had been preaching to his team the importance of winning the turnover battle and this game was no exception.
“We are going after the ball and making things happen,” Humphrey said. “We work on our turnover circuit each day in practice. It’s a big point of emphasis for us.”
Things didn’t get better for Flintridge Prep, as they lost Weirick and Smith to injuries in the first half. The Rebels played their third-string quarterback the rest of the game.
Meanwhile, MHS continued to pound the ball against the Flintridge Prep defense. Baldinger hit pay dirt with 2:47 left when he broke through the right side of the Rebels defensive line and sprinted 66 yards for another Sharks touchdown to make it 28-0.
“The hole was wide open and we just got it done,” said Baldinger, one of two senior captains on the team along with linebacker Evan Anthony. “Eddie Johnstone made a great block and I just took off.”
Trailing 28-0, halftime couldn’t have come at a better time for Flintridge Prep to regroup. Or so they thought. On the opening kickoff of the second half, Smart found a seam up the middle and darted past the Rebel defenders for an 87-yard touchdown. It was the first career touchdown return for Smart.
“I was dying for one,” Smart said. “When I scored, it was the best feeling I ever had. I wanted it so bad. When I was running across the field, I had a guy right on my heels and all I thought was ‘This guy better not catch me.’ But I did it.”
Cassone added a 43-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Dowler had a 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth to close out the scoring for Malibu. Cassone finished five of six, passing for 68 yards while rushing for 56 yards. Normally a starting wide receiver, Cassone filled in for Miller, who sat out due to an ankle sprain suffered earlier in the week.
As for the Sharks defense, they were stellar all day, stifling the Rebels running game. It was Malibu’s first shutout since blanking league rival Villanova Prep 14-0 two years ago.
“We have a gigantic blitz package and everyone is really aggressive and doing their jobs,” Anthony said. “I’ve never been above .500 before, so it’s definitely something that’s special so far.”
Malibu is on a three-game winning streak for the first time since a six-game winning streak began the 2008 season. The strong win against Flintridge Prep followed up on an equally impressive 49-12 win versus Bellarmine-Jefferson last week. Next up is Brentwood on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Malibu High.
“The guys are working hard and they never give up,” Humphrey said. “It’s reflective in practice and it carries over into the games.”