TIGARD -- Two of the state’s best senior running back shared the stage when Barlow visited Tigard for a 6A football second-round playoff game Friday night.
Barlow’s Jobadiah Malary had his moments, but it was Tigard’s Malcolm Stockdale who stole the show.
The 5-foot-8, 173-pound Stockdale rushed for 332 yards and five touchdowns on 28 carries as the fifth-seeded Tigers (10-1) pulled away for a 45-20 win and advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will meet No. 4 Jesuit. It was a career-best performance for Stockdale, who has rushed for 2,030 yards and 35 touchdowns this season.
“It just opened up,” Stockdale said. “The linemen and the wide receivers just kept pushing, and luckily I was able to read those blocks.”
From Tigard’s first play, when Stockdale ripped off a 48-yard run, No. 12 Barlow (7-4) did not have an answer for him.
“Shifty, hard to tackle,” Bruins coach Terry Summerfield said. “He accelerates very quickly. He made us miss numerous times. He’s very talented.”
Tigard’s offensive line – seniors Hayden McDonald, Mitchell Cross, Mahmud Mustafa and Isaia Porter and junior Johnny Nomani – blew Barlow off the ball. On many of Stockdale’s carries, he wasn’t touched until he was five yards downfield.
“The further was get into games, we come together as a family,” Nomani said. “We’re just super tight. When we come ready to show up, we can really play.”
Malary, who also plays outside linebacker, was impressed with Tigard’s line.
“Man, their line is something,” Malary said. “They were giving him holes. And he’s just an overall really good back. I’ll give him the respect on that.”
The 5-11, 215-pound Malary had rushed for more than 500 yards in the last two games for Barlow, which was playing in the second round for the first time in 12 years. But Tigard kept Malary under control, holding him to 137 yards on 19 carries, although he did get behind the defense for a 93-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.
“Tigard was a very physical team. They gave me one for my money,” said Malary, who finished the season with 1,810 rushing yards. “So I’ll give them all the respect in the world for it.”
To contain the relentless Malary, the Tigers knew they had to come after him in waves.
“Our defense focused on wrapping up and getting to him as a unit, gang-tackling, like we normally do,” Tigard senior defensive end Noah Jackman said.
Tigard beat Barlow 58-14 in a nonleague game Sept. 7, but the Bruins were vastly improved from early in the season. And Barlow also was hungry to make up for last year’s first-round playoff game at Tigard, when it led in the fourth quarter but fell 42-35.
Friday’s game was tied 14-14 in the second quarter as Stockdale and Malary each scored two touchdowns. After Tigard took a 17-14 lead on a 40-yard field goal by junior Jackson Cleaver, Barlow drove to Tigard’s 35-yard line appeared poised to take the lead.
But Jackman intercepted a pass in the flat, and two plays later, Tigard sophomore quarterback Drew Carter threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to senior Luke Ness, who was sprung free on a downfield block by senior Jazz Ross. The play gave the Tigers a 24-14 lead at half.
“Big turning point there in the ballgame,” Summerfield said.
Jackman’s interception “turned the momentum all the way,” Stockdale said. “That got us up. From then, we knew we had this game.”
Barlow fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half, and Stockdale scored on a seven-yard run to make it 31-14. The Bruins got within 31-20 on a nine-yard touchdown pass from junior Jaren Hunter to senior Dominic Jacoby, but Stockdale put the game away with scoring runs of 65 and 34 yards.
Tigard finished with a 498-365 edge in total yards. Tigard’s Carter completed 10 of 14 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown, and Barlow’s Hunter was 17 of 32 for 246 yards and two scores with one interception.
Tigard looks ahead to a quarterfinal game at Jesuit (10-1). The Tigers have made the semifinals in five of the last six seasons, including the last two.
“I’m excited. I can’t wait for this game,” Jackman said. “Our team is going to be ready for it.”
