Big-Catch Billy
Emporia High senior wide receiver has made a habit out of making highlight-reel plays this season
By Michael Ashford
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Emporia High football coach Bill Lowe admits it has to be a little hard being a wide receiver in his offense.
The Spartans have run an average of 48 times per game this year. Conversely, EHS passes just slightly more than seven times per game, with the most attempts in one contest being 14 tosses last week against Wichita Heights.
“It’s probably a little tough being a receiver because they don’t see the ball a whole lot,” Lowe said. “They know that when it’s their time, they have to make the most of it because they don’t get very many opportunities.”
The receiver who has perhaps made the most of his chances more than any EHS receiver this season has been senior Billy Malone, who leads the Spartans with 143 receiving yards on just 10 catches, with four of those catches going for touchdowns.
But more than the scoring, it is Malone’s penchant for making the big catch seem routine that has separated him from the other EHS receivers.
“He’s kind of grown into the go-to guy,” sophomore quarterback Taylor Euler said. “Whatever it takes, Billy will do it to get the ball for you. He’s been a great receiver for us.”
Last week against Wichita Heights, Malone did what he does best late in the game with the Spartans trailing, 21-14, with less than a minute and a half remaining.
Out of a timeout and facing a fourth-and-13 on the Wichita Heights 25-yard line, Euler dropped back and lofted a pass across the field to the right side of the end zone, where Malone was covered by two Falcon defenders with a third closing fast.
“Out of the time out, I knew I was going to get the ball,” Malone said, “so there was an unbelievable amount of pressure on my shoulders.”
As the ball came down, Malone extended his 6-foot-1 frame high above the Heights defenders and tipped the pass into the air.
It bounced around off helmets, pads, hands and legs, and as Malone and the Falcon defenders fell to the turf, it was Malone who came down in the end zone with the ball clutched firmly to his chest to give the Spartans the touchdown they needed.
“That was just another Billy catch,” Euler said. “I think there were three guys around him, and normally I wouldn’t throw into triple coverage, but somehow, he made another great catch and came down with it. That was a huge catch.”
Though the Spartans eventually lost, 21-20, the play at least gave Emporia High a shot at taking down the No. 2-ranked team in Class 6A, which is all the Spartans could have asked for from Malone.
“When I do get my opportunities, I’ve got to capitalize any way that I can and try to get the most out of each chance,” Malone said. “I just want to make something big happen. I want to help out the team that way.”
Coupled with his fully-extended, body-parallel-to-the-ground, on-his-finger-tips, 34-yard grab in Week Three against Washburn Rural that set up a critical touchdown to help the Spartans win, 14-7, it’s easy to see why the Spartans turn to Malone when they need a big play in the passing game.
“When you throw to Billy, you don’t think twice about it,” Euler said. “You just let it go and know that he’s going to come down with it. You don’t have to worry much about the defense because you know if you get it in his area, he’s going to go and get it.”
But when he’s not making the big catches, Malone is content to help out the Spartans’ powerful running game by blocking for Euler or any of the EHS running backs.
“Big blocks are the same as big catches,” Malone said. “They help out the team, and that’s all I want to do — help out the team any way that I can.”
It is that kind of team-first attitude, not just the jaw-dropping catches, that has the Spartan coaches beaming with pride when speaking of Malone.
“He’s a great kid and a really nice young man,” Lowe said. “He’s a hard worker. We’re on him a lot, but he takes it all in and makes himself better. It’s just nice to see good kids succeed.”
As the Spartans prepare to face Manhattan this Friday hoping to dig themselves out of an 0-1 hole in district play, Lowe hopes that, should Emporia High need him to, Malone comes up with a few more of those highlight-reel catches he’s been known to make this season.
“He’s made some big plays for us,” Lowe said, “and hopefully, he’ll make some more. He’s maybe dropped one pass all year, so he’s obviously done a good job. He is just a hard worker and I’m glad that he’s having some success.”