White County High School football team has started the season 3 and 0 for the first time in the 21st century, and that is, in large part, due to the play of senior Malaki Dowell.
According to MaxPreps, a website that keeps up with the statistics of all high school football players in the United States, Dowell is ranked sixth in the nation for rushing. Dowell has amassed 793 yards through the first three games of the season, with 346 of those coming Sept. 2, 2022.
Dowell is tied for first in the nation for the number of touchdowns he has scored, thanks in part to the six he had in the Sept. 2 game against Station Camp. In addition to his 13 touchdowns on the season, the senior running back also has a two-point conversion on his resume’ for this year, and his 80 total points puts him alone leading the nation.
“It’s a big accomplishment, not just for me but my team as well, because when it’s all said and done, if they don’t do their job, mine gets a lot harder,” Dowell said about his current standing among high school football players across the country. “My team and my family are a big part of my success. They are the ones who push me to get better every day.”
Dowell’s job against the Station Camp football team was to carry the ball 24 times for 346 yards and catch it twice more to add on 65 yards and, of course, to find the endzone six times for the Warriors.
“It felt amazing,” Dowell said about his big night. “Everyone talks about how good I did, but the real MVPs from Friday night’s game were our offensive linemen. Every single one of my touchdowns were because of them. They did their job and did it well.”
Warrior football coach Mark Frasier said that giving the credit to his linemen is a typical Dowell response.
“Malaki is not only a talented athlete but he is a respectful and conscientious young man. He values his teammates and respects his coaches. He is a leader by example, both on the field and in the locker room,” Frasier said. “You would be hard pressed to find a teacher or coach that doesn’t feel the same.”
Dowell, who will graduate in May 2023, is looking to continue his football career at the next level, and he knows that it is going to take more than a big game or two to make that happen.
“That’s been my dream since I can remember,” Dowell said about playing football at the next level, then added he knows that is going to require hard work, day after day, week after week.
“There’s always room for improvement,” he explained. “I’ve been working on getting faster while gaining weight. That was my goal this offseason, and it’s one I’m still working on.”
For the senior, he recognizes that having a support system is imperative to his future success and also hopes to emulate that for his teammates as well.
“My biggest supporters are definitely my family, because I know at the end of the day, no matter how good or bad I did, they’ll always be there for me,” he said. “I hope that my teammates see me as someone they can believe in, someone they can trust. Someone that when the times get hard, they can rely on.”
For now, at least, all of Warrior Nation will be watching history in the making each Friday night as they gather to see what Malaki Dowell will do next.
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