El Reno RB Malachi Nicholson sets Oklahoma state single-game rushing record in wild win

Nicholson rushes for 521 yards as Indians fend off Noble, 68-67

In a wild offensive display in Oklahoma, mainly by two players, it was a record-setting performance that ended up being the difference. 

El Reno senior tailback Malachi Nicholson rushed for 521 yards - a new state single-game 11-man record - and had eight touchdowns as the Indians rallied from an 18-point third-quarter deficit to defeat Noble, 68-67, on Friday.

Nicholson, who carried the ball 37 times, broke the previous single-game 11-man record, set by Sand Springs' Peyton Scott in 2017. Scott rushed for 507 yards. No other running back in Oklahoma history has hit the 500-yard barrier.

El Reno (2-3) trailed 54-36 midway through the third quarter before Nicholson scored three unanswered TDs to put the Indians in front. Noble regained the lead early in the fourth quarter, 61-60, before Nicholson reeled off a 56-yard TD run, followed by a two-point conversion to make it 68-61, El Reno.

The Bears scored a TD with less than a minute left to get within one and elected to go for two. But El Reno's defense came up with a sack to hang on for the win.

Despite the loss, Noble quarterback Joey Bear had a phenomenal game of his own. Bear passed for 323 yards, rushed for 113 more and accounted for 10 total TDs.

Photo of El Reno tailback Malachi Nicholson by Glen Miller, El Reno Tribune

-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveOK 

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