Luke Malmberg leads Lecanto’s rushing game
LECANTO, Fla. — The Lecanto Panthers varsity football team has a 3-5 record so far this season. The team is still in the running for the Florida Division 6A playoffs, as the team has games with Pasco and Hernando left in the season. The team will likely be eligible for a potential playoff spot with a 5-5 record. One player on the roster who will make a substantial impact on the team’s ability to get to the playoffs is Luke Malmberg, one of the top rushing threats in the state.
Malmberg is a senior who averages about 150 yards per game. He totaled 903 rushing yards in his first six games, rushing for 100 yards or more in all but one of those games. He also had thirteen rushing touchdowns during those games.
Malmberg holds a majority of the rushing yards for the Panthers. The team had nearly 1,200 rushing yards in their first six games, with junior Darius Gainer having 273 yards.
Malmberg also manages a majority of the team’s offense, as the team has only 285 passing yards in their first six games. Gainer is the only other person on the team with more than 100 all-purpose yards per game, as he is also the team’s main kickoff returner. Malmberg also leads the team with 82 points, followed by 24 for Gainer and 13 for junior kicker Jack Levengood.
The Panthers have had plenty of ups and downs this season, but Malmberg has remained a top player on the squad. He was instrumental to the Panthers’ 40-24 victory over Citrus earlier this year. Malmberg had 109 rushing yards and four touchdowns in that game. The Panthers scored 26 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to take the victory on Sept. 10.
Malmberg was also responsible for the only two touchdowns for the Panthers in their 34-14 loss to Belleview on Sept. 17. He had 154 rushing yards to go alongside his touchdowns.
His strongest performance of the year came on Oct. 8 in a 30-6 victory over Crystal River. Malmberg had 250 rushing yards on 37 carries for three rushing touchdowns.
The two remaining games for the Panthers will be critical in determining whether they will reach the playoffs. The team will compete on Oct. 29 against the 0-8 Pasco Pirates, a team that has given up 253 points and scored only six. The Panthers will also have a Nov. 5 match with the 4-3 Hernando Leopards that could dictate the Panthers’ postseason plans. But whatever happens, Malmberg will be a critical part of where the team goes from here.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
