A father-son coaching matchup turns into a bonkers night

It was past midnight at Lanier High’s football stadium, where convention had long since turned in for the evening.

In Saturday’s first minutes, Norcross High coach Keith Maloof huddled near midfield with officials along with Longhorns coach Tyler Maloof — Keith’s son. It was the first coaching matchup between the two.

Play had stopped because the stadium lights had shut off at midnight, which apparently is protocol for Gwinnett County schools. As the teams waited for the lights to power back up, most of the fourth quarter had yet to be played. The once-full home stands were nearly empty, save a cluster of spirited Lanier students. It was also raining steadily.

“The lights go out at 12 o’clock,” Keith Maloof said. “That’s just what happens. It happened at our place a couple times.”

This first game between two members of a most successful coaching family promised to be a special, if stressful, occasion for their family and those connected to it. But Friday’s (and Saturday’s) game proved memorable for other reasons, too.

In the season opener for both teams, the Blue Devils rode an authoritative second half to defeat the Longhorns 31-10. The game lasted about 5 hours and 15 minutes. It was extended by a lightning delay of about two hours at halftime, a roughly 15-minute stoppage for the lights to return after the midnight shutoff and assorted officiating timeouts to sort out calls. That included a few scuffles between the teams, as both sides played with high emotional investment to secure victory for their coach in this father-and-son tangle.

“With the weather delay and the lights going out and the penalties and the emotions, it was a lot,” Tyler Maloof said. “But I’m proud of the kids for fighting and trying their best to keep their composure at times. It’s an emotional game.”

Tyler, 34, is starting his third season at Lanier in his first head coaching job. He had previously served on his father’s staff at Norcross for eight years after growing up around the program with his brother Tanner and then playing for the Blue Devils. After the game, he appeared spent and disappointed. It had been a long night.

“I hate it for him,” said his mother Lisa, nodding toward the end of the field where Tyler had gathered his team. “I would have liked it to stay a close game. I would have been happy if we’d just ended it at 17-10 (the score at halftime, when the lightning delay began). That would have been a perfect ending.”

But since when does Mom ever get what she wants?

It wasn’t a game that the Maloofs had sought to play, at all. But, as both coaches were having trouble finding suitable non-region games, they decided to go ahead. It would be a good test for both teams, the perennial power (Class 6A Norcross) and the ascending program (Class 5A Lanier).

The Maloof Bowl — first played seven times between Keith (winner of two state titles with Norcross) and his brother Kevin, who enjoyed a highly successful tenure at Dacula High — would be resurrected, though not eagerly.

“The whole time, I didn’t want to do it,” Keith Maloof said earlier in the week. “I played my brother back in the day when we first got here (at Norcross). It’s a lot of stress on the family, (Tyler’s) mom. She’s split. It’s going to be emotionally tough, but we’re going to enjoy it. And hopefully both of our teams play really well and we can be proud at the end of the night.”

The Maloofs tried to make the most of the occasion, the first father-son coaching matchup in GHSA football since 2006 and one of just a handful in state history. A number of family, friends and former Norcross players attended. It included both of Tyler’s grandmothers, both of whom had not attended a game in years. His maternal grandmother, Lucille Segars, will turn 101 in November. His paternal grandmother, Anita Maloof, is the widow of George Maloof, who was a legendary coach at St. Pius.

Lisa wore a gray T-shirt made for the occasion. It read “Norcross vs. Lanier” on the front and “Maloof vs. Maloof/Heart divided” on the back. For as long as she can remember, Lisa said before the game, Keith has kissed her goodbye on the mornings of games and she has sent him off with “Good luck and go get ‘em.” Friday was different.

“I could not say, ‘Go get ‘em,’” she said. “I’ve never not cheered for my son. I’ve never not cheered for my husband. It’s a weird place to be in.”

Running about behind the north end zone, Tyler’s children wore burnt orange T-shirts that read “Go Daddy/Beat Coachy.” Keith Maloof had planned for his grandchildren to call him “Grandcoach” but Tyler’s eldest, 7-year-old Jessa, changed it to “Coachy,” and it stuck. When the Blue Devils took the field behind the end zone, Jessa showed off her shirt to her grandfather.

“No way,” Coachy said in mock protest, scooping her up and planting a kiss on her cheek.

The sun was setting on a warm day. In the stands, fans downed sports drinks and dug into Italian ices. A fifth-grade girl sang a twangy rendition of the national anthem. And the Maloof Bowl was on.

The game played out as season openers often do, rife with penalties, mishandled balls and uneven play. Both Maloofs mostly watched stoically, Keith with his arms crossed. They often took positions on the sideline away from the line of scrimmage. On brief occasions, they stood directly across the field from each other.

A 0-0 first quarter gave way to a more eventful second. As the first half ended 17-10 in Norcross’ favor, first the wind picked up, then rain began to fall, lightly and then heavily. The public-address system advised that lightning was approaching.

Fans scattered for their cars, and a storm moved in. As Norcross players waited it out, they ate popcorn left over in the cafeteria and drank water, Keith said. After the first half ended around 9 p.m., the second half kicked off just before 11:30.

Norcross all but sealed the game with a 28-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Dillon Mohammed with 10:38 to play in the fourth quarter for a 24-10 lead. The score prompted the remaining Blue Devils fans to serenade Tyler Maloof with chants of “Who’s your daddy?” Then the lights went out.

And about 45 minutes later, the Maloof Bowl, as soggy as it was long, came to a merciful conclusion.

Coachy 31, Daddy 10.

“(The matchup) added a little bit of fire to us,” Norcross receiver/cornerback Jahsaun “Sauce” Clarke said. “Can’t let (Tyler Maloof) beat his dad.”

The two Maloof men met at midfield for a hug, one that consoled far more than it congratulated. It was suggested to the elder Maloof that it probably didn’t feel as good as other three-touchdown wins.

“No, it doesn’t, but I’m proud of him,” Tyler Maloof’s dad said. “Either way, I’m proud of him.”

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