Twyman leads Haverford School to runaway victory
It is clear that the starting running back for the Haverford School will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
It is clear that the starting running back for the Haverford School will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
The only thing murky, however, is how to spell his first name. The player, a senior headed to Colgate next season, prefers Malik Twyman.
He said his mother, Carol Twyman, prefers Mallik. His father, Charlie, spells it Malik.
No matter how many L's are used, Twyman led the Fords to a historic "W" Saturday night against host Del-Val Charter.
Haverford School dominated the Warriors, 43-6, and set a school record with its 20th consecutive victory. The three-time defending Inter-Ac champion Fords have not lost a game since Week 1 in 2014 against West Catholic. The previous streak was held by the Fords' 1969-1971 teams.
"It feels good because the program was in a little rough shape when we first got here," said coach Michael Murphy, who is beginning his 12th season. "We had to build it. We had some ups and downs."
Thanks to Twyman and Co., Saturday brought mostly ups.
Twyman rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. By the end of the first quarter, he had already amassed 98 yards and two TDs on 12 totes.
Film study, he said, allowed him to anticipate cutback lanes, which he exploited for five double-digit runs in the first quarter, leading to a 28-0 advantage by halftime.
Senior receiver and defensive back Zakee Hawkins added a 26-yard receiving touchdown, an interception and a fumble recovery. Senior quarterback Tommy Toal added 63 yards and two TDs on 5-of-11 passing.
Dashawn Boswell supplied Del-Val's only score on an 18-yard pass to Maurice McCray, who finished with four catches for 60 yards for the Public League Warriors (0-1).
As for our protagonist with dual spellings, it may be unwise to think an investigation into his birth certificate might shed some light.
"Here's the thing," Twyman said, smiling. "I have two birth certificates. One has two L's but the other has one L."
Some in his family also call him by another name, Mujahid, he said.
No matter what you call him, Twyman is sure to be a handful on the field for opposing defenses.
Haverford School 16 12 15 0 - 43
Del-Val Charter 0 0 0 6 - 6
H: Malik Twyman 4 run (Nate Whitaker run)
H: Twyman 6 run (Twyman run)
H: Zakee Hawkins 26 pass from Tommy Toal (kick failed)
H: Twyman 3 run (run failed)
H: Sam Lindner 16 pass from Toal (Toal run)
H: Whitaker 28 run (Chase Mccollum kick)
D: Maurice McCray 18 pass from Dashawn Boswell (kick failed)
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