BILLINGS — It could have been one of his two long interception returns this season, or a kickoff return for a score, or even a difficult catch.
Three games into the season, Malta senior Dawson Hammond has already provided more than his share of highlights for the defending Class B champion Mustangs, who are 3-0 and ranked No. 4 in the MTN Sports power rankings.
So, when asked what is his favorite thing to do on the football field, the answer comes as a bit of a surprise when it’s not one of his adrenaline-inducing, fist-pumping plays.
“Honestly, if I actually were to get deep into it,” Hammond said, “I’d probably say a good defensive stand is probably my favorite thing ever.”
Hammond then went on to detail a game during last year’s championship campaign. The Mustangs edged Red Lodge 21-18 the second game on the schedule in what turned out to be their smallest margin of victory in a 13-0 season.
Those types of games, Hammond said, where yards and scores are hard to come by, feel like an NFL or college game to him.
“You just have to fight for everything,” he said.
Given those parameters, Hammond could just as easily have referred to this season’s opener three weeks ago. The Mustangs beat Huntley Project 9-8, largely on the strength of Hammond’s 78-yard pick-6 on the last play of the first half.
That game was one long defensive stand; Malta’s other two points came on a safety. The Mustangs have breathed a little easier since, beating Shepherd 40-6 and Conrad 45-18 in a rare Monday afternoon game after the originally scheduled Friday contest was postponed due to lightning.
And the 78-yard interception return was just the opening salvo for what has already become an explosive season for Hammond, who last year became Malta’s first 1,000-yard receiver in program history, according to coach Nick Oxarart.
“He’s a dynamic player,” Oxarart said, “a guy that stands out on film. I know a lot of colleges are looking at him for the right reasons, because he’s a heck of a player.”
Hammond’s highlights from three games could be a season’s worth for a lot of players:
- Four receptions for 53 yards and that 78-yard interception return against Project.
- A 98-yard pick-6, a 79-yard kick return TD, four catches for 48 yards and another touchdown against Shepherd.
- And nine catches for 96 yards and three touchdowns against Conrad. Hammond did add to his interception total but was unable to find the end zone.
Add it all up, and he has 17 receptions for 197 yards and four scores to go with three interceptions for another 197 yards — yes, the exact same as his receiving yards — and two scores.
“When you have a dynamic player like Dawson and you just know at any time he can score from anywhere, I think it gives his teammates confidence, too,” Oxarart said, “to keep playing and working hard.”
To that point, Hammond called his teammates “the cavalry,” for helping him get into the end zone on his long interception and kick returns. His sprinter’s speed certainly helps — Hammond finished fourth in the 100-meter dash and sixth in the 200 at last year’s Class B state track and field meet — as does his field vision. But someone covering nearly 100 yards on a football field needs a little help from his friends.
“Sometimes it helps to be one of the faster guys, and sometimes it kind of hurts, because blocks have to develop and plays have to develop in time,” Hammond said. “Everything’s about timing. So, luckily, I have a lot of good teammates who were all willing and they all knew what we needed to do.”
The Mustangs have a short week. Monday’s make-up game leaves Malta with just three off days before Friday’s Week 4 game against Wolf Point.
The road to a championship is littered with hurdles, and this is just another one as Malta continues on its quest to be a repeat champion.
“It just really creates this whole set of problems, sort of something we’re not used to, but we’re adjusting on the fly,” Oxarart said of playing two games in a week. “Our guys are handling it well.”
Be it a short week or regular week of preparation, the game plan seems clear: Get the ball to Hammond and see what happens.
