Senior duo has powered Xavier offense

CEDAR RAPIDS — Maliki Wilson has experienced just one loss in his high school football career.

Cedar Rapids Xavier's senior running back, and the rest of the Saints, ended last season with a 30-21 loss to Decorah in the second round of the playoffs and promptly started to work for a better finish this year.

'I didn't know how to take it,' Wilson said of the season-ending loss. 'The very next day we were all in the weight room.

'I took basketball season off and strictly focused on weights. ... 'I came back 40 pounds heavier. It has helped me be able to pound people.'

The Saints have punished their opponents, en route to a second straight unbeaten regular season with a record-setting offense that includes Wilson and quarterback Bryce Schulte leading the way. Second-ranked Xavier (9-0) hosts perennial power Davenport Assumption (7-2) in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs Friday at Saints Field, beginning at 7 p.m.

Wilson and Schulte, with the help of a stronger and more seasoned offensive line, have formed a pretty strong run-pass combo. They both own career marks in the Saints record book and could eclipse more records if they can advance.

'It wasn't something we planned on last summer,' Xavier Coach Duane Schulte said. 'It's something the guys accumulated as the year progressed.'

The duo has helped Xavier rewrite part of its record book, including most regular season yards with 3,457, which is two more than the 2012 4A state runner-up team. The Saints also set the mark for most regular-season rushing yards with 2,248, topping the record of 2,194 by the 2006 4A state championship squad.

They complement each other, preventing opposing defenses from focusing on one without the threat of getting burned.

'Maliki creates space and opens up the passing game,' Bryce Schulte said. 'Our receivers run good routes. I think Maliki at running back is a game changer because he can do it all.'

Wilson displayed that ability in the 31-point fourth quarter of a 45-17 win at Linn-Mar, running for three long TD runs, including a 97-yard score that tied a school record set by Nic Ekland in 2014.

'When you can all mesh like that and get on a roll, it's unbelievable to be a part of it,' Wilson said. 'When we get long runs and passes, we start getting momentum and we just keep rolling. I'd say that is one of the biggest keys.'

'We were fortunate in that game, and the Regina game where he got a ton of yards, guys opened holes for him and he even had some downfield blocks,' Duane Schulte said. 'It takes everybody. Football is the ultimate team sport. There's no doubt having Maliki with his talent there, is certainly good.'

The potent offense averages more than 40 points a game and about 384 yards per contest. Many parts power the machine, including a defense that has allowed just 90 points all season.

'Our offensive line is really tough,' said Bryce Schulte, who has assumed a full-time role as a defender as well. 'Maliki runs hard. Erik (Rodriguez) runs hard. Our receivers run and catch. I think it's a credit to our toughness. We want to hit people.'

Wilson owns at least a share of four more records, including regular-season rushing yards with 1,435, 291 rushing yards in a game that came in the opener against defending 1A state champion Iowa City Regina and career rushing yards (2,708).

The 6-foot, 195-pounder worked to get that way, training multiple times a day throughout the entire offseason. He lifted weights, did plyometric exercises and ran sprints. He tried to bulk up and maintain his quickness and footwork, which he credits to soccer. He is third in 3A with 1,435 yards.

'He's stronger,' Duane Schulte said. 'He hasn't lost any speed. He has great vision.'

Wilson isn't consumed with personal achievements. He was unaware of many of his statistics until others told him, including a college coach on a recruiting visit who shared the average yards of his 15 TD runs. The individual records pale in comparison to what the Saints have produced as a team, according to Wilson. The Saints have posted 19 straight regular-season victories, dating back to a 21-7 home loss to Regina on Oct. 17, 2014.

'Going undefeated in back-to-back regular seasons is pretty nice,' Wilson said. 'We're the only team in Xavier history to be able to do that. I would really like to go further in the playoffs and hopefully bring back the biggest team trophy. That is the ultimate goal.'

Schulte described Wilson as a quiet kid off the field. He certainly won't be found patting himself on the back. He lets actions on the field stand on their own.

'I don't have the personality to go out and talk like a lot of people do,' Wilson said. 'My dad taught me to play the game and let what you do on the field do the talking.'

Bryce Schulte has eclipsed the record for career TD passes that was held by his older brother, Reggie, who had 50 from 2012-13. The younger Schulte has completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,140 yards and 17 TDs, giving him 53 scoring strikes for his career. He has thrown for 3,889 career yards, needing just 114 to top his brother in that category as well.

'I don't think about it,' the younger Schulte said. 'Plus, it wasn't just me. It was the help of my teammates and coaches, too.'

Both will be vital against the Knights, who have won six straight and own a win over 4A District 6 champion North Scott.

'They are typical Assumption players,' Duane Schulte said. 'They are taking their keys from their coaches. They're pretty big. They have some good athletes.

'Bryce and Maliki have to do their thing, too. Just let the game come to them. You can't try to do too much.'

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