Crown Point coach Craig Buzea said “the lights turned on” for senior Seamus Malaski.
That spells trouble for the Bulldogs’ opponents.
“The last three or four games, he has just been lights out at the defensive end spot,” Buzea said. “He’s been causing havoc. He’s just really, really excelled.
“He’s 6-5, 240, 245, and can run like a deer. He’s presented a lot of problems for offenses, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time for us.”
Indeed, the Bulldogs (11-0) have won their first sectional championship since 2018 and will try to add the second regional title in program history when they travel to Penn (10-1) for a Class 6A showdown on Friday.
Malaski, a three-sport standout who has committed to Purdue in track and field, was primarily a tight end in previous seasons. But he has 40 tackles with 11 for loss and five sacks, which is tied for the team lead. He had two sacks and a forced fumble in Crown Point’s 42-7 win against Lake Central in the sectional final last week.
“I play two ways, and the defensive side of the ball is where I’ve shined more this year,” Malaski said. “I’ve had to work on playing my assignments better, and it’s kind of connected in these past couple of weeks.
“Playing in that sectional championship, I had all the adrenaline going. And playing with my buddies, I’m going out all the time with these guys, not just on the football field. It’s really a brotherhood, and it makes it easier to go out and play on Fridays.”
Malaski has eight catches for 143 yards and four touchdowns. But with sophomore Trevor Gibbs and junior Jacob Soley available as tight ends, Malaski has been able to play fewer snaps on offense, stay fresher for defense and hone his craft there.
Gibbs, who is also an inside linebacker, has had an up-close view of Malaski’s exploits.
“Amazing on defense, just amazing,” Gibbs said. “He’s just been dominating. I love to see him do great.
“He’s a great leader. Last year, when I didn’t know if I was doing something right or wrong, I could just go to Seamus and get his guidance. He’s always there to help me — offense, defense, whatever I need.”
When Malaski started his varsity career, Crown Point needed more help at tight end.
“I love playing defense,” he said. “I wanted to play defense starting off. But as a young sophomore, I asked coach Buz where I could get myself on the field, and he said I could help at tight end. So I worked out as a tight end and did what I did that year, and it grew from there.
“He put me where he needed me, and I’ll play wherever I’m needed.”
Malaski had eight catches for 129 yards and two TDs while starting at tight end as a sophomore. He had nine catches for 192 yards and a team-high five TDs last season, when he added responsibilities as an outside linebacker. He moved to defensive end for the postseason and finished with 15 tackles, including 7.5 for loss.
“We tried him early at outside linebacker, which was a compliment to him as a kid that big,” Buzea said. “We needed somebody bigger at defensive end, and he fit the bill. He’s tough to block. He’s athletic, and usually guys that big aren’t that athletic, but obviously you’re talking about a pretty good athlete there.
“We always thought he could be a good player, but he’s really, really stepped it up the last half of this season. He’s been a force. He’s made his mark as a defensive end.”
Malaski has already made his mark in track and field. In the spring, he won the state title in the discus and placed eighth in the shot put. He holds the program record in both events.
“I don’t want to go below the floor. The floor is winning a state championship, and I don’t want to go below that floor,” he said. “Hopefully I can do better than I did last year in the shot put too. The goal obviously is to come home with two state championships.
“I’m always chasing to get better. I’m going to do what I have to do to get better.”
Malaski has also started on Crown Point’s boys basketball team since he was a sophomore. He averaged 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds last season.
“Seamus is an outstanding athlete, better person,” Buzea said. “He’s everything you want out of a high school athlete.”
Malaski’s father Mike is the director of buildings and grounds for the Crown Point Community School Corp., and he has also been the girls soccer coach and an assistant athletic director. So winning the sectional title last week was especially meaningful to Seamus Malaski.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “It’s been awhile. I grew up in the program. My dad was an assistant AD here, so I was always at the games and watching these teams play, playing the sectional, winning them, losing them. So it feels great to finally be in the program and win one after being in it for three years with coach Buz as the coach.”
Malaski plans to major in construction management technology at Purdue. He has an internship with the company running the construction at Crown Point.
Malaski also intends to sign his national letter of intent with the Boilermakers after the period begins Wednesday.
“I’ll sign the papers and do something for it later when I have some time,” he said. “I don’t want to do a big celebration for it because we have other things to focus on.”