Randy Moss Award goes to Nitro WR

Nitro’s Malachi Thompson checks his position on the line of scrimmage during a game against Wayne earlier this season. (Photo by Sholten Singler/The Herald-Dispatch)

Malachi Thompson watches a lot of film and studies several of the players who are, like him, wide receivers.

The junior pass-catcher at Nitro said he prefers to watch college players like Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith or Alabama’s Ryan Williams. The professional players he watches are DK Metcalf and Justin Jefferson.

He doesn’t spend a lot of time watching films on Moss, the former DuPont High star who went on to help Marshall to a Division I-AA national championship and an NFL career that ended with his enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Thompson, though, will share one distinction with the legendary Mountain State receiver. Thompson was voted by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the Randy Moss Award winner.

The Moss Award has been presented annually to the state’s top receiver since 2014, and Thompson was chosen after a season in which he hauled in 74 passes for 1,593 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The 18 scores were a bit of a drop-off in production for Thompson this season after he scored 20 as a sophomore. That, though, was due to no fault of his own, Nitro coach Boom McKinney said.

“He could have had 30 if we would have let him,” said McKinney, who led the Wildcats to a 10-2 record this season and a spot in the Class AAA quarterfinals. “We rotate guys in to keep them happy.”

Thompson didn’t mind sharing the workload or the spotlight, McKinney said, preferring team success over individual accolades. A better receiving corps at Nitro this season plus double-teams from opposing defenses who were already aware of Thompson from his breakout sophomore season factored in.

Thompson said he watches film on other players and takes notes on how other athletes – receivers or opposing defensive backs – play, then prepares accordingly.

Those qualities, McKinney said, are what sets Thompson apart from all others.

Thompson’s preparation includes workouts in the weight room, workouts on the field and film study.

“I can’t tell you his best attributes,” McKinney said, “because he does it all so well. He’s got great speed, he reads defenses well and he’s got good hands.”

The natural gifts are what Thompson said stood out to him when he began playing football at age 6. Thompson said he didn’t like the sport immediately and thought his athletic career would put him on the baseball diamond instead.

“I realized that baseball wasn’t really going to help me,” the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Thompson said.

“I didn’t feel like basketball was going to help me,” Thompson added.

Now, Thompson said, he will only focus on sports that will enhance his football career, such as track and field, in which he has not participated since his freshman year at Sissonville.

Thompson said he is considering running track this year again to help his cause with college football coaches who have begun to take an interest in his athletic skills.

“I’d like to run a better 40,” Thompson said.

With his senior season still ahead, Thompson said he plans to enroll in camps so he can get on the radar of still more college coaches, but also to become a better receiver.

The only individual goal he has is earning a third first-team All-State nod in his final high school season.

Doing so will require developing a rapport with a new quarterback at Nitro. Josh Moody, who passed for 3,846 yards this season and 40 TDs, has completed his eligibility.

“Josh and I had a great chemistry,” said Thompson. “Me and Josh both wanted to be (Division I).”

Thompson was selected for the Randy Moss Award over Princeton’s Brad Mossor and Martinsburg’s Kyree Bunny.

Thompson will be recognized at the 78th Victory Awards Dinner on May 4, at the Bridgeport Convention Center.