Fueled by garlic bread, his favorite pre-game meal, junior Malachi Clarke leads the Pembroke Pines Charter Jaguars varsity football team as its starting quarterback. Malachi joined the team two years ago as a freshman and has now worked his way up to the starting quarterback position and even a team captain. In the 2021-22 football season Malachi has led the Jaguars to a 2-1 record with a 35-0 win over Northeast and a 34-27 win over Immokalee. After the third game of the season, Malachi has accounted for three Jaguar touchdowns, two through the air and one on the ground. 

   When it comes to playing football, Malachi looks up to Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry. On the field, Malachi is a playmaking quarterback who is great when the play breaks down almost like Russel Wilson, he will try to make whatever play he can in order to win the game. After two big wins this year Malachi described the feeling as if, “Nothing can bring you down and nothing can stop you.” Being a team captain is mostly reserved for seniors, but Clarke has worked his way up and gained the respect from his teammates and coaching staff, and was granted the honor as a junior. 

   One of the most stressful jobs of a quarterback is to be the team leader and the quarterback is usually the person blamed for a team’s shortcomings. Malachi said, “I don’t feel any type of pressure, I’m just out there playing football.” Clarke shows his true love for the game with his competitiveness and work ethic. After he finishes his high school career, he plans to use football in order to get a scholarship so he can get a degree.