With the blow of a whistle, Malden High School boys varsity basketball tips off their 2014-2015 season. Making a name for themselves are senior captains Isaac Bethea and Rakeem Langston, the young team consists of only three seniors and the rest are underclassmen. The team started off their season winning their first three games under the guidance of head coach Don Nally, who is returning to coach the MHS varsity team for his 11th year. The team currently stands in with four wins and three losses, only needing six more wins to clinch a spot in the state tournament for the seventh time in 11 years.
The Golden Tornadoes’ first victim of the season was Revere on Dec. 11 who they beat by 12 points with the final score of 65-53. Then four days later they cruised past Boston English 73-47 with the help of Langston who banked in 25 points that game, scoring 45 points in the first two games this season.
All leading up to the team’s most memorable win so far against Lynn Classical on Dec. 20. Malden held on to the lead to win by only seven points, 67-60, playing an excellent game all the way to the last buzzer. During that game Bethea “noticed that [they] were not a big team and that [they] would have to work together to get the win.”
MHS went on to lose their next game, giving them their first loss was Tewksbury Memorial the final score being 80-63. The team was hungry for another win which they got against Revere for the second time on Dec. 27 beating them 77-61.
However, MHS has lost their last two games. The first was against Brookline on Dec. 29, MHS lost 62-49. The next loss was their first Greater Boston League game of the season in which the team tipped off against long time rival Medford High School. Medford High School got the upper hand in this game finishing the game 65-47, knocking Malden down to second in the GBL. Making Medford High currently in first place of the GBL, followed by MHS leaving Everett and Somerville tied for third.
The team looks forward to playing their other GBL rival Everett which is always a must see game. The game can go either way and it’s been that way for previous years with historic moments like buzzer beaters or blowout games in the playoffs. The teams face off for the first time on Jan. 13, being Everetts first GBL game of their season.
