Thomas Tierney and Ashton Calixte also contributed to this article.
The Malden/Medford football rivalry has lasted 137 years and counting, and the Malden High School Golden Tornadoes entered the field this year prepared to fight. Unfortunately, the game ended with a score of 34 – 14, leaving Medford to take home the win for the second year in a row.
On Thanksgiving morning, friends and families from Malden and Medford High gathered at MacDonald Stadium for the long-awaited rivalry game. The pouring rain and chilly weather were no match for the enthusiasm and pride of each team and its supporters. Coach Witche Exilhomme mentioned, “There’s a lot of history to it, and whatever you do in that game goes in the history book forever. It’s a game that won’t be forgotten, so every play counts.”
After Medford made its first touchdown in the first quarter, the game started with Medford leading the scoreboard 6 – 0. The Golden Tornadoes were not discouraged, though. They pushed through with freshman Jayden McGuffie scoring a touchdown and completing the two-point conversion, bringing the score to 8 – 6. This lead did not last long, though, as the Medford Mustangs quickly swooped in, turning the score around and ending the second quarter with a 14 – 8 score.
As half-time ended and the third quarter began, both teams were riled up, and the Golden Tornadoes were ready to make their comeback. They put up a fight but were overrun by the Mustangs as they made another touchdown on a nine-yard dash to the end zone. The score was 20 – 8, but the game was not over yet. The Mustangs continued on their lead as they scored another touchdown and completed the two-point conversion, gaining them eight more points.
Malden was down 28 – 8, and the fourth quarter was just beginning. The Golden Tornadoes never got discouraged, even with the 20-point lead the Mustangs had on them. They put their all into the game and continued moving forward. McGuffie then scored the Golden Tornadoes’ second touchdown for the game bringing the score to 28 – 14. This only fueled the fire as the Mustangs got their final touchdown ending the game with a 34 – 14 Medford win.
This loss was not a defeat, though, as the players could reflect on their time throughout the game and on the team. Senior Daniel Da Silva stated, “It’s pretty crazy. I didn’t think I’d get through the four years this quickly. It’s gone really fast, but I was hoping for the best in my last rivalry game.”
The Golden Tornadoes have room for improvement as they continue to train and prepare for their upcoming seasons. Senior captain Kevin Exilhomme explained, “There’s a very big need for all of us to get better, especially on our line. We have a lot of good-skill players and linebackers; our line is young and learning the game which was a weakness this season. We missed a few guys due to injury at the beginning of the season and that hurt us. If we had all the pieces together, we would have had a better season.”
“Offensively, I’ve seen a lot of improvement, but we still need to get a lot better,” said senior captain Aidan Brett. “We scored a lot of points this year, but our defense needed to step it up; they haven’t stepped it up all year.” He continued, “Other than that, we’ve done everything we’ve needed to do offensively, and I think the coaches have done great. We just need a couple more things to click, and we’ll be alright.”
Senior captain Earl Fevrier reinforced, “We’ve been playing as a team for the most part, but it’s a lot of mental mistakes that cost us the game.”
Coach Exilhomme also mentioned that “they didn’t give up on themselves. We haven’t been losing because teams are better than us; it’s just silly mistakes.” He added, “We’re losing games by 2 points; most of our games we’ve lost by a touchdown. It’s all been close games…but they kept their heads up and they kept grinding, and again those successes that they have individually as players speak for themselves.”
The individual success of the players was then described by Coach Exilhomme, who started with “Freshman Jayden McGuffie coming in, making history with a single game where he scored 6 touchdowns and had over 400 playing yards.” According to his coach, McGuffie was “the first freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards.” He continued, “Kevin Exilhomme stays on track too, finishing strong, currently has 13 touchdowns as wide receiver. Xavier Coulanges-Blaise, who made the Boston Globe and had a standout year. Aidan Brett, who threw at least 15 touchdowns already. This year, we’re on track to reach 2,000 throwing yards.”
Although this season did not go as well as the team previously anticipated, players have improved not only as players but also as people; the work ethic and discipline needed to play football have shaped their lives. The team culture and community have impacted each of them deeply, and as the seniors’ high school football careers come to a close, they have reflected on their time with the team.
Senior Nate Sullivan recalled, “Coming back, this is my second game that I’m able to play this season, but I improved a lot mentally than last year as a player and as a person in general. I say I’ve gotten stronger over the years, especially working with Coach Exilhomme and working with the team from a young age.”
Brett agreed with this sentiment, elaborating how he has “ changed up my throwing mechanics. I went over the covers and learned them all now. My coaches helped me out, and they helped me with the throwing mechanics and reading coverages.” Playing as a team, he was able to see more growth and collaboration: “My teammates helped me out by giving coverage looks and telling me what I did wrong and what I could improve on.”
Many of the senior players on the team plan to continue their football careers at a higher level. While most students are undecided on their post-high school and are weighing options, college football and recreational teams are a collective goal.
Coach Exilhomme mentioned that as this season concludes, the “juniors are prepared: due to injuries, a lot of the juniors got to touch the field early. We’ve been preparing them since their freshman year and we’re excited to bring them in and start working towards next year.”
Gratitude was heavily expressed in the 137th rivalry game between Malden and Medford. The seniors left with a message of appreciation and reflection from their teammates and coaches while the other players witnessed their maturity walking off the field. The juniors are ready to step up and fill the seniors’ shoes as they move through the end of the season and their training begins.
