THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 9, 2020 Page 13 MHS kicker football standout shines at national level Kicking Camp Ronald Juarez booms 57-yarder; finishes 4th of 60 kickers at Chris Sailer Camp The Coronavirus Count State reports 64 new confirmed Malden COVID-19 cases; city at “high risk” with state’s 20th highest rate over last 14 days T he state Department of Public Health (DPH) reported 64 new COVID-19 cases in Malden this week, raising the total to 1,597 confirmed cases. As a result, the city’s incidence rate of new cases per 100,000 over the period of Sept. 20 through Oct. 3 jumped to 10.4, making it one of the state’s 40 “high risk” communities for COVID-19 – and the 20th highest overall, according to DPH statistics released on Wednesday (Oct. 7). This marked the first time that Malden High School junior Ronald Juarez finished 4th of 60 kickers at a national-level kicking camp for high school players recently, booming a 57-yard field goal. The winning kick went for 59 yards. (Courtesy Photo/Malden HS Athletics) By Nick Toscani R onald Juarez certainly got a kick out of attending the Chris Sailer Camp at Dexter Southfield School in Boston. The COVID-19 pandemic may have put this high school football on ice for the time being, but that has not stopped the Malden High School junior from showing his skills on a national level. Juarez, one of the heroes of last Thanksgiving’s Turkey Day win over Medford High in Game #136, was one of the top performers at the September 18 event. The Golden Tornadoes booter, who was the first Malden player to kick a field goal for the Blue and Gold in a Thanksgiving win since the 1960s, boomed a 57yard field goal at the camp. That feat led him to a 4th place finish out of 60 kickers who attended the event. The winner, Chris Brasius from Maryland, nailed a 59-yarder, leaving Juarez very close to the top. “That was a fantastic accomplishment, but we are not that surprised knowing how much work Ronald [Juarez] puts into his craft,” Malden Public Schools Physical Education and Athletics Department Director Charlie Conefrey said. “He is extremely talented and we feel fortunate that we have him on our team for two more seasons.” Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Malden joined the rest of the Greater Boston League (GBL) in moving all Fall Sports to the newly created “Fall 2” season, which will run from February 22 to April 25, 2021. Juarez helped lead the Malden team to a 29-0 win over Medford on the road at Hormel Stadium in Medford on Thanksgiving 2019. He hit a 37-yard field goal just before halftime to stake Malden to a 9-0 lead and make it a two-score game. He also went 2-for-2 in PAT kicks in the second half. “He’s a hard worker and the sky’s the limit for Ronald. We are very proud of his success,” Conefrey added. Juarez, who can be seen kicking around several of the parks around the city throughout the week, is returning to a familiar site on Sunday, October 18 when he participates in another prestigious national-level camp hosted by Kicking World at Hormel Stadium in Medford. “I want to kick for a college team, and this is the best way I can get some good exposure,” Juarez said. “I get a lot of support from my teammates, Coach Frek and the Malden High coaches and Mr. Conefrey, and I will keep working to get to my goals.” Malden was colored red on the state map used to measure the metrics of COVID-19. The highest bracket includes communities with a rate of 8 new cases or greater per 100,000 over a 14day period. This week’s top “red” communities included Middleton (58.1), Lawrence (35.2), North Andover (34.5), Nantucket (23.3), Chelsea (22.4), Sunderland (20.7), Haverhill (20.0), Everett (19.3), Revere (17.8), Amherst (16.8), Lowell (16.3), Methuen (15.5), Springfield (14.6), Southborough (13.2) and Framingham (12.8). Malden had the 43rd highest rate in the state last week. For several weeks, Malden had been in the yellow-coded category on the state COVID-19 map, the designation for communities with a daily average of 4 or more, but fewer than 8 cases per 100,000. The most recent statistics showed 35,734 city residents have been tested for the virus so far – including 5,762 over the past 14 days. Of those tested, there were 107 confirmed cases of the virus for a positivity rate of 1.86 percent during that time. That is nearly twice the average state positivity rate of 1.04 percent. Last week’s positivity rate was 1.15 percent. That was more than the average state positivity rate of .87 percent. Just six weeks ago, Malden had dropped from “yellow” into the “green” category – the lower risk designation for communities with a daily average of fewer than 4 cases per 100,000 over a 14-day period. People can compare the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Malden to the cases in neighboring cities and towns as well as communities of similar size by going to the DPH website at https://www.mass. gov/info-details/covid-19-response-reporting –click on COVID-19 cases by city/town. Here’s how nine area communities compare to Malden – and the statewide totals: Lynn: 4,950 cases, 194 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 3.01 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 9.8, 24th highest in the state. Revere: 2,741 cases, 196 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 3.48 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 17.8, ninth highest in the state. Everett: 2,364 cases, 159 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 3.74 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 19.3, eighth highest in the state. Malden: 1,597 cases, 107 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.86 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 10.4, 20th highest in the state. Peabody: 1,224 cases, 52 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.43 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 in the last 14 days – 5.5. Saugus: 734 cases, 45 total positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.83 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 7.5, 46th highest in the state. Wakefield: 371 cases, 15 total positive tests in the last 14 days, .70 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 3.4. Melrose: 342 cases, 20 positive tests in the last 14 days, .65 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 4.7. Reading: 349 cases, 14 positive tests in the last 14 days, .75 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 3.1. Lynnfield: 147 cases, 14 positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.37 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 7.4. Statewide totals: 133,868 cases, 8,471 positive tests in the last 14 days, 1.04 percent positivity. Average daily incidence rate per 100,000 last 14 days – 7.3. (Data compiled by DPH and made public as of Oct. 7, 2020.) Education training organization looks to bolster virtual learning By Christopher Roberson T he Boston-based education training organization 1647 recently launched its annual fundraising campaign to improve the relationship between teachers and families at a time when it is most critical. Director Ann Walsh said the objective this year is to raise $5,000 by the end of December. If that goal is reached, an anonymous donor has pledged to match that amount to bring the total up to $10,000. Anyone interested in making a donation can do so at www.1647. org/donate. “School and home are one in the same right now,” said Walsh. “You can’t do school without families.” She said that thus far virtual learning has been both a “blessing and a challenge.” “There’s so many little moves you have to make for virtual learning to work,” she said. “Everybody is well-beyond capacity; everyone I know is exhausted.” Therefore, 1647 will be hosting a virtual Family Engagement Roundtable on October 22 from 4-5 p.m. “You really want to be laser focused,” said Walsh. “You don’t want to waste time on anything right now.” She also said that all of her coaches are parents themselves. “We’re able to give really authentic training,” she said. Examples of that training include simulating parent-teacher conferences, welcome phone calls and various other forms of ongoing communication. “Educators need tools and strategies to build relationships with families so that they can collaborate to ensure every student’s success,” said Walsh. “Families know their kids best and want them to succeed, so schools need to tap into that energy and expertise to fill some of the gaps created by remote learning. Teachers are working incredibly hard to reach their students and families and we want to support them with strategies that work.”
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