THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, March 14, 2025 Page 7 Frek’s assessment of the ’87 team. Stay tuned. Next, let’s take a moment or two to check Malden’s vital stats for the year 1987: • Ted Kennedy and John Kerry were Senators and (Malden’s very own) Ed “Eddie the Ice Cream Man” Markey was Congressman. • Our State Reps were John McNeil and Mike McGlynn (those names may not be familiar to many 2025 Maldonians, but back in the day they were major players). • Public Schools: eight elementary, three junior highs and one high school. • 25 places of worship: 16 Protestant, four Catholic, five Jewish. • The Golden Age of the print media! Maldonia had three newspapers: two weekly and one daily. • There was Ralph Kaplans’ Kappy’s Liquor at 334 Main St., Ben Weiner’s Locke Liquor at 48 Broadway, Mike Ricci’s Ricci Liquors at 834 Main St., M&M Liquor on Broadway and Sid Vernon’s Vernon’s Liquors at 673 Eastern Ave. • There were over 1,100 firms employing some 29,000 people, including many, many Malden residents. • Anthony’s Restaurant, Atlantic North Seafood on Main Street, Brandano’s Café, Café Granada on Kennedy Avenue, Capri Pizza in the Square, Highland Café, Marty’s Sub Shop, Memory Lane Food & Drink on Centre Street, Mike’s Café and O’Shea’s Restaurant were bumping in 1987. “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Maldonian from border to border, coast to coast and all ships at sea. Let’s go to press”... The season was a perfect storm of sorts with the Malden/Medford Thanksgiving Day game being the 100th meeting between the two ancient neighbors/rivals. The 100th game played between Malden and Medford was a 28-0 shutout win for Malden at Hormel Stadium on November 26, 1987. The game was nationally televised with Bob Costas and included a pregame pep talk from former Tornado – the legend himself (now calling FLA home) – Dave “Moulty” Moulton. This game was such a big deal that President Ronald Reagan sent this along: The White House/Washington/October 5, 1987 – “Congratulations as you play your centennial Thanksgiving Day football game. All of us have much to be grateful for on this holiday. I know I’m grateful for the spirit you and your schools and communities show, because it’s the American spirit. You, your coaches, and their fine staffs have my best wishes for success on the gridiron and in the years to come. God bless you, and God bless America.” The ’87 team may have been the most talked about team in MHS football history – celebrated not only in all eight Malden Wards but from coast to coast. This reporting appeared somewhere on the wonderful world of the innerweb shortly after the game in ’87: “Who knew that the series would have the longevity it did possess, all the way up to 100 games? Malden-Medford celebrated in grand style, with commemorative program books and rings for all the participants with Malden capping one of its best seasons in school history with a 28-0 shutout win, its eighth straight after an Opening Day loss to Melrose, at breezy Hormel Stadium. Malden drove to an undefeated (8-0) Greater Boston League Championship, its first in 12 years [my note: the fabled 1975 squad led by Jack Freker, Mike Scibelli, Jeff Sullivan, Paul Coleman and Mark Burns], and its best record (9-1) in over 30 years. The game drew a huge crowd and included national television coverage by sports commentator Bob Costas. A pregame pep talk to Malden by former Tornado legend Dave Moulton appeared on national TV that day. Lawrence Hicks ran for 118 yards and scored two touchdowns. Bill Roderick passed for 152 yards, including a 46-yard toss to Carmine Cappuccio. Roderick also scored a TD and J.P. Kelley had an interception for Malden.” My note: meanwhile on the opposite sidelines as a sophomore guard/linebacker was (Jimmy Cahill’s bestie) 5'8" 175 lb. Sean O’Brien. Sean would later go on to fame and fortune as General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, formerly serving as the Vice President Eastern Region of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Not bad for a Meffa guy! Also, on the same sideline as assistant coach was the Highland Cafe’s goodwill ambassador Ernie Ardolino Sr. Ernie also went on to fame and local celebrity as an ICL Hall of Famer, marrying well (Anna Puleo), fathering a famous son, Ernie Jr., and having the best head of hair before retiring to the bucolic countryside of West Peabody aka North Malden. Ernie passed in 2023 and is dearly missed to this very day. This 1987 team was bad to the bone! They were extremely well coached, with Shawn Brickman, John “CJ” LoPresti, Bill Burke, Paul “Hawk” Finn, Skip Zimmerman and Dickie Cullen on board, and fully battle tested with a roster full of some of the wackiest, some of the most talented, some of the toughest characters that ever walked these 4.8 square miles. Did I also mention that this roster may have had some of the finest athletes Malden has ever seen? Let’s take a small look at some of the more well-known football heroes from 1987: • We start with one of the tri-captains, 6'5" 240 lb. senior tackle Dan Jones (son of Tom – no, not that Tom Jones). Dan played college ball at U Maine (Black Bears) before going pro in 1993, playing 34 games for the Cincinnati Bengals and retiring in 1995. At the MHS Golden Tornado Club 31st Annual HOF Banquet in 2017, Dan was a massive MUSINGS| SEE PAGE 17 If We Happen To Meet By Accident ... You’ll Be Glad You Found Us! There is a difference between the rest and the BEST! 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