THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 26, 2022 Page 15 GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE NOTEBOOK: Can you believe it? High School Fall Sports are here with Football heading up the list Long, hot summer will blend into a busy new school sports year for Everett HS, Malden HS and Revere HS By Steve Freker T he time-honored phrase “Long, hot summer” comes to mind this week as we come to realize that the high school Fall Season is upon us. We know it has definitely been hot out there most of the past 10 weeks of summer, but we might have to scratch the word “long.” It seems like yesterday that the teams were finishing double-plays on the baseball and softball fields, scoring goals in lacrosse or spiking volleyballs. How did the calendar flip so quickly? But they are tossing footballs and running sprints starting today as the fall sports season officially gets underway. Football kicked it off with two days of extra conditioning under MIAA guidelines. Golf was also allowed to begin its preseason today under newly adopted MIAA guidelines. All fall sports followed with their official starts on Monday, August 22, as boys’ and girls’ soccer, cross-country, field hockey, golf and girls’ volleyball all got underway. That means that the whistles will be blowing, the cones will be positioned and the drills will be percolating at Everett MeMUSINGS | FROM PAGE 6 tainment for all three days was the best in many years, and San Rock pilgrims came out in big numbers. This made San Rock Big Cheese Joyce Mover extremely happy. Great job, Joyce. • Special shout-out to Saturday night’s entertainment, Davina Yannetty and her “Capitana Dueling Pianos.” The San Rock committee gambled this year with Saturday night, and it paid off. Bigly! Dueling pianos isn’t seen very often at open-air festivals, but Davina pulled it off like the pro that she is. We thank you for that, Ms. D. • Great to see Johnny Molinari at the Feast. “Moe” and his gang of Pearl Street hooligans ran these same streets back in the 1960’s through the 1980’s. They were young, carefree and wild. What’s more, for a brief period, the backstreets of Edgemorial Stadium for the Everett High Crimson Tide, Malden High’s Macdonald Stadium and Revere High’s Della Russo Stadium today. The full pads went on Wednesday for the first time, and the first regular season game is just three short weeks away. Football Opening Day just three short weeks away Everett High Head Coach Rob DiLoreto will be embarking on his third year at the helm for the Crimson Tide. DiLoreto came aboard for the COVID-shortened season of spring 2021, then guided Everett to its 25th Greater Boston League (GBL) Championship in the past 27 seasons and a 10-1 overall record last fall 2021 season, its only blemish a first-round, 25-22 loss to Methuen in the opening worth were theirs. It was the best of times, he told me. Most of his buds left Dodge years ago. A few (like his cousin Joey Moreno) have passed on. Some stuck around but their days “running into the deep heart of the night” are in the rearview mirror. Moe promises to make an appearance more than once a year going forward. • I kid when I say that (City of Malden Animal Control Officer) Kevin Alkins sits in the big chair at San Rock. That’s Joyce Mover, as we all know, with Anthony Spadafora sitting very close by. But I do not kid when I say that Kevin is a very valuable piece of the San Rock machination. There are many pieces to the San Rock engine. All must be working in unison for this thing of ours to work. Kevin wears many hats during the weekend, all of them important to the success of the Feast. All of round of the Division 1 North playoffs. Everett High football opens its 10-game, 2022 regular season with a highly anticipated game with Xaverian Bros. from the Catholic Conference on Friday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m. at Everett Stadium. In addition to Xaverian, Everett has also added BC High to its non-league slate and will take on the Eagles on the road on Friday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m. After just a one-year series, Everett will not be playing St. John’s Shrewsbury again this season on Thanksgiving Day. It was anticipated that the series would be lasting, but St. John’s officials announced in June it would now play a different opponent on Thanksgiving, and Everett, at this time, once again, is sitting out Turkey Day. us appreciate this. Just for the record, Kevin is more than just the creator of the best catchphrase ever, “Don’t stand around, buy a round!” He’s Kevin Alkins, and you’re not! • Not a dry eye in the house as the Procession pulls up to Dom and Sheila’s house at “Batman Corner” (Adams and West). Sheila had surgery recently (Get well soon, my dear friend) and was not able to greet us as we rounded the corner. No problem. Through the miracle of Dom’s cell phone, we dialed up Sheila for some soul soothing Facetime. Not a dry eye in the house as the Italian American Band of Lawrence played on. Love you, Sheila. • Little Joey Hurley stood on his mom Gina’s shoulders to complete Grease Pole 2022 and snatch the prize sausage from the top of the pole. We’re checking all the record books to deCoach Exilhomme’s second season at Malden helm Malden High Head Coach Witche Exilhomme will be guiding his second full season for the Golden Tornados football squad. Malden will open the season with a pair of non-league home games. On Thursday, September 8, Malden will host Whittier Tech at 6:00 p.m. On Friday, September 16, Malden will host Melrose at 6:00 p.m. Both games will be at Macdonald Stadium in Malden. The Golden Tornados squad and second-year Head Coach Exilhomme will then take on Chelsea High in a regular season game for the first time since the 1980s, as Malden opens its Greater Boston League slate against the Red Devils at 6:00 p.m. at Chelsea Stadium on Friday, September 23. Malden plays Medford for the termine the last time a Spadafora was top sausage grabber (Gina is Tony and Mary Spadafora’s daughter; hence, Joey is their grandson). Stay tuned. • So much to write about. (Yes, there will be a Nick Gizzi contribution.) So little space (and a Dorothy Levine offering). I’ll continue my San Rocco coverage as summer’s dog days turn to fall’s cool, crisp evenings. Hope I don’t bore too many Maldonians. As Peter Falk’s iconic TV character “Columbo” would say, “Just one more thing sir” – with the blink of an eye the latest chapter in the long history of the Saint Rocco Feast is over. Hard to believe for me that it was my (now) 55th year on the black hardtop of Pearl Street. On that long-ago Monday night in 1967, big brother Joe took me to the Saint Rocco firework display at Devir Park. I have been a Saint Rocco devotee ever since. Grow138th time for its Thanksgiving matchup. Cicatelli’s 21st season leading Revere HS Football The longest-standing head coach in the GBL, entering his 21st season, is Revere High’s Lou Cicatelli. He and the Revere Patriots will embark on the 2022 campaign with two consecutive non-league games: Opening the season will be two straight road games, at Peabody on Friday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m. and then hosting Plymouth North on September 16 at 6:00 p.m. Revere opens its GBL schedule on Thursday, September 22 versus Medford at 6:00 p.m. Read the Advocate each week for game results, schedules and updates of ALL the GBL teams! ing up the Feast was considered the high point of the summer where we (unfortunately) knew the school year was rapidly creeping, and summer was on its way out. But before it was, we would have one last blowout. I think for me and a lot of folks who grew up in the neighborhood it’s the continuity of the event that we take to heart: the way you can set your inner clock to the Feast, that second weekend in August, every year. That “organic connection to the heart and mind” that those of us who grew up in Edgeworth and Ward 2 all feel. Viva Saint Rocco, “Salute” (health) and “Chin don” (100 years)! Postscript 1: Johnny “All Tech” Spadafora demonstrating to his daughter Jessica the proper way to pin money on the Saint, explaining how to guide MUSINGS | SEE PAGE 16
16 Publizr Home