Page 12 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 14, 2022 Meet the 2022 Mystic Valley Regional Charter School Flag Football Eagles Hailing from Everett are, pictured from left to right: Joseph Volpicelli and Rommel Tayag, Jr. Hailing from Saugus and Stoneham are: Nathan Thomas and Gio Amisial. Mystic Valley Regional Charter School Flag Football Eagles, pictured from left to right: in the front row: Head Coach Matthew Palma, Winsley Larrieux, Matthew Mulindwa, Mitchel Damas, Carl Damas, Gio Amisial, Jack Mangone with Assistant Coach Ryan Cerrato. Bottom row, pictured from left to right: Nathan Thomas, RJ Tayag, Adrien Chang, Joseph Volpicelli and Christ-Ryan Leconte. Team leaders, pictured from left to right: Rommell Tayag Jr., Carl Damas and Jack Mangone. MUSINGS | FROM PAGE 3 let’s get the skinny from her on one of her favorite subjects, the Exilhommes: “My dad has given me a few little ‘brothers’ in the last 20 years, but something was different when he would talk about Witche. My first real memory of Witches’ existence was an October day when he was playing a football game. His two 4th grade brothers came to watch him play and they just stood there in awe with big smiles on their faces watching their big brother play and I knew at that point he was a special person. Since then, Witche and his siblings have become the brothers and sisters I never knew I needed. My favorite memories include our family dinners and holidays together. I have watched Witche go through a lot in life, but always comes out with a smile and that contagious laugh. You will not come across many people in life with a heart like Witche. Malden is a better city because the Exilhommes moved here. Witche is changing lives one kid at time. It has been an amazing ride watching him accomplish so much in his almost 30 years. Sky’s the limit! My parents and I will always be there to answer his early morning phone calls and be his biggest fans.” Postscript 1: Actually, my whole family are big fans of Witche Exilhomme. None more so than my sister Barbara (Scibelli), who, as assistant to Principal (Dana) Brown at MHS, watched Witche grow from gangly preteen to the fine young adult he has become today. In high school WVE was extremely popular amongst his peers, staff, coaches and administrators. All loved and admired Witche. He was also a popular captain on both the football and hoop teams as well as president of Hailing from Malden are, pictured from left to right: Matthew Mulindwa, Adrian Chang, Gio Amisial, Winsley Larrieux and Christ-Ryan Leconte during their home game last Friday night. (Advocate photos by Tara Vocino) the Captains Council. A natural athlete, he excelled at anything and everything he attempted. Barbara has a great Witche story. Take it away, Mrs. Scibelli: “It was Witche’s senior year at Malden High. It was prom time and there were many who wanted to be his date. Witche had a special girl in mind. He asked his friend Kamisha. Kamisha, due to a degenerative muscle disease, had used a wheelchair her whole life. Kamisha’s positive ‘never give up’ attitude and fierce perseverance made a life changing impression on Witche. Witche and Kamisha became friends in Unified Sports at Malden High, a program he helped to start that brings together student athletes with and without disabilities to compete together regardless of different abilities. Inclusion through athletics. Witche heard that Kamisha ‘dreamed’ of dancing at her prom. There was not a dry eye in the house when, during a slow song, Witche asked her to dance and on the dance floor he lifted Kamisha out of her chair, and they danced together.” Fabulous story, Barbara, about a fabulous young man! Postscript 2: One more from the heart quote from Barbara: “Witchie is the person that makes you a better person for knowing him.” Postscript 3: It’s never too early to start thinking Malden vs Medford on Thanksgiving Day! It’s an ancient rivalry, as we all know, that goes back to 1889 – the year famous Malden author Erle Stanley Gardner was born. Gardner is best known for creating the Perry Mason series. Malden forever immortalized in this series when Perry Mason’s fictional secretary, Della Street, was named after Dell Street in Malden. But I digress. If you grew up in Malden, then you have probably attended a Thanksgiving Day game at Macdonald Stadium. You probably weren’t part of a crowd as large as the 1929 crowd that drew 18,500 fans, but those were unique times for sure. Here is a quote from Malden High School’s first African American football head coach (1905 & 1906) – trailblazing Harvard Law School alumni Matthew Washington Bullock – which pretty much sums up how a lot of Maldonians feel about the spirit of the day: “The season does not begin until Thanksgiving Day, and should we lose that game my work for the season will be a rank failure.” Bullock felt very strongly about this one particular game, and he didn’t even grow up in Malden! This from a man who fled the oppressive South in 1889 in the company of his seven siblings and parents (both formerly enslaved) with $10 between them. It’s a long and storied tradition. See you at Fenway!
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