Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 23, 2026 WIN | FROM PAGE 1 two important team goals: qualifying for an MIAA Playoff Berth and capturing a GBL Championship. Malden has gone over a decade, since 2015, since achieving either accomplishment. Marquee man McGuffie Marquee man McGuffie had a big night and huge role in — no exaggeration — Malden’s biggest win in years. Many were saying you’d have to go back to Malden’s memorable throwdown win over archrival Medford at a Fenway Park TurkeyFest in 2022 for the last bigtime “W”. McGuffie scored three touchdowns and was one step under 200 yards rushing (197 yards on the night). But on this night, the Golden Tornado record-setter was joined on the winning stage by several other standouts, on both sides of the ball. McGuffie did his usual spotlight performance in the first half, scoring twice, once by land and then by air (60-yard TD reception), for a 14-8 Malden halftime lead. Second half when Malden took control In the second half it was all hands on deck for Malden sixthyear Head Coach Witche Exilhomme. The Tornados got some electric performances from several different players. The only scoring of the third came on the heels of a long punt return by senior Arioc Akre. Leading by just one score at the time, Akre got the call again three plays later from the Lynn Classical 8-yard line and raced into the end zone for his third TD of the season, the third game in a row he has found the end zone for Malden. Another gigantic defensive play forced another Lynn Classical turnover when one of Malden’s unsung heroes of the whole season, junior Nathan Schonton, made one of the biggest plays of his three-year varsity career when he busted through the line to set up the TD run by Akre. Malden went ahead, 22-8, on McGuffie’s second twopoint conversion run. Defensively for Malden, one of the top contributors all night was freshman linebacker Bradley Merant, a 5-10, 185 newcomer. Merant led the Tornado “D” with 9 tackles, 4 of them for loss in the LC Rams backfield. ‘Good nights from a lot of different players’ “We got some good nights from a lot of different players and it was great to see,” said Coach Exilhomme, whose team is now on a 2-game win streak, winners of 3-of-4. “That’s what we need to beat a quality opponent. Lynn Classical was one of the more Malden High senior captain Dante Bell (17) hauls in a Lynn Classical runner. (Advocate Photo/Henry Huang) balanced teams we faced and we needed the team to come together like we did tonight.” Leading 22-8 heading into the fourth and final quarter, Lynn Classical showed it was far from done. Rams senior quarterback Mark Walsh led a 10-play scoring drive right back down the field, capped by 1-yard touchdown plunge by Emerson Lara Castro, to cut the Malden lead to 22-14 — back to a one-score game. Jeremiah Lara Castro hauled in a conversion pass from Walsh to make it closer, Classical trailing 22-16. Charles’ ‘Pick 6’ seals it for Malden After Classical forced a threeand-out for the Tornados defensively Malden really needed a momentum-changing play and they soon got it. The Walsh and Lara Castro tandem got back to work on another offensive drive, but on the third play, Malden senior defensive back Jemiah Charles stepped in front of a Walsh pass at the Malden 28yard line and returned the pickoff all the way to the end zone. It was a monster defensive score that turned the tide of the game decisively in Malden’s favor, with the Tornados now leading, 2814. McGuffie’s conversion run made it 30-16 with just over 5 minutes to play. All that was left was a “gravy train” score for McGuffie to close out the night, a 68-yard solo stampede up the right sideline to cash in on his third TD of the evening and a 36-16 final. *** EXTRA POINTS: After playSenior Jemiah Charles (11) intercepts a pass on a huge defensive takeaway late in the first half, which was followed by a 45-yard, “Pick 6” TD run by Charles. (Advocate Photo/Henry Huang) ing at home in four of its first six games, Malden now hits the road for two straight games, Malden senior captain and QB Josh Dionne (1) sees an opening and passes to Divine Victory Nduku (26). (Advocate Photo/Henry Huang) Malden senior Arioc Akre (14) scored his third TD in many games in the win over Lynn Classical on Friday night. (Advocate Photo/Henry Huang) starting with a trip to Manchester-by-the-Sea to take on nonleaguer Manchester-Essex Regional tonight at 6:30 p.m. .... This one has “trap game” written all over it. Manchester-Essex is 0-6 and has been outscored 189-21 by its opponents. Malden needs to be 5-2 with a win Friday night if it has any hopes of securing its first postseason berth since 2016, but it must not expect to win by just showing up at the field Friday. The Tornados have to earn it like any other win... If Malden wins Friday and improves to 5-2, it will be the best start in program history in 14 seasons, since 2011 Tornadoes also started 5-2... After Friday night, it is another road trip, this time to Somerville to take on the Highlanders. Somerville is also in the hunt for the postseason, and the winner of that pre-Halloween matchup on Friday, October 30 (6:00 p.m. kickoff) could very well be clinching its postseason MIAA Playoff ticket.
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