THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 12, 2021 Page 15 GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE NOTEBOOK: Two former GBL QBs – Revere’s Boudreau & Everett’s Doherty – on Curry Football roster Despite rough record, MHS football brimming with optimism; what’s up with players with Everett ties helping end Tide’s playoff hopes... again? By Jake Taggert W ho knew two of the most decorated Greater Boston League (GBL) quarterbacks from the 2018-2019 seasons would end up on the same college football roster? That is the deal, however, this fall for Curry College Colonels Football, which features two former GBL standouts on its squad this year. Three-time Revere High AllStar QB Calvin Boudreau wears #10 for Curry Football. While the 6-1, 175 lb. Boudreau has not seen any action over the course of Curry’s 3-5 season thus far, he has certainly learned a ton of new football knowledge soaking it in as a freshman in that collegiate locker room. Boudreau might be the most versatile student-athlete Revere High has produced in the past decade. A three-sport starter, captain and league All-Star this past 2020 (into 2021) season, Boudreau shined for Patriot football, basketball and baseball, a true “throwback” three-sport athlete. One of Boudreau’s teammates this season is fellow freshman Duke Doherty, who formerly played quarterback for Everett High (two seasons: 2018, 2019) and his hometown Winthrop High Vikings (two seasons: 2017, Fall 2, 2020). Doherty played for Winthrop as a freshman then transferred to Everett for two seasons in 2018-2019. Following the 2018-19 school year, Doherty cut ties with Everett and returned to the Winthrop proCurry College freshman QB Calvin Boudreau has some good years ahead of him for the Colonels. (Courtesy/Curry College Athletics) gram this past fall. A lifelong resident, Doherty graduated from Winthrop High this past May. The 5-10, 200 lb. Doherty is not playing QB for the Curry Colonels, but he is listed as a running back. He has also not seen any game action this summer. While at Everett High for the 2019 season, Doherty announced over social media that he had verbally committed to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., but that destination did not pan out. Three other former Everett High players are also on the Curry roster: junior Gabe DeSouza, who is a junior wide receiver and a North Andover resident; junior running back Chris Jenkins, a 5-9, 190 lb. Hyde Park resident; and freshman 6-0, 180 lb. defensive back Tyler David, an Everett resident. Both Boudreau and Doherty were Northeastern Conference (NEC) All-Star quarterbacks in 2019. Curry closes out the season tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 when University of New England (UNE) travels to Easton, Mass., in the season finale for both teams. **** Future promising for young MHS football Tornados; sub-varsity team is sitting at 7-2 Malden High first-year head Methuen QB Drew Eason’s parents, Paul and Tammi, are both Everett High graduates. (Courtesy Photo) coach Witche Exilhomme has not missed a play by his football players this season – all of his players and all of his teams, by the way. Coach Exilhomme, himself a 2012 MHS alumnus who starred as a former Golden Duke Doherty is a Curry College freshman running back. He played two seasons at Everett High (2018 and 2019) and two seasons for his hometown Winthrop High Vikings (2017, Fall 2, 2020). (Courtesy/Curry College Athletics) Tornado (2008-2011), obviously has not missed any of his varsity team’s action. But through some creative practice/film session scheduling, he has been on the sidelines as well for all of his Malden team’s Junior Varsity games. And he really likes what he sees. Why not? Following a JV win over next-door Everett High on October 29, the “Junior Tornados” improved to 6-2 overall (5-1 GBL). This win came just 16 hours after the Tide varsity bulldozered its way to a 43-0 victory the night before. According to Malden High sports lore afficionados, this was the first Tornado sub-varsity win – of any kind – in over a dozen years. Good stuff, says Coach Exilhomme. “We knew we had an excellent freshman class coming in this year, and they have been the foundation for this successful JV team,” he told the Advocate. “They play hard, they play smart and they will fight for that win. That is how we want all of our players to perform.” Quarterback Aidan Brett has been a standout in most of the games he’s started. He is a threesport athlete whose third sport coming into high school was soccer – not football – to go along with basketball and baseball. “He [Brett] never played football before, but he’s really taken to the sport and gotten better every week,” Exilhomme said. “That’s all we ask of all our players – work to keep improving.” In the 26-14 win over Everett, Malden High first-year Head Coach Witche Exilhomme talks to his JV football team after their most recent win (7-2) at Macdonald Stadium. (Advocate Photo) Brett hooked up all day with 6'5" sophomore split end Gabriel Vargas, who caught two TD passes of 58 and 35 yards to go along with several other receptions to put him well over 100 yards for the game. Zachary Johnson and Kevin Exilhomme, the head coach’s younger brother, scored the other TDs for Malden in that winning JV game. Coach Exilhomme said he is expecting over 35 players returning next season from this team and “a lot of athletes from other teams in our school interested in football for next year.” He also has been spending time with the Malden Pop Warner program this past fall and reports that a bevy of more young players are future Golden Tornados as well. “We will be pulling it all together in the offseason and we will be working very hard to put out a solid team next year,” he said. **** Another player with Everett ties plays key role in Tide playoff exit Friday night Three years ago it was a then little-known Central Catholic sophomore with a strong leg who sent Everett packing from the playoffs. That young placekicker, Nick Mazzie, made himself a part of CC Red Raider lore when he booted a 33-yard, game-winning field goal with 57 seconds left in overtime to beat heavily favored Everett at Everett Stadium, 23-20, in the MIAA Division 1 North Semifinal. If the Mazzie name sounds familiar, it should. Nick Mazzie’s dad happens to be longtime Everett Police Chief Steve Mazzie, who was decidedly “Mixed Emotions Central” that night. Fast forward three years to this past Friday – nearly to the day – Nov. 5 in Methuen. Still another kid with Everett ties helped end Everett football’s playoff run a whole lot earlier than expected. Sophomore Methuen High quarterback Drew Eason has had a fine season, not only for a 10th-grader, but for any high school quarterback. But could the 15-year-old kid with the names of two former successful New England Patriots passers (Drew Bledsoe and Tony Eason) hold the fort against Everett, which came into the game with one of the most experienced and talented defensive secondaries in New England? Apparently so. Eason threw for two TDs in leading Methuen to a 25-22 barnburner upset win in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 State Football Championship Tournament. Of course, there has to be an Everett connection. There was, as Drew Eason’s parents, Paul and Tammi, are both Class of 1995 Everett High graduates, growing up rooting for the Crimson Tide, right at the beginning of the Coach John DiBiaso Era (1992-2017). “This means so much to all of us,” QB Drew Eason said after the game, in an online report. “We came in as the underdog on our turf, and came out with the win.” “I heard stories from my parents about Everett, but they told me they bleed Methuen Blue now. It was amazing,” he added.
16 Publizr Home