Page 16 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Wednesday, November 24, 2021 over the upright for the lead at the half. That was it for scoring, as the defenses took over. Both Freni and sophomore Marcos Almeida ate up lots of yards for Malden, and Murphy did the same for Medford (2-9), but no one could get into the end zone. Medford’s last and best bid ended on Malden’s eight-yard line with 3:26 left to play when Murphy was stopped short of the stake by Malden seniors Andrew Dinisco and Rodney Borgella. Medford still didn’t quit, held Malden and got the ball back with under a minute to play, but sophomore Mustangs QB Mike Sullivan’s last pass of the day was intercepted by Richardson with 41 seconds left on the clock. Interim Head Coach Jon Wilson, stepping in for head coach Jim Atkins, was at the helm for the Mustangs in his first and only Thanksgiving game. Coach Lopresti of Malden earned his first Thanksgiving win 2008: Nick Hoyt’s foot made the difference in the 2007 game when he kicked the extra point that won the 121st meeting in 2007, 7-6. In this one, Hoyt used both feet to grind out 153 yards rushing and a TD – the most rushing yards for a running back for either team since 2001 – in a 33-22 Malden win. The win cemented a winning record for Malden, as it put the Golden Tornadoes team at 5-6 overall. Malden was awarded a forfeit win when one of its non-league opponents was later found to have used an illegal player, so Malden finished 6-5. Medford finished 0-11 and, unfortunately, interim Head Coach Mike Marchese’s Mustangs became the first team in Medford history to ever lose 11 games. Marchese was coaching in place of Head Coach Jim Atkins – on paid suspension for the second straight Mustangs football season on Thanksgiving Day. Hoyt ran in a TD; junior David Console and sophomore Frankie Dunn also scored on the ground for the largest first-half lead for Malden in 20 years: 19-0. Sophomore Ronnie Pitterson caught a TD pass from QB Alex Krasco, and Medford trailed, 19-8, after three periods. Herbens Antenor caught two fourth-quarter TDs from Malden junior QB Skakarus Semexant, and Malden led 33-8. Krasco finished off with pair of TD tosses to senior Jan Lopez for 31 and 23 yards to Jimmy Richardson for a comeback try that fell short. Giovanni Sanders and Mike Sullivan each had two-point conversion scores for Medford. It turned out to be the last Thanksgiving game for both head coaches, as Malden’s John Lopresti retired in the offseason with a 2-1 Turkey Day record in his three years at the helm. Marchese departed when Medford hired a new head football coach in the offseason, Rico Dello Iacono, a former Everett High assistant. 2009: Malden made it three in a row with a hard-fought, 13-7 win over host Medford on a crisp, sunny day at Hormel Stadium. This one turned out to be an “Instant Classic” as it went down to the very last play in one of the most exciting finishes in many years. With 18 seconds to play and Medford facing fourth-and-goal from the Malden 4-yard line, QB Alex Krasco fired a pass to Giovanni Sanders in the corner of the end zone. But Malden’s Frankie Dunn was there to tip the pass away and seal the win. Both teams came in with different hopes. Malden, at 4-5, sought to avoid having a losing season. Medford, at 5-4, was looking to complete its first winning season since 1998. Malden scored first on a 17-yard TD catch by Ramon Viches from Malden QB Shak Semexant. Nick Hoyt’s PAT made it 7-0. Medford tied it in the second quarter on a nine-yard keeper for a TD with freshman Isad Dzolota’s PAT kick making it 7-7 at halftime. Malden drove 45 yards after a Mustangs turnover for a go-ahead score, four-yard run by Hoyt after a series of short passes to Frankie Dunn and David Console. Hoyt’s PAT fluttered away, and it was 13-7, Malden. Malden turned the ball over in its own territory twice in the final four minutes of the game on fumbles after completed passes, but Medford could not capitalize. Malden first-year coach Joe Pappagallo became the first Malden coach in 36 years to win his Thanksgiving debut since Malden Hall of Fame coach Paul Finn’s boys beat Medford in an upset in 1973. 2010: Malden Head Coach Joe Pappagallo won his second Turkey Day game in two tries at the helm in a 29-0 shutout victory over Medford in Game #123 at Macdonald Stadium in Malden, keeping pace with the legendary Paul Finn in 1973 and 1974. But Pappagallo made more serious history when his senior captain, 6-1, 305 lb. lineman Aaron Samano, scored the game’s first touchdown on a five-yard “lumber” into the end zone in the first. Little did anyone know this would be the only score of the first half as Malden led a spirited Medford bunch, 7-0, at halftime. In the second half, Malden used its size advantage to play ball-control: Senior quarterback Kevin Valley threw a 29yard touchdown pass to Frankie Dunn and then scored, himself, on a five-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Senior Kenny Metellus scored on an eightyard run in the fourth quarter. Medford could not get much going offensively, although it The 2019 Malden High School team, the most recent Golden Tornadoes team to play on Thanksgiving Day, celebrated a 29-0 shutout win over Medford High, the Golden Tornadoes’ fifth straight Thanksgiving Day victory, at Hormel Stadium in Medford. (Courtesy Photo/Malden High Athletics) did get solid efforts out of a pair of youngsters: a freshman starting at quarterback, Gene Consalves, and junior Nick Olivier out of the backfield. Malden’s three best defensive players in this shutout win were juniors Austin Teal, Witche Exilhomme and Jamie McInerney, all of who were named tri-captains for the 2011 season. 2011: This one was all Malden as the visitors might have scored the fastest touchdown in the 124-game series’ history when junior Ray Sainstril dove on a fumble in the end zone after Medford’s first snap from scrimmage. Thereafter, it was never in doubt, as junior quarterback Jake Martino threw three first-half touchdown passes on the way to a 36-0 Malden win – two shutouts in a row and for the first time in 50 years, five straight Malden Thanksgiving victories (9 of 10 since 2002). It was the fourth time in series history that Malden won two years in a row by shutout, the first since 2002-2003 (120, 7:0). Head Coach Joe Pappagallo’s Malden team posted the biggest Thanksgiving shutout win in over 100 years, since a 1907 Blue and Gold victory by a 44-0 count. Malden used its size and speed advantage to pile up points for a 28-0 halftime lead. After Sainstril’s fumble recovery touchdown, Malden made it 14-0 after the first quarter on a five-yard touchdown pass from Martino to senior captain Witchevalence “Witche” Exilhomme and a Martino keeper for two. Malden stayed in air raid mode in the second quarter – Martino to senior Garvin Cius for a 23-yard TD pass, with a Pat DeCicco run for a 22-0 lead. Late in the second quarter, Martino hooked up again, hitting junior Franklin Huynh for a 15-yard TD pass. Malden played ball-control in the second half, feeding top back O’Shane McCreath, who picked up 87 yards on just 11 carries and became the first Malden back to top 1,000 yards rushing in a season (1,012) since Ricky Bethlemie ran for 1,130 in 2002. Martino threw for 198 yards on the frame, 1,550 for the year and 19 TDs. Malden’s defense ruled for the shutout win led by fellow co-captains Austin Teal, Jamie McInerney and Exilhomme, the best defensive player in the GBL in 2011. Tyler Williams’ 32-yard interception return for the game’s final points five minutes into the second half completed the scoring. The Mustangs had some solid play from Max Clancy, Chris Bucknam and Reggie Fleurial. Medford started a freshman at quarterback in this one, for maybe the first time in series history, in Gene Concalves. They were hurt by the loss of top offensive weapon senior back Nick Olivier, who was injured and out of action for this one. It ended up being the final Thanksgiving game on the sidelines for third-year Head Coach Rico Dello Iacono, who stepped down after Game Three in the 2012 Mustangs season. He went 0-3 for the holiday classic. 2012: The largest crowd in years turned out for this historic 125th Game held at Macdonald Stadium in Malden under a fabulous, sunny sky with temperatures perfect: around 40 degrees. Malden won the game, by a 32-6 final to capture its sixth straight, behind the passing of senior QB Jake Martino, who completed 12 of 23 passes for 123 yards on the day. Junior Reggie Thelemaque led Medford from the QB spot with 89 yards rushing. He scored Medford’s only TD on an exciting, 54-yard run to open the third quarter. Junior Malik McLaren finished with 72 yards on 14 carries. Senior Rodney Blaise scored two TDs for Malden on a three-yard run in the second quarter and on a five-yard pass from Martino in the third. Junior Ray Sainstril opened the scoring with a first quarter, one-yard TD plunge. Senior Captain Paul Kiernan caught a two-point conversion pass from Martino for an 8-0 Malden lead. Senior Patrick Provitola, who also played great at linebacker, caught a twopoint conversion pass. Sainstril scored two TDs. 2013: For one of the few times in the series’ ancient 126-game history, Malden High scored as many points defensively (eight) as offensively in a holiday win, topping host Medford, 16-0, at cold and blustery Hormel Stadium. The wind chill was even lower than the Malden final score on this day. Malden scored on its first possession on a 21-yard run by Raymond Sainstril. The extra-point conversion try was no good, and it stayed 6-0 until Malden senior captain Jensen Ayuk leveled Medford’s Xavier Gibson on the very last play of the first half, scooped the loose ball and ran it in for a safety – Malden 8-0 at the half. Medford’s defense also played tough, causing three Malden fumbles on the day – recoveries by Mustangs Matt Sul
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