Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2023 GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE NOTEBOOK: Baseball is on the upswing in Malden with lots of enthusiasm in youth levels, success in Malden High Baseball program Longevity hits the bricks in Everett: three Head Football Coaches since departure of DiBiaso, third new coach in fi ve years takes over for Tide. HIGH FIVE for ‘BIG FOUR’: Revere High Outdoor Track Quartet named National HS All-Americans at Nike Nationals Meet in Oregon By Nick Toscani T here is no question that competitive baseball is alive and well in Malden with enthusiasm and spirit on full display in the youth baseball levels, carrying right up through the ranks to the high school level. Malden High School Baseball, coached by Steve Freker, Mike DiCato, Phil Cook and Mike Nicholson, enjoyed its most successful season in nearly a dozen years this past spring, breaking an 11year postseason drought. The Golden Tornado squad went 11-8 overall this past season – basically a “worst-to-fi rst” turnaround from a 4-16 campaign in 2022 – and earned an MIAA Division 1 State Baseball Tournament berth for the fi rst time since 2012. The Golden Tornado squad then went on to drop a respectable first-round game to host Bishop Feehan all the way down in Attleboro. Still, the experience was valuable to the youngerthan-young overall squad, according to Coach Freker. “We had the youngest varsity baseball team in New England – maybe America – last year when we started four freshmen and three sophomores on a regular basis,” said Freker, who began coaching at Malden High in the fall of 1982 and is now in his 41st season of coaching high school sports. “We took our lumps last year, but we did not quit and we competed every game.” “This year, we still had the youngest team in the state of Massachusetts, but that experience year made a big difference,” the Malden coach added, pointing out that Malden started three freshmen, three sophperience and confi dence going into 2024 after pulling off stuff like that this season.” The Malden coach said this year was the fi rst season it was easy to see the results of a number of years of hard work and collaboration between Malden High Baseball, the Malden Public Schools Athletic Department, Malden Recreation, Malden Youth Baseball and Malden Babe Ruth Baseball. Malden Public Schools DirecCOACH JUSTIN FLORES: Former Woburn High and UMaine standout Justin Flores has been named new Everett High football head coach. He is the third new head coach in just five years for the Tide, after previously having only three head coaches in 62 years (1955-2017). (Courtesy UMaine Football) omores, three juniors and one senior – Greater Boston League All-Star Brandon McMahon – this past season. Malden won two of three “mini”-tournaments it competed in this past season, taking championships in both the Tornado First Pitch Classic in early April and then taking its fi rst title since 2019 in the 12th Annual Strike Out Colon Cancer Tournament, hosted by East Boston High School May 20-21. “We had two sophomore pitchers – Aidan Brett and Ryan McMahon – combine for a twohit shutout (2-0 win over Watertown) in a tournament championship game over at East Boston. What team does that?” Coach Freker said. “We have a lot of exMOODY SARNO for 28 YEARS: Legendary former Everett High coach Amerino “Moody” Sarno is the longest-serving Everett football coach, from 19551982 – parts of four decades! (Courtesy/Wikipedia) tor of Athletics Charlie Conefrey spearheaded the introduction of a Middle School Baseball Program in the Greater Boston League, and it has thrived the past several years. One of the most successful and enthusiastic participants has been the Malden Middle School Baseball Team, made up of players from the 6th, 7th and 8th grades and coached by Phil Cook, a longtime former Malden youth baseball coach, who is now in his fi fth year on the Malden High baseball staff . “Coach Phil [Cook] had done a tremendous job motivating and guiding those Malden Middle School players and it has become a great feeder program to Malden High baseball,” Conefrey said. “The middle school program has helped make the whole GBL baseball league stronger for those teams that participate.” “Nine out of 10 players who play in the middle school baseball program end up coming to Malden High School and playing on our Golden Tornado Baseball team,” Coach Freker said. “That is a credit to Phil Cook and Mr. Conefrey who had initiated and grown that program.” The Malden coach said that he has made it a top priority to develop strong and collaborative relationships with Malden Babe Ruth Baseball and Field Director Deano Summers as well as Malden Youth Baseball and President Felice D’Anna. “Both Deano Summers and ‘Feesh’ D’Anna are strong supporters of Malden High Baseball and we help those organizations as much as we can. Our coaches and present and former players umpire 90% of their games and through our close work with Malden Recreation and coordinator Joe Levine, we run several well-attended, free baseball camps for younger kids each year in the winter and the summer,” Coach Freker said. “We are very happy about the excitement building around baseball in the city of Malden right now and we are committed to working closely with organizations, parents and players to see that increase,” the Malden High coach added. “We can’t wait to have all these excellent young players in our baseball program when they get to Malden High School,” Athletic Director Conefrey said. “We promise their parents and families we will do everything we can to ensure they develop into the best student-athletes they can be.” **** Justin Flores named new Everett High Head Football Coach; third new coach in fi ve years since DiBiaso left after the 2017 season John DiBiaso Jr. was the one of the longest serving head coaches in Everett High School history. He guided the Crimson Tide from 1992-2028, 26 years in all, with 12 Super Bowl State Championships. Before that? Jim “Tank” Agnetta, another former Everett High football standout, led the Tide for 9 years – 1983-1991. How NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ALL-AMERICANS: Revere High’s Sami El Asri, juniors JV Cunha and Medy Bellemsieh and sophomore Isaiah DeCrosta were named All-Americans at the Nike Nationals held in Oregon, after fi nishing in the Top Three nationally in a pair of events. (Courtesy Photo) MALDEN BASEBALL TOURNEY CHAMPS: Malden High Baseball won the 2023 Strike Out Colon Cancer Tournament in fi ne fashion, with 1-0 and 2-0 victories in East Boston. Holding the hefty Championship Trophy aloft, pictured from left to right, were freshman Ryan McMahon, sophomores Aidan Brett and Chris Macdonald and other players. (Courtesy/Malden High School Athletics)
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