Malden High takes on Medford on Thanksgiving Day in Game #134 in a series that began in 1889

Here’s a capsule look at the Malden-Medford Thanksgiving game history, 1889-2021, game-by-game

  Editor’s Note: There technically was a Malden-Medford game played representing the 2020 season, although it took place in April 2021 during the “Fall 2” season. However, the fact there was a game played means that Malden-Medford now becomes the LONGEST continuous high school football rivalry game in THE NATION!!

  This information was prepared by former Malden Evening News Sports Editor Paul Leahy for through 1991 and by former Malden Evening News/Medford Daily Mercury Editor-in-Chief Steve Freker for from 1992 to 2017. The tradition now has continued in The Malden Advocate – from 2018 to the present.

A capsule summary of every game from 1940-2021

  They’ve played 133 times before in a series that began in 1889, and it is now the longest continuous high school football rivalry in the United States. This year’s game has been cancelled due to COVID-19. Malden leads the series 67-55. There have been 10 ties. Following is a capsule look of each game that’s been played in the time-honored series between Malden and Medford:

  1940: Sal “Crazy Legs” Cannava and Bud Mahoney score fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally Medford to a 14-6, come-from-behind upset in the first Mustangs win over the Golden Tornadoes in 11 years.

  1941: Paul O’Brien returns interception 65 yards to set up second-quarter touchdown in a 6-0 Medford victory.

  1942: Hank Corrado’s two second-half touchdowns pace Medford to Eastern Mass. Class A championship and unbeaten season, 13-0.

  1943: Capt. John Giannelli and Joe Corbisiero do all Medford’s scoring in a 21-0 victory, four in a row for the Mustangs.

  1944: Underdog Medford stalls at the Malden six-inch line at the close of the first half and fights Golden Tornadoes to a scoreless tie, 0-0.

  1945: Wet weather and soggy grounds hold Medford to 36 yards in total offense and Malden to just 14 yards in second straight scoreless tie, 0-0

  1946: Capt. Warren McFague and Jackie Feltch score as Medford upsets Malden, 14-6. The Mustangs are unbeaten in seven straight Thanksgiving games.

  1947: Dick Lawrence sprints 51 yards with a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and earns the Class A Champion Mustangs a bid to the Gator Bowl, 13-7.

  1948: Dan Duggan scores twice and leads Gator bowl–bound Malden to an undefeated season and Class A title, 33-14, ending an eight-year unbeaten streak by Medford.

  1949: Medford’s Joe Gnerre scores a second-quarter touchdown, and the Mustangs hold Malden at own two-yard line later in frame for 6-0 victory.

  1950: Steve O’Brien throws a touchdown pass to Buddy O’Shea in the second quarter after fake field goal in 7-0 Malden victory.

  1951: Hank Lindberg races 60 yards with an interception to set up a seven-yard catch by Paul Hurton with two minutes left in the third quarter, breaking a scoreless tie and starting Malden on a 19-0 victory. This was only the second game in the series in which both teams came in unbeaten, Medford at (8-0-0) and Malden at (7-0-1). The Golden Tornadoes win gave the Class A title to Weymouth.

  1952: Five different player score as Medford rolls, 27-0.

  1953: Phil Gagliardi sprints 47 yards for the winning touchdown with little more than three minutes remaining in the game to give Medford a 6-0 victory.

  1954: Malden gains only 49 yards on the ground, but quarterback Billy Brown throws for 135 yards and two touchdowns to pace Malden, 27-9, as Malden shares the GBL title with Somerville.

  1955: A second-quarter safety and a 20-yard interception return late in the frame by Bob Dell Isola, son of Coach John Dell Isola, lead Medford to an upset, 8-7 victory.

  1956: Dom Fermano scores twice and Jason Mantia once to lead Malden to a 20-6 win.

  1957: Dom Fermano races 40 yards for a game-winning, fourth quarter touchdown and leads Malden to come-from-behind victory and GBL championship, 19-14.

  1958: Sophomore Lou Lemmo scores twice as Malden romps, 26-0.

  1959: John Keats, Ken Puleo and Mac Singleton score to give Malden the GBL title, 20-0.

  1960: Co-Capt. Vic Lemmo scores three touchdowns as Malden romps to second straight GBL title, 50-6, in the highest scoring game of the series.

  1961: Senior Steve Desimone scores four touchdowns and rushes for a conversion to set a series scoring record with 26 points while pacing Malden, 34-2.

  1962: Bill Gouvalaris scores two touchdowns, including the tying one, as Malden rallies from a 20-0 deficit and fights to a 20-20 tie. Medford stops what would have been the winning conversion with 2:30 left in the game.

  1963: Bob Baker intercepts a Mustangs pass and returns it 88 yards for a Golden Tornadoes touchdown, and George Scrimone recovers a fumble in the end zone for the winning two-point conversion in a Malden 8-6 comeback victory.

  1964: Paul Finn and John Salmon score two touchdowns each to lead Malden, 24-0.

  1965: Joe Fermano and Nick Esposito score as Malden rallies, 14-6.

  1966: Bill Croken and Ed Hichborn lead Malden’s 25-13 upset with two touchdowns each.

  1967: Jim Reid scores twice as GBL champs Medford earns share of Class A championship with Weymouth, 22-0.

  1968: Ken Rideout equals series record with four touchdowns while leading Medford, 32-14.

  1969: Co-capt. Dave Moulton – sidelined with 60 stitches in his head after an automobile accident the night before the game – comes off the bench in the second half and scores two touchdowns to lead Malden to share the GBL title with Quincy, 26-6.

  1970: Mike Byrne passes for 207 yards and a 26-6 Malden win.

  1971: The Mustangs conclude their best season in five years as All-Scholastic Kevin Cunniff runs 68 yards on the final play of the game. Mike Colonna’s one-yard run and Art Ventresco’s 37-yard field goal added the trimmings to the 16-0 win that meant an 8-2 season.

  1972: All-Scholastic tailback Mike Colonna closed out his schoolboy career by running for a series record that still stands, five touchdowns, as Medford walloped the winless Golden Tornadoes, 38-19, at Macdonald Stadium in the highest total-point-scoring game in series history to date. It was the last Thanksgiving game for coaching legend Bill Tighe of Malden, who began coaching Lexington the next season and coached there until 2010, to conclude a 62-year coaching career.

  1973: One of the most dramatic second-half turnarounds in series history gave Malden a 22-13 upset. Medford led at the half, 6-0, and then the Mustangs’ John Flynn returned the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown that put Malden in a 12-0 hole. But the steady ground game of the Golden Tornadoes’ Tom Cuhna (101 yards) and the passing accuracy of sophomore quarterback John Stanasek sparked the win, the first for new Head Coach Paul Finn, who went on to coach 25 more Thanksgiving games.

  1974: This was simply a rout as Malden went on to share the Greater Boston League title with Peabody after blasting the Mustangs, 42-15, in a contest that tied the record for total points in the Malden-Medford game. Golden Tornadoes Co-Captain Jeff Sullivan rushed for 130 yards and scored two touchdowns; John Stanasek passed for two TDs and four conversion points; John Ruelle had a touchdown and a two-point conversion; Mark Burns, Pauk Coleman and junior Steve Defillipis scored TDs; Steve Carlan netted a two-point conversion; and Shawn Brickman kicked two PATs. All-Scholastic Co-Captain Jack Freker and defensive backs Steve Carpenter and Charlie Russell led the Malden defense.

  1975: This is the infamous “Mud Bowl” that switched from Hormel to Pearl Street Stadium because of field conditions. Malden turned out to have better “mudders” while winning its third game in a row over the Mustangs. Don Roach ran 23 yards for a TD in the second period and 10 yards for a score in the third. He also caught a conversion pass from John Stanasek as Malden won, 14-8, to clinch a tie for the GBL title with Everett.

  1976: A 14-6 victory over Malden “saves” Medford’s season at Pearl Street Stadium. The Mustangs went into the contest with a winless, 0-9 record. Reserve running back Mike Finigan, who gained less than 100 yards all season, leaped over the goal line from one to give Medford a 6-0 lead. Mike Meli scored what proved to be the game-winning points on a sweep for the two-point conversion. In the fourth quarter, Medford iced the game when quarterback Kenny Curtis scored on a 8-yard sweep to make it 14-0. In the final three minutes, Malden’s Shawn Brickman completed 11 passes; the final one, a swing pass in the last second of play to Vic Souza, put Malden on the scoreboard.

  1977: The punting game was the key to Medford’s 15-6 victory at Tufts University’s Ellis Oval. Quarterback Steve Powell’s four-yard touchdown run gave Malden the lead in the first quarter, but Medford’s Tony Pasquale fell on a fumble in the end zone when a poor snap on a punt went over Powell’s head and the Malden kicker was hit by Ralph Tenaglia, causing the fumble. A blocked punt set up a 20-yard scoring run by the Mustang’s Mike Tortorella.

  1978: Super Bowl–bound Medford needed a 19-yard field goal from Franz Eberth with 6:38 left in the game to take a 9-7 victory before 8,000 at sunny Pearl Street Stadium. The Mustangs scored first when Buddy MacLean passed 39 yards to Pat Holland on Medford’s first possession, but it was the Mustangs defense that won the game with a goal line stand at the end of the half when Malden couldn’t score on two tries from the two-yard line.

  1979: Medford exploded for 28 points in the first quarter on the way to a record-setting 48-24 win over Malden in which more points were scored than in any other game in the ancient series. Malden made it close at the half with a 16-point outburst, but the Mustangs put it away with 20 points in the second half. Craig Martorana led the scoring with three touchdowns.

  1980: Mike Todisco, a junior wide receiver, caught three touchdown passes from Mike Caraviello, son of Medford coach Armond Caraviello, as Medford defeated Malden, 24-12, for the fifth year in a row. For Malden, Dan Rao completed 10 out of 20 passes for 114 yards, and Ed Fitzgerald had seven receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown.

  1981: Trailing 10-0 at the half, Medford battled back and whipped Malden for the sixth straight time, 29-18, on a beautiful Thanksgiving morning at Tufts. Junior quarterback Roger Martorana rushed for two scores and passed for one to lead the Medford comeback. Malden quarterback Bobby Trodden connected on an amazing 20 of 28 passes in the loss. It was the final Thanksgiving Game at the helm for Mustangs coaching legend Armond Caraviello.

  1982: This turned into a one-man game when Warren Olson, whose father played for Malden High, carried the ball 32 times, gained 164 yards and scored two touchdowns in Medford’s 19-0 romp. It was Medford’s seventh straight win and made Mustangs coach “Bud” Kelley’s Thanksgiving debut a memorable one, despite that the game was played on Malden turf.

  1983: Ernie Breen fired two TD passes to Steve Walsh, and Medford bolted to a 25-0 half time lead and never looked back. Sophomore Steve Monaco’s brilliant passing (18-0-21, 177 yards) led Malden’s second-half comeback that produced a pair of scores for the 25-14 final. This game was later ruled a forfeit by Medford, the only ever in series history, due to an ineligible player. It shows as a Malden win in the all-time series slate, but it’s a known fact that Coach Finn and the players never accepted it as a win, living with the score that was decided on the field.

  1984: Paul DeMayo put on one of the best one-player scoring shows in history. He had second-half touchdown runs of 56 yards, one yard and eight yards and kicked the conversion point after each score in Malden’s 21-6 victory. The running of DeMayo (95 yards), Reggie Hayes (82) and quarterback Steve Monaco (80) was the key to the Malden win. Richard Lavoie averted the shutout for the Mustangs with a six-yard run in the fourth quarter as Malden stopped the Medford win streak at eight games. Malden captains Guy Prescott and Danny Valeri along with Bob McVicar keyed the defense for the Golden Tornadoes.

  1985: The Medford ball-control game helped the Mustangs post a mild, 28-20 upset and grab a share of the GBL title with Peabody. Had Malden won, the Golden Tornadoes would have been co-GBL champs. Played two days after Thanksgiving because of a snowstorm, the game was a showcase for John Hunt; Medford’s tailback carried the ball 27 times, gained 116 yards and scored two touchdowns, including the game winner. Marc Bartalini and Scott Pynn scored the other touchdowns for Medford. Golden Tornadoes quarterback Steve Monaco completed 12 of 23 passes for 154 yards but was unable to throw a TD pass. Reggie Hayes ran for two touchdowns for Malden; Monaco, who remains Malden High’s all-time career passer with over 2,600 yards, ran in the other score.

  1986: Malden scored 20 points in the first half and 13 in the fourth quarter of a 33-12 victory. Junior Carmine Cappuccio caught three touchdown passes from Chuck Borstel for a series record that still stands. Junior Lawrence Hicks ran for 136 yards and a TD, and junior Brian Hatch scored a TD for the Golden Tornadoes. Bob Ferrante ran for a Medford TD, and Drew Murphy caught a 79-yard pass from Mustangs quarterback David Martorana for the other Mustangs score.

  1987: Malden drove to an undefeated (8-0) Greater Boston League Championship, its first in 12 years, and its best record (9-1) in over 25 years, with a 28-0 victory in the historic 100th game with Medford, which was played at Hormel Stadium before a huge crowd and had national television coverage by sports commentator Bob Costas. A pregame pep talk to Malden by former Golden Tornadoes legend Dave Moulton appeared on national TV that day. Lawrence Hicks ran for 118 yards and scored two touchdowns. Bill Roderick passed for 152 yards, including a 46-yard toss to Carmine Cappuccio. Roderick also scored a TD, and J.P. Kelley had an interception for Malden. Chris Forbes and Joe Mucci recovered fumbles that set up Malden TDs. Leading the defense were All-Scholastic and NFL-bound Dan Jones, Brian Hatch, Nick Freni and Mike O’Brien.

  1988: Malden clinched its second consecutive GBL title with a 14-13 win. Ed Dicks scored on a three-yard run in the first quarter, and Bob Carroll (blocked punt and fumble recovery) caught a four-yard TD pass from Sean Davis, followed by Tim Ford’s two-point conversion run in the fourth period, which turned out to be the game-winning points. Co-captain Mike Freker was a key defender with Carroll on the day. Dave Morey scored Medford’s first touchdown on a three-yard run, and Kevin Gillis kicked the PAT point with sophomore Jimmy Martorana returning a kickoff 75 yards for Medford’s second touchdown.

  1989: Defense dominated this game from start to finish on both sides of the scrimmage line. Medford won the game, 12-8, snapping a three-game Malden win streak, and it was the Mustangs defense that scored both of its TDs. Scott Tropeano stripped the ball from a Malden runner and reversed direction for a 20-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Jimmy Martorana broke a 6-6 tie with a spectacular, juggling interception return that covered 70 yards in the fourth quarter. George Mason caught a four-yard pass from Kevin Geraghty for Malden’s lone TD. The other two Malden points came when Medford quarterback Mike Moreno took a deliberate safety.

  1990: Eric Marsh and the Malden defense dominated this game for the Golden Tornadoes, 16-2. A senior tailback, Marsh carried the ball 25 times, gained 130 yards and scored both of the game’s touchdowns on runs of 31 and four yards. Malden defensive linemen Steve Froio, Christian Fitzpatrick, Dan “Bubba” Ford and Walter Fajardo, plus a three-turnover (two fumble recoveries and an interception) by Mike Giblin kept the Mustangs in check.

  1991: Mike Moreno had pretty much done it all in a three-year standout career for Medford, but he saved his best for last: Moreno booted a 38-yard field goal with 3:38 left in the game to give the Mustangs their 9-8 victory. It was the first field goal for either team in 12 years, since Franz Eberth’s game-winning 19-yarder in Medford’s 1978 win (9-7), and the longest field goal in series history. After a scoreless first half, Paul Morey scored for Medford on a three-yard run in the third quarter, but the conversion try was no good for a 6-0 lead. Malden took the lead early in the fourth quarter when QB Rob Steber ran two yards for a TD, and Deterrance Guyton ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-6 lead that didn’t hold up.

  1992: Rob Steber and A.J. Joy scored the Malden touchdowns, and Anthony Lopresti kicked both conversion points that were the difference in the Golden Tornadoes’ 14-13 win at Macdonald Stadium on Pearl Street. Dave Dussault scored both Medford touchdowns, and Rich Fleming kicked the point-after. The game started in a drizzle that quickly became a downpour. Despite the rain and mud, there were no fumbles. Steber scored on a three-yard run in the first quarter, and Lopresti’s PAT made it 7-0. Dussault caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from QB Chris Jones in the second period to cut the Malden lead to 7-6. Joy raced 54 yards for his TD later in the second, and Lopresti’s boot made it 14-6. Dussault returned a punt 40 yards for a TD in the fourth quarter, but the Malden defense stopped the conversion attempt to seal the win. After Malden’s win, the ceremonial “mud dive” was held and enjoyed by all the Golden Tornadoes.

  1993: Malden came all the way back and then some in one of the best comebacks in the series-long history, in a 46-18 win. Down 18-0, Malden roared back with 46 unanswered points. It was the most points Malden had scored since 1960 and Malden’s biggest margin of victory since 1974’s win (42-15). Senior Kurt Gaudet was the star of the day for Malden, dominating the game with three TDs and 160 yards rushing. Teammate Billy Barrat scored two TDs and rushed for 115 yards. Junior split end Rich Griffin caught a four-yard TD pass and two-point conversion pass from junior QB Ronnie Repoza. Medford scored the first three TDs of the game, all by Terrell Halls, who was unstoppable in the first half – rushing for an amazing 255 yards by halftime – finishing with just under 300 for the game, still a series record. Gaudet also had an interception to spark the defense, and Richmond-bound senior D.J, Cunningham, shifted to nose tackle for the game, led defensively for Malden. It was the final Thanksgiving game for Mustangs’ head man “Bud” Kelley after 12 years at the helm.

  1994: In one of the biggest upsets in the series overall and biggest of the 1990s, heavy underdog Medford, coming into the game at 1-8 overall under first-year Head Coach Bill Buldini, a former Mustangs standout, shut down Malden’s high-powered offense for a 6-0 victory. Malden came into the game with the most potent passing attack in the GBL and one of the best in Eastern Mass., averaging just under 25 points a game behind the rifle arm of senior quarterback Ronnie Repoza. Medford’s defense had allowed just over four touchdowns a game coming into Thanksgiving. On a bitterly cold morning in the low teens in Malden, Medford froze out Malden’s passing attack to just 57 yards on the day, on 5 of 13 numbers for Repoza, who still finished with a then school single-season passing mark of 1,447 yards in the air. Malden’s defense was solid as well, led by Durkins Anthony, as the only scoring of the game came at the end of a 61-yard scoring drive on Medford’s very first possession of the day, a nine-yard TD pass from senior Mustangs QB Chris Jones to Mike Nestor. The rest of the game was scoreless for both sides. Paul Camuso led Medford with 89 yards on nine carries. Keith Bevans had two sacks to spark the Medford defense.

  1995: Playing his first varsity game ever and his first game of the season, surprise starter sophomore tailback Jose Harris sparked Medford to a 25-14 victory at Hormel Stadium with two TDs and 141 yards. Medford went up 7-0 when Harris sprinted to a 75-yard TD midway through the second quarter followed by Steve Bosselman’s PAT kick. Malden had a golden opportunity when Mike Ciaburri pounced on a Medford fumble at its own five-yard line, but the Mustangs wouldn’t let Malden score on four cracks at the goal line. Medford went up 13-0 when Harris busted free for his second TD, an 18-yard run halfway through the third quarter. Malden did rally back on junior QB Ryan Hale’s 11 of 22, 132 yards passing. A 47-yard pass to senior J.J. O’Brien set up a one-yard Hale TD in the third. Jimmy Meagher (11 carries, 71 yards) then scored on a 12-yard run for a 19-6 lead, and Paul Camuso’s 30-yard TD made it 25-6 with under four minutes left. Malden’s Joe DeMartino caught an 18-yard TD pass from Hale, and O’Brien caught the conversion for the final scoring with less than minute left, 25-14.

  1996: This was a “Tale of Two Halves” and a near season-saver for Malden, which came into the game at 1-9 for the year, a low point in over 25 years for Malden football. But Medford staved off the comeback and held on for a 27-12 win in another frigid morning at Macdonald Stadium (just 10 degrees at kickoff). Medford owned the first half of the game with a 20-0 lead at the half. Sophomore Dwayne D’Oyley caught an 18-yard TD pass from Rob Baldassari, and Art Camuso’s kick made it 7-0. Junior Jose Harris, who scored twice the year before, got back in the spotlight with a 62-yard TD run, Camuso’s PAT making it 14-0. Malden’s offense sputtered, and Mustangs junior linebacker John Murphy made it worse when he blocked a Ryan Hale punt, and teammate Nick DeMaria fell on it in the end zone for another Medford TD and a 20-0 lead at the half. Junior Frank Femino scored on a 37-yard run to start the second half, and Camuso’s third kick made it 27-0. After that? Malden owned the rest of the game. Hale hit senior TE Randy DiCarlo with a 13-yard TD pass with 4:38 left in the third. Junior John DeMartino recovered a Mustangs fumble on Medford’s four-yard line, and Golden Tornadoes senior Adrian Pleasant ran it in one play later to make it 27-12. Malden drove to the Medford 19 on its next possession, but the drive stalled. Medford killed the clock and Game #109 was history.

  1997: Senior Medford tailback Frank Femino had a holiday to remember in leading the Mustangs to a 34-8 victory at blustery Hormel. Femino ran for 163 yards on just 10 carries and challenged the single-game series’ Thanksgiving scoring mark with 22 points, three TDs and two conversion runs. On just the second play of the game, Femino motored 62 yards for a score. After Mike Vecchia blocked a Malden punt, Medford was back in the end zone four plays later when Eric Giordano scored on a three-yard run. Femino’s conversion run made it 14-0. Malden’s best weapon, junior QB Timmy Philbrook’s passing, was hampered already by the strong winds that day, and it got worse when he was injured in the second quarter and did not return – held to 2 of 10, 20 yards passing. Medford scored two more TDs on runs by senior Bryce Hopkins and Femino for a 27-0 halftime lead. Femino’s 55-yard run to the Malden 4 early in the fourth set up his own TD run a play later and a 33-0 lead. Malden senior fullback Gregg DeVincentis scored to avert the shutout on a four-yard run late. Matt Donoghue ran in the conversion points at QB. Steve Ciampoli led the Medford defense with 10 tackles and three assists. DeVincentis led Malden with 12 tackles, four assists and a fumble recovery.

  1998: This was a shocker. Two teams not known for their offensive fireworks combined to set a new combined single-game scoring record for the series in Game #111 at Macdonald Stadium. It was also the final Thanksgiving Day game for legendary Malden Head Coach Paul Finn, after a 26-year career. Medford used a huge game from quarterback Mike Fahey, who ran for 164 yards on just seven carries, and three TDs and 133 yards from senior tailback Pat McCarthy, for a 47-32 win over Malden, which eclipsed a series record set in 1979 (a 48-24 Medford win). Medford scored the first three times it had the ball: on a six-yard keeper by Fahey, nine-yard TD reception by Steve Chausse and a 45-yard run by Fahey. Malden broke the shutout on a one-yard keeper by senior QB Timmy Philbrook in the second quarter, but Fahey hit Brandon Hopkins with a 28-yard TD pass with under a minute to play in the half for a 27-8 lead at the break. Malden came right back with a 38-yard TD catch by Craig Barton early in the third, but it was the closest they would get. The fourth quarter was a wild one, with 36 points scored combined, another series record. McCarthy scored on a nine-yard run, and Fahey’s 89-yard TD run, a record for Medford on Thanksgiving Day, made it 41-16, Mustangs. Malden answered with a four-yard TD run and conversion by Tommy Kelley to make it 41-24, but Medford added another TD on a six-yard run by Terence Burrell. Malden closed it out with a 35-yard scoring pass from Philbrook to Matt Donoghue. Philbrook finished with a Malden Thanksgiving Day record of 210 yards passing (15 for 33, 2 TDs), surpassing Mike Byrne’s numbers from the 1970 game (207 yards). Peter Kobzik kicked five PATs for Medford, another record. Junior Nick Cox, Malden’s unofficial MVP on the day, ran for 114 yards on just six carries, a TD and a PAT, catching five passes for 54 yards. Malden senior Craig Barton had six catches for 100 yards.

  1999: In the last game of the century, Medford made it six wins in a row at soggy and cold Hormel Stadium, with the weather making for a smaller than usual crowd in a 37-20 victory. Senior Wlad Louis was the star for Medford, along with senior captain Steve Chausse. Louis ran for 127 yards and a touchdown, and Chausse had 70 tough yards on just 10 carries and two TDs. Chausse also sparked a Mustangs “D” that held Malden to just 63 yards on the ground and five first downs. Malden senior captain and QB Nick Cox was his team’s best player on Thanksgiving for the second straight season, keeping his team in on both sides of the ball. He led Malden in rushing and in passing (3 for 12, 101 yards). His favorite target was senior Scott Haskell (2 rec., 97 yards), who had a 71-yard touchdown catch which helped Malden tie the game at 8-8 in the first quarter. Brad Roche returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards for a Medford touchdown. The two teams traded TDs in the second period – Chausse’s four-yard run for Medford and Cox’s one-yard run – as Medford led, 21-14, at the half. Medford started the third quarter with a 32-yard TD run by Brandon Hopkins, but Cox returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a TD to make it 28-20 Mustangs, as Malden was right back in the ballgame, A 32-yard field goal by Mike Piontkowski, the first FG by either team since 1991 (Mike Moreno game winner), and a 25-yard TD run by Chausse sealed the win. This win tied the series for all-time at 51-51-10 with the first winner of the new millennium taking the lead. This was the final game in the series with Bill Buldini at the helm for Medford, as he went a perfect 6-0 on the holiday. It was the first Turkey Day leading the Malden troops for new first-year Head Coach Rich Cullen; Cullen made the crosstown switch as Head Coach of Malden Catholic (his alma mater), where he had been for the previous 12 seasons.

  2000: This was a memorable “season saver” game for first-year Medford Head Coach Al Pare, as the Mustangs pulled the “Dominick Hasek” to take a 14-13 win at sunny, but brisk Macdonald Stadium. Medford came in winless at 0-8, and Malden was 1-9, with the victor having at least a Turkey Day win to savor. Medford also took the lead in the series for the first time since 1946, going ahead, 52-51-10, with their only win. Junior two-way end Luis Zamora and junior split end Angel Ortiz were Medford’s stars. For Malden, senior Ricky Bethelmie went over the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the year. Malden struck first when freshman quarterback Breno Giacomini (believed to be the first freshman to start at quarterback ever, for either side) hit Nevy Marc with a 30-yard pass, followed by a 20-yard TD run by Bethelmie and a PAT kick by Carmelo Bari. Medford QB Dave Foley then hit Ryan Driscoll with a seven-yard TD pass, and Zamora’s PAT tied it at 7-7 at the half. A big catch by Zamora and a 20-yard run by freshman tailback Julien Mundele fueled the drive. A trick, inside kick by Medford opened the second half as Ortiz leaped high to snare Zamora’s “pooch” kick. A 40-yard run by Zamora and six-yard TD burst by Terence “The Bus” Burrell gave Medford a 13-7 lead. Zamora’s PAT made it 14-7 and turned out to be the game-winning point. A lightning response by Malden came with a 72-yard TD run by Bethlemie, but the PAT kick to tie bounced off the goalpost, and Malden trailed, 14-13. Dave Richard and Jack Dolabany made key sacks for Medford as the visiting Mustangs crowd, a large one despite the team record, roared with each one. On Malden’s last chance drive, Ortiz sealed the win with an acrobatic interception at his own 25-yard line, following his game-saving play with a “Mustang Dive” into the Medford fans as the Mustangs won for the seventh straight time on Thanksgiving.

  2001: In front of the largest crowd in years at drizzly Hormel Stadium, this one was thought to be an evenly matched battle before kickoff, but Medford exploded in the first half for a 27-0 lead enroute to a 34-6 victory. Sophomore tailback Julien Mundele led the way with four TDs and 219 yards rushing, one TD short of Mike Colonna’s series record of five TDs set in the 1972 game. Medford senior Angel Ortiz scored the other first-half TD, on a reception from senior QB Peter Krasco, who returned to action after missing three games with injury. Krasco went for 138 yards on 8 of 13 numbers. A PAT kick by Mike Piontkowski and two-point conversion by Dennis Giannino off a pass from the kicker were Medford’s other first-half points. Mundele scored his fourth TD on a 31-yard third quarter run. Malden senior quarterback Mike Hudd passed for 143 yards, including a 43-yard TD strike to Tim Konick to avert the shutout. Hudd set the single-season Malden passing mark (1,571 yards) in the loss, which still stands. Medford tied an all-time series record with its eighth straight Thanksgiving win.

  2002: A heavy snowstorm blanketed Macdonald Stadium in Malden with nearly a foot of the white stuff, but the Malden players and coaches shoveled it off in time to hand Medford a 12-0 shutout loss and snap an eight-game Malden loss streak. Malden won for the first time since 1993 and also shut out Medford for the first time since the fabled 100th game in 1987 (28-0). On the “frozen tundra,” Golden Tornadoes junior Elisee “Buddha” Pompilus rushed for 149 yards on 23 carries and an 11-yard touchdown. Running behind senior captain Jim Noble and the Malden line, Pompilus’s running set up a one-yard TD burst by senior quarterback A.C. Callahan with 8:53 left in the half. The PAT kick was no good, and Malden led, 6-0, which stood up at half. Medford drove to the Malden 20 next, but Malden’s Dan Laskey pounced on a Mustangs fumble. A scoreless third period left it at 6-0 heading into the final quarter. A 34-yard run by Pompilus set up his own three-yard TD with 6:53 to go in the game, and the conversion pass was no good; Malden led, 12-0. Malden’s J.D. Pappagallo was credited with slowing down Mustangs’ star runner Julien Mundele, who was held to just one long fourth-quarter run.

  2003: Malden won for the second straight year, 7-0, at sunny and brisk Hormel, the first time Malden shut out Medford in two consecutive games in 44 years since 1958-1959 (26-0, 20-0) and the first time Malden won two years in a row since 1992-1993. The win also re-tied the all-time series at 53-53-10. The game’s lone TD came on a jet sweep by Malden junior Jamal Woods (7 carries, 56 yards). Senior co-captain Devin McNelis drilled the PAT kick in the first quarter, and that was it for scoring for the day, as the defenses took over. The anticipated showdown between star backs Elisee Pompilus for Malden and senior four-year starter Julien Mundele of Medford never materialized, as each was essentially held in check, although Mundele did lead all rushers with 77 yards on 20 carries. Penalties stalled Medford all game, which never got inside the Malden 20 in the second half. For Malden, seniors McNelis, 6-7 NFL-bound end Breno Giacomini (4 sacks), Rob Quigley, Sam Nelson and junior Kevin Newhall bottled up Medford’s attack. After the game, Medford coach Al Pare announced his retirement after four years at the helm.

  2004: One of the biggest offensive lines in Malden High football history simply dominated the line of scrimmage as Malden won its third straight, 28-6, on a partly sunny, brisk morning at Macdonald Stadium. Malden won its third straight for the first time in 26 years (1986-1988) and spoiled first-year Medford coach Mike DeFelice’s Thanksgiving debut. Seniors Kevin Newhall and Maurice Rodriquez, junior Brendan McNelis and sophomores James Brito-White and Brian Melo dominated up front, and Jamal Woods carried 13 times for 117 yards and two TDs to lead Malden. Junior fullback Renaldo Bloodworth ran for 60 yards, and junior slotback Anthony Pappagallo had 49 yards and a TD. Medford scored on the last play of the first half when senior QB Kevin Krasco hit junior end Kamal Mgaresh in the back of the end zone for an eight-yard TD. Bloodworth and Woods scored in the second half, and junior Wiston Jeune hit 4 of 4 PATs. Outsized, Medford played tough all day, led by senior linebacker Gerry Murphy’s 12 tackles and two sacks. NU-bound Newhall led Malden’s defense with 10 tackles. Malden retook the all-time series lead, 54-53-10, in the victory.

  2005: Malden High started quietly but finished with a loud thump in a 39-6 demolition in a traditional “Mud Bowl” game at Hormel. The fourth win in a row for Malden was the first time in 40 years for a Golden Tornadoes “Four-Peat.” The one-sided win also capped the most successful Malden season since 1988, the first time it had won nine games since 1987 as it finished 9-2. Star of the day was junior Derek Freni, with three touchdowns: one running, one receiving and one punt return TD. Classmate Jimmy Chery capped a banner All-Scholastic campaign with 13 carries for 122 yards. Freni and senior co-captains Brendan McNelis and Anthony Pappagallo, along with seniors Wiston Jeune and Sam Guillaume, led the defense, allowing Medford only one completed pass all game and less than 50 yards rushing. Medford (3-8) scored its only points on an 85-yard kickoff return TD by senior Kamal Mgaresh in the third quarter. It was Coach Rich Cullen’s last game at Malden, as he retired in the offseason.

  2006: Medford came in winless, shut out on the scoreboard for six straight games at 0-10, and the only history many gave the Mustangs a chance at making was they’d be the “losingest” team in school history if they dropped #11. There was positive history to be made instead, as the Mustangs’ Sean Foley booted a 26-yard field goal on Medford’s first possession in the first overtime game ever played in the storied, 119-year history of Medford-Malden, a stunning, 17-14 upset at rainy, muddy and dark Macdonald Stadium in Malden. Medford’s fans rushed the field after the “season-saver” win, the second time in the decade (2000) they had entered the game winless and won it, and third time overall (1976). Malden finished 3-7 and spoiled Coach John Lopresti’s Thanksgiving debut. It also turned out to be Medford coach Mike DeFelice’s final game at the helm on Thanksgiving, as he stepped down shortly into the 2007 season, as Medford broke a four-game win streak by Malden. Steve Murphy was the Mustangs’ workhorse in this game – 138 yards and a TD on 23 carries – as Medford shocked Malden by taking a 14-0 lead as drenching rain soaked the field. Malden did regroup and owned the second half, scoring twice to tie it: once on a short keeper by sophomore QB Justin Richardson and then on a 15-sweep around left end with just 46 seconds to play in the game by senior Jimmy Chery. Chery caught the two-point conversion pass in traffic to tie it. Both teams got four downs from the 10-yard line in the historic, first-ever OT period. Malden was stopped at the three-yard line on fourth down by a Steve Murphy tackle in its try. Medford appeared to win it on second down on a Murphy eight-yard TD run on its try, but it was called back due to penalty. Two plays later, Foley’s FG sealed the win.

  2007: Game #120 at Hormel in Medford featured the best weather since the 2000 game, sunny and “balmy” in the high 40s, and also brought the closest finish since that year as well, as it took a PAT kick by sophomore Nick Hoyt, the first of the season and of his career, to make the difference in a 7-6 Malden victory. This was a “pick ’em” game to start and ended the same way. Medford scored first on an 11-yard run by senior star runner Steve Murphy, but could not convert and led, 6-0. Malden (4-7) came back and tied the game on a three-yard run by backfield “newcomer” junior captain David Freni, and it was up to Hoyt to deliver the end-over-end kick that made it by about two feet 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 29-yard 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 eight-yard run in the fourth quarter. Medford could not get much going offensively, although it 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 (12-0, 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 two-point 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 Sullivan and Gibson. Ayuk struck again midway through the third quarter, running back an interception off Mustangs QB Reg Thelemaque for a 58-yard Pick 6 score. Malden QB Loveng Francois ran in the two-point conversion for the 16-0 final.

  2014: This was another classic “throw out the records,” upset win that few saw coming, except for those on the Medford sidelines, of course. Under a full cover of snow – over a foot on the artificial surface of Malden’s Macdonald Stadium before it was cleared by game time – second-year Medford Head Coach Jason Nascimento recorded his first Thanksgiving Day coaching win in a 36-12 win over host Malden. Medford came into the game at 1-9 overall and looking to break a long, seven-game Thanksgiving Day win streak for Malden, and they got the job done. Medford QB Adrien Pineda led the way offensively: 5 of 12 passing for 244 yards and three TDs, two to Myles Olivier. Pineda also scored a TD himself on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter and threw a TD pass to Jose Lopes. For Malden, junior Danley Exilhomme scored both of Malden’s touchdowns, but Medford looked in command with an 18-12 halftime lead. It was all Medford in the second half, led by Pineda and the two-man wrecking crew, defensive duo of Matt Sullivan and Anthony DiRienzo, who were dubbed “The Smash Brothers” in reports on the game. Each also had a key interception in the second half. Sullivan and DiRienzo each had double-digit tackles, making life miserable for the Malden offense.

  2015: They showed up at Hormel Stadium for Game #128 at Hormel Stadium… and a Madden Game broke out. Malden scored early, often and then some in a raucous, record-setting victory that honked and hollered all the way in a 59-36 Golden Tornadoes victory, the highest scoring game, two teams combined – ever – in series history. It was also the most points Malden had ever scored on Thanksgiving Day and the most since a 50-6 win in 1960. Medford scored 36 points for the second-straight year (and the most points in the 128-game history for the series by a team that did not win the game). Malden also set a record in this game, as the Golden Tornadoes defense scored a whopping (and record) five times on the morning. Malden led 28-0 after the first quarter and 45-8 at halftime, but Medford did not quit, led by Cory Moore, who finished with three TDs and 155 yards rushing. Medford owned the second half, outscoring the visitors, 28-14, but led by the Exilhomme Brothers, DJ and Danley, Malden held Medford at bay long enough at the end. Danley Exilhomme returned two interceptions for TDs and ran for two more, and DJ scored three TDs – seven TDs between them. Malden clinched its first GBL title since 1989 with the win. Eighth-year Head Coach Joe Pappagallo added to the momentous day by announcing his resignation at halftime.

  2016: Despite scoring early and playing a solid first quarter, Medford ultimately fell to Malden 41-18. The score was closer than it seemed, as Medford scored before Malden was able to take the lead with a late score and PAT – ahead 7-6 at the end of the first quarter on a 38-yard TD run by junior QB Jared Martino. Malden pushed the envelope all first half, trying to convert fourth down situations on three occasions, only to be stuffed by the Medford defense. Martino threw two TD passes in the second quarter to extend Malden’s lead to 21-6 at the half, capitalizing on a failed fake punt attempt by Medford. Martino’s second TD run of the game, a 49-yard burst, gave Malden lots of breathing room, up 28-6. He added a third TD run late in the third quarter, and senior captain Josh Simon capped the scoring late in the fourth quarter for an 18-yard TD to ice. Martino finished with 160 yards rushing and over 100 yards passing to lead the Golden Tornadoes. Senior captain Matt Geer led the Malden defense at linebacker. It was first-year Head Coach Bill Manchester’s first holiday win in his Thanksgiving debut.

  2017: Medford and Malden, both entering the game with winless seasons, slugged it out in an exciting back-and-forth game. Medford capitalized on Malden errors, scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery and scoring after successfully foiling Malden’s attempt at a two-point conversion. Malden ultimately won the match, 27-22, and the win was the Golden Tornadoes’ only one of the season – second-year Head Coach Bill Manchester’s team finished 1-10 overall. Junior Wesley Pierre stole the show with over 15 rushing yards and two TDs. Freshman QB Justin Nortelus also scored a TD, the first ninth-grader to score for Malden on Thanksgiving ever, it is believed. It was Coach Manchester’s final game, as he resigned his post three weeks later after two years at the helm and two Thanksgiving wins.

  2018: The temperature was the big story before this game even started, when a record cold wave gripped the region sending the thermometer to a bone-chilling 15 degrees, with a gusty wind making the wind chill factor around 0 degrees. Medford was the favored team coming in, with a 3-7 record, and Malden was winless (0-10), but the Golden Tornados capitalized on five Medford turnovers, including a lost fumble with under a minute to play on Malden’s 21-yard line and the Golden Tornadoes clinging to a 26-24 lead. Freshman linebacker Justin Desimone recovered his second fumble of the game after Malden senior Sean Stout tackled backup Medford QB Joel Disla, and the ball came free, recovered by Malden. Medford starting QB Keith Barrasso had left the game two plays earlier after an injury. Barrasso had been the game’s best player before that, with a record 230 yards rushing on 24 carries and three touchdowns. Malden got touchdowns from junior Jerry Mervil (2), sophomore Matthew Bessey and sophomore QB Justin Nortelus. At the conclusion of the game, Medford’s 10-year Head Coach Jason Nascimento announced he was retiring from the post. First-year Malden Head Coach Steve Freker, the first former Golden Tornadoes player to coach the game in over decade, got a win in his Thanksgiving debut.

  2019: The seniors took center stage in a game that Malden controlled on both sides of the ball, from beginning to end, in a 29-0 Golden Tornadoes victory at gusty Hormel Stadium in Medford. It was Malden’s first shutout victory in the ancient series since 2011 and finished off the Golden Tornadoes’ season with a pair of wins (2-9), Malden’s fifth straight over Medford. The Mustangs finished winless. Malden scored first on an 11-yard touchdown pass to senior co-captain Jamari Youman (5 rec., 78 yards, 1 TD). Medford stuffed the two-point conversion try, and Malden led, 6-0. The lead held up until late in the second quarter, despite two deep drives into Medford territory by Malden, which ended on fourth down inside the Mustangs’ 10-yard line. With less than three minutes left in the half, sophomore placekicker Ronald Juarez kicked the first Malden field goal in a Thanksgiving Day win since the 1950s when he booted a 37-yarder through a rain shower for a 9-0 Malden halftime lead. The Golden Tornadoes defense, as it was all game, had been solid in the first half, led by sophomore D-linemen Sammy Solorzano, Davenche Sydney and senior co-captains tackle Ray Duggan and cornerback Ismael Sylus, who made the loudest hit of the Malden season to stop a Mustangs drive. Malden held Medford to zero first downs and less than 50 yards total offense in the first half. Senior Jerry Mervil (102 yards rushing, 48 yards receiving) scored on the second play of the second half, a 55-yard TD run for a 15-0 lead. Youman picked off a Medford pass and ran it for 55 yards for a 21-0 lead; Juarez’s PAT was good for 22-0. After some strong running by sophomore Mackenley Anasthal to get the ball to the Medford 25, senior captain Peterson Maxis closed out the scoring with a 15-yard TD run and Juarez’s second PAT kick. It was the debut on Thanksgiving for Medford High first-year Head Coach John Curley.

  2021: This game was supposed to be played on Thanksgiving Day 2020, but it was pushed ahead to Saturday, May 6, 2021, the first time a Malden-Medford game was not played in the fall. On a pleasant day that got better as time went by, Medford rode the one-man wrecking crew play of Mustangs senior QB Aidan Barry to a 24-21 victory at sunny Macdonald Stadium. The win ended not only a five-game Medford losing streak in the series, but it also stopped a 14-game losing streak overall for Medford, stretching into the 2018 season. Barry accounted for nearly 300 yards of offense and all four TDs for the Mustangs with two TD passes and two rushing TDs himself. Malden was led by senior captain Giovani Memeus, who ran for 63 yards and two TDs. It looked like Malden would take the lead on Memeus’s third apparent TD, 56-yard run, but it was called back due to a blocking from behind penalty. Malden made it dramatic at the end when it faced a first down at the Medford 10-yard line with 12 seconds to play. But a holding penalty pushed Malden back to the 20, and with little time left, Malden opted to attempt a 37-yard field goal by junior Ronald Juarez, but the kick missed by less than a foot to the left as Medford erupted into wild celebration. It was the first Malden-Medford win for second-year Head Coach John Curley and the final rivalry game for Malden third-year Head Coach Steve Freker (2-1 for Malden-Medford), who ended 21 years of coaching Malden High football when he stepped down in the offseason in favor of new Head Coach Witche Exilhomme.