MALDEN-MEDFORD GAME #137 ON THANKSGIVING DAY: Malden football puts it all on the line in Holiday Classic this week

Biggest Golden Tornado Senior Class in many years will seek to go out the right way in rivalry game with Medford

By Steve Freker

It’s the largest Senior Class in many years and there’s only one way they intend on going out: with a victory on Thanksgiving Day. Most of them have been together since freshman year and have stuck it out – on good days and bad ones – for four seasons, together. On Thanksgiving morning, they will walk onto the field as one for the final time in Game #137 of the ancient rivalry with Medford High, their archrival.

Malden senior captain Kervenson “Kevin” Exilhomme had been there every step of the way, from that first day of preseason camp in August 2021 right up until today, looking at his final game as a Tornado. “We have been through so much together,” Exilhomme said of himself and his nine senior teammates. “We just want to finish our season with a win on Thanksgiving. It would mean so much to all of us.”

Malden has been ultra-competitive this season, despite the 2-7 record it takes into Thanksgiving Day. Many of the games were decided by just one score.

A win in Game #137 of the longest continuous high school matchup in national history would not seem to make a major difference on paper, but the aura of the Holiday Classic is deep and wide. “It means everything to the seniors and coaches,” said 4th year Head Coach Witche Exilhomme, himself a former Malden High three-sport standout, who helped get Malden a 36-0 shutout win in his senior year, 2011. “I have been with these [seniors] even before high school, they are like family to me and our coaches.”

Actually, senior captain Kevin Exilhomme is family, as his brother, Witche, is the head coach. “Kevin has had a decent season, he has really stepped it up the past 4 or 5 games.”

Exilhomme leads the team and the Greater Boston League (GBL) in receptions (17) and touchdown catches (6) this season, on the receiving end from senior quarterback Aidan Brett, himself a veteran of his fourth consecutive Thanksgiving game against Medford.

Another offensive standout this season who has also opened a lot of eyes has been freshman sensation Jayden McGuffie. The 5-10, 165 running back has had the best season ever for a 9th grader in school history, surpassing the coveted 1,000-yard single-season rushing barrier. McGuffie comes into Thanksgiving morning with 1,127 yards on just 132 carries and has scored 11 touchdowns. He leads the GBL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

The Malden offense overall has improved by leaps and bounds this season. Last year, Malden struggled offensively at times, with several shutout losses. This season, Malden has scored at a prodigious clip, leading the GBL in scoring with a 26.7 points per game average.

Defensively is where Malden has been subpar and has had trouble stopping opponents consistently at times. Two of its starting linebackers and team captains, James Hyppolite and Matheus Brito, have missed the entire season with injuries. Brito, who broke his collarbone in a preseason scrimmage, has been cleared for action for this last game and is expected to be out there on the field.

Other Malden High seniors in their final game Thursday include linebacker and tight end/fullback Earl Fevrier, Christian Cassion, Zachary Johnson, Daniel Da Silva Berquez, Cedric Mathely. Isaac Pineda, Jonathan Barrientos Diaz and Johnson Huynh.

Medford could earn a winning record for the season for the first time since the 1990s. This is also the only time this decade – and longer – that Medford enters the game as a favorite. Medford comes in at 5-5 and looking to do something it has not accomplished in over 25 years: finish with a winning record overall in two consecutive seasons, having gone 6-5 last season. But despite Medford having a better overall record and the fact that the Mustangs are led by GBL Most Valuable Player Justin Marino at quarterback, the two teams seem to be evenly matched.

Even if they were not? This is Thanksgiving Day. It is the final game of the season – last high school game ever for the seniors on both squads – and it’s time to “throw out the records.”

“This is the game that everyone waits for, every year,” said third-year Head Coach Witche Exilhomme, himself a former Golden Tornado three-sport standout and football captain (football, basketball, track). “No matter how the season has gone, everyone puts everything on the line for the Thanksgiving game against Medford.”

There is always history in the making in this game as well. With a win on Thursday, Medford will be the first Mustangs squad in 25 years to win back-to-back Thanksgiving Day games. In 2000 and 2001, Medford won 14-13 and 34-6, respectively. Those two games were on the tail end of the series’ overall win streak record of eight straight series wins set by Medford from 1994-2001. Malden has dominated since 2000, going 18-6 in the third century of this ancient game.

Medford is coming off a 23-6 loss to non-leaguer Waltham in its last game. The Mustangs fared well in the GBL, finishing a solid second to Lynn English in the standings.

Head Coach John Curley’s squad has been led by Marino and running back Stevens Exateur, both seniors, who have scored nearly every Medford point between them, much like Exilhomme and McGuffie for Malden.

Malden Coach Exilhomme said the game plan for Thanksgiving is to keep possession of the ball offensively and lock down any “big play” potential for Coach Curley’s Mustangs. “If we have possession of the ball, they can’t run any plays, it’s as simple as that,” Coach Exilhomme said. “We expect them to rely on their running game and know we have to tackle and not let them have that big run or other big play.”

Malden is coming off a tough loss to non-leaguer Lowell, 26-20. In that game, backup QB Billy Gavin came out slinging and threw three TD passes, two to Exilhomme and one to McGuffie.

“We have to repeat that type of effort and more,” Coach Exilhomme said. “We are expecting a solid effort from our players and we will be giving it everything we have to get the win.

“It has been enjoyable to coach these seniors from the start and it would be great if they can put it together and bring home a Turkey Day win.”