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By Steve Freker
Consider this a Thanksgiving “Given” while chomping on that leftover turkey leg, Malden football fans. On Thanksgiving Day, in probably every game Malden has in the ancient series dating back to the Roaring Twenties and most likely before the turn of the OTHER century in 1900, it happens. The “it” in this case is the rapid rise in the population of unexpected heroes wearing the Malden High Blue and Gold, during the game that matters the most.
Seventy-times Malden’s won in this 138-game battle, and we bet you dollars to cranberry sauce that a Golden Tornado that may have never been expected has stepped to the fore and made himself that guy Dick Vitale calls a “Prime Time Performer.”
“PTP Bab-eee!!” Dickie V blasts out announcing a game. That’s what Malden junior Dante Bell, senior Jemiah Charles, senior Manny Perez, senior linebacker Johnathan Ventura and freshman linebacker Arthur Sewell were on Thanksgiving — Prime Time Performers all!
The following is a true and real statistic between the two linebackers, Ventura (#56) and Sewell (#45): That pair made probably 75 percent of ALL the tackles in the game, both in the teens for sure. As for Bell (#17), Charles (#11) and Perez (#83)? All they did was lock up the Medford passing game as if they put it in jail. No, nothing, nada for the Mustang air attack.
Defensive MVP was Dante Bell, who made a collection of big plays on the day when all the season’s football bills come due. His interception (off a deflection by the freshman Sewell) was a thing of beauty as he deftly plucked the fluttering pick out of thin air and returned it 11 yards.
“I never had a chance at that ball unless Arthur [Sewell] knocked it loose. He [Sewell] made a great play and I just kept it going,” a humble Bell, who was eager to credit his teammate, said.
The interesting part of the equation is this: Coming into Thanksgiving, Bell, Charles and Perez had only played as backups for most of the season. Before a win over Lexington for Malden two weeks ago, Charles and Bell had not started any games in the defensive backfield.
You could have fooled half the crowd at the game on Thanksgiving Day. Jayden McGuffie with his King Kong rushing day led the way on offense, but in the 20-8 win where Malden allowed its fewest points of the season — in the biggest game of the year — heroes emerged, by the names of Bell, Charles, Perez, Sewell and Ventura.
“We had to basically remake out entire defensive backfield for various reasons late in the season and those guys stepped up bigtime,” Malden Head Coach Witche Exilhomme said. “Those guys work hard, watch film, are very coachable and want to win. Can’t ask for anything more.”
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Malden Head Coach Witche Exilhomme and crew snapped a two-game skid with the win on Thanksgiving Day. As a head coach he is now 3-2 overall following his fifth year at the helm. Medford Head Coach John Curley went to 2-5 overall in his 7th Thanksgiving Day game. Malden went ahead in the series, 70-58-10, with the victory.
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TURKEY TALK: It was a beautiful day for basically anything on Thanksgiving morning, with clear skies, sunny and very little wind, even for usually always breezy Hormel Stadium, which is situated immediately adjacent to the Mystic River… Quite a change from last year’s game, which was played in driving, cold rain on a very forgettable and tough weather day. Also forgettable — for Malden, anyway — was the way “One Man Gang” Medford quarterback Justin Marino ran wild with over 250 yards rushing and 4 TDs to lead Medford to its second-straight Thanksgiving Day victory and the Greater Boston League title to boot. The 6-3, 185 Marino has converted to wide receiver in the collegiate ranks and now is in his freshman year for the Endicott College Gulls. For the season, Marino caught 3 passes for 26 yards, one each in wins over Nichols, Maine Maritime and New England College. Endicott had a fantastic season, finishing 10-1 overall, 7-0 undefeated Conference of New England Champs before losing to Salisbury, 35-28, in the first round of the NCAA Division 3 Regionals… Thanksgiving Day was the first Malden-Medford game for first-year Mustang Athletic Director Rob O’Leary and the first without former 25-year Athletic Director Bob Maloney, who retired in June after serving in the post 19 years. Previously he worked as a physical education teacher for 13 years… Arthur Sewell at linebacker was not the only rookie to see time on defense. Defensive back Devin Otero Milonopoulos, a 5-10, 140 first-year player, was on all special teams units and then played in each of the last four defensive series of the second half and two others in the first half. Otero Milonopoulos was a varsity starter as a freshman for the Malden High varsity baseball team last spring, batting fifth most of the season and hitting .356. Sewell is also a talented baseball player and is expected to challenge for a varsity spot in the spring… The Malden High Varsity Cheerleaders and MHS Band gave exceptionally spirited performances at the game.
