Malden High School Boys Basketball Senior Night Honors

Bolling, Fernandes, Okoth and McMahon are Recognized

By Steve Freker

The Malden High School Varsity Boys Basketball Team recognized the Class of 2026 players at their final home game with a special Senior Night celebration in the Roy Finn Gym. The evening became even more special when the Golden Tornado team pulled out a 58-53 win over visiting Medford — in overtime — sealed by a last-second steal of a Medford inbounds pass by senior Ryan McMahon, with the Mustangs trailing by only a bucket at the time, 55-53. McMahon matched his single-season scoring high with 15 points, and fellow senior captain Kaua Fernandes Dias Valadares scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds in the Senior Night win.

Ryan McMahon, a 6-0 point guard, played two years of Varsity Basketball and served as a tri-captain this season, along with Fernandes and Okoth. He averaged 8.5 points and 5 assists per game this season and ended up as the team “Iron Man,” registering — by far — the most minutes of on-court time. For the last five games, McMahon did not sit at all, playing every minute of every game. McMahon is also a four-year Varsity Baseball starter and is already near the top of the all-time Tornado list for career pitching wins and strikeouts.

Kaua Fernandes Dias Valadares, a 6-5 big man, is a four-year varsity man and a returning Greater Boston League All-Star this year. For the second year in a row, Fernandes led Malden in scoring (12.3 ppg) and rebounds (10.1 rpg) and at times was a force under the boards. His defense improved this year and he was much more active on both ends of the court, according to Malden Head Coach Don Nally.

Colin Okoth, a 6-2 forward, had his best season — in the starting lineup for 17 of 20 games. He was a reliable defender and rebounder and often provided some needed scoring as a corner “3” specialist who nailed many during the season. His biggest game was a career-high 23-point outing — featuring 6 (!) three-pointers in a home win over Revere. Okoth is a three-sport performer for Malden, contributing as a two-way end in football in his first try at that Tornado sport last fall and a first baseman/outfielder on the baseball team.

Chace Bolling, a 5-9 guard, had an excellent season in his first year on the team. A high-energy, two-way player, Bolling used his skills to develop a consistency that led him to break into the starting lineup as a “2” guard for most of the second half of this season. He had several games in double-digit scoring, including a 22-point outing versus Arlington Catholic, a season single-game high.