LET THE (Inside) GAMES BEGIN! Malden Winter Sports Season Starting Up

By Steve Freker

It is the shortest “turnaround” during the school year. We are talking about the changeover from Fall to Winter Sports seasons at Malden High School, which joins the over 350 districts statewide in starting a whole new slate of sports programs. We just finished packing up the last football helmets when the first day of tryouts for Winter Season arrived about 80 hours later on November 27.

The new season certainly is showing some early promise with numbers of participants going “up, up up,” according to eighth-year Malden Public Schools Director of Physical Education and Athletics Charlie Conefrey. He told the Advocate that close to 300 student-athletes were ready to go for the many Malden winter team offerings on Day One.

“It has been a pleasure to see so many of the nearly 300 student-athletes who registered for Winter sports teams going through their tryouts and preseason practices this past week,” Conefrey said.

“What was especially nice to see was how many aspiring student-athletes elected to try a sport which they have never played before,” the Malden AD added.

Two sports particularly – Coed Gymnastics and Coed/Co-op Wrestling – saw major boosts in numbers in Week One, with over 30 student-athletes in each sport taking part in preseason drills and practices. Basketball numbers trying out for the Boys and Girls teams were not quite as high as last year, but still strong as 19th-year Boys Head Coach Don Nally and his staff looked at 50 players trying to win a spot on one of the three levels of Varsity, JV and Freshman teams being offered. Coach Scott Marino’s Girls Basketball tryout numbers were also up this year. Conefrey said Malden continues to offer Boys and Girls Varsity Ice Hockey, matching up with Everett, Revere and Mystic Valley in Co-op for the Boys and with Medford High in Co-op for the Girls. Down at the Salemwood School, at Sam Fishman Fieldhouse, Boys Indoor Track and Girls Indoor Track feature 70 student-athletes all together.

“With the 2023-2024 Winter Season set to kick off officially with schedules in all sports next week, we wish all of the players and coaches from all of the team good luck and nothing but the very best for everyone this Winter Season,” Conefrey told the Advocate.

Sports Schedule

MALDEN HIGH SPORTS SCHEDULE

for WEEK of DECEMBER 8-15

Friday, December 8

5:30—SCRIMMAGE, Varsity Boys Basketball vs. Wakefield

7:15—SCRIMMAGE, Varsity Girls Basketball at Arlington Catholic

Saturday, December 9

10:00 a.m.—Varsity Wrestling at Excel Academy Charter High School

2:30—SCRIMMAGE, Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Swampscott, Finn Gym, Malden

Sunday, December 10

No events scheduled

Monday, December 11

4:00 p.m.—Middle School Girls Basketball at Everett, Lafayette School

5:00 p.m.—Middle School Boys Basketball at Everett, Lafayette School

Tuesday, December 12

4:00 p.m.—Freshman Girls Basketball vs. Everett, Beebe School, Malden

4:00 p.m.—Freshman Boys Basketball at Everett High

4:30 p.m.—JV Girls Basketball vs. Everett, Finn Gym, Malden High

5:30 p.m.—JV Boys Basketball at Everett

6:00 p.m.—Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Everett, Finn Gym, Malden

7:00 p.m.—Varsity Boys Basketball at Everett

Wednesday, December 13

4:00 p.m.—Middle School Boys Basketball vs, Somerville, Beebe School, Malden

5:00 p.m.—Middle School Girls Basketball vs. Somerville

Thursday, December 14

4:30—JV Girls Basketball vs. Somerville

6:00—Varsity Girls Basketball vs. Somerville

Friday, December 15

4:00—JV Girls Basketball at Whittier Tech

5:30—Varsity Girls Basketball at Whittier Tech

7:00—Varsity Girls Indoor Track, Tri-Meet vs. Lynn English and Medford, Reggie Lewis Center, Roxbury

7:00—Varsity Boys Indoor Track, Tri-Meet vs. Lynn English and Medford, Reggie Lewis Center, Roxbury