Malden High football team tops Boston Latin, 26-20, in pre-Turkey Day tune-up

Brett, Brito, Huynh, Lange and Da Costa lead way for Golden Tornados in victory

By Steve Freker

Johnson Huynh’s face, with a smile as wide as all of Macdonald Stadium, told the whole story Friday night. Huynh, a junior split end who scored his first career touchdown Friday, was not the only person happy about the evening’s events. Malden had stumbled in on the heels of a three-game losing streak, which was accentuated by a scoreless streak that left many questions and no answers.

We don’t know who said it – most likely Bill Parcells or Bill Belichick – but it’s true: “Winning solves everything.”

Malden improved to 3-7 overall and, for perhaps the first time this season, put together a complete game in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams.

“We played better than we have been and we followed the game plan,” said third-year Malden Head Coach Witche Exilhomme. “Hopefully, this carries into Thanksgiving. That’s the game everyone waits for every year.”

Coach Exilhomme is 2-0 in Thanksgiving Day games to date, including a one-sided win over Medford last year. He is hoping to make it three in a row.

Malden junior quarterback Aidan Brett had a solid game at the helm last Thursday at home, hitting on eight of 16 passes for over 160 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. Junior running back Matt Brito also had a strong game with 13 carries for 87 yards. He scored first for Malden on a four-yard run in the first quarter to break the scoreless streak.

Malden went ahead, 13-0, in the second quarter when Brett hit a streaking Huynh up the middle for a 48-yard touchdown pass, Huynh’s first of his career.

Senior captain Gabriel Vargas Cardoso caught a 16-yard TD pass, and senior captain and linebacker Karl Lange had a 33-yard “Pick-6” TD in the third quarter to complete the Malden scoring.

Senior safety Felix Junior Da Costa, one of the top tacklers in the state, added 10 more and four assists to his totals, now just below 100 tackles for the year.

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Malden is on the road at Medford High’s Hormel Stadium this year for the 138th Malden-Medford Thanksgiving Day game with a 10 a.m. kickoff.

BOX SCORE

Malden 26, Boston Latin 20

Boston Latin:   0          7          0          13–20

Malden:          7          6          13        0–26

First quarter

Malden–Matt Brito 4-yard run (Robert Fernandes kick)

Second quarter

Malden–Johnson Huynh 48-yard pass from Aiden Brett (kick blocked)

Boston Latin–Marcus Brown 24-yard pass from August Groh (Marcus Brown kick)

Third quarter

Malden–Gabriel Vargas-Cardoso 16-yard pass from Aiden Brett (Robert Fernandes kick)

Malden–Karl Lange 33-yard interception return (kick failed)

Fourth quarter

Boston Latin–August Groh 1-yard run (pass failed)

Boston Latin Eric Power 3-yard run (Marcus Brown kick)