Numbers are booming for many Golden Tornado teams; nearly 100 players fill up field at Boys Soccer tryouts

By Steve Freker

Malden High longtime Boys Soccer coach Jeremiah Smith has traditionally had a solid turnout in the fall when the preseason rolls around. Even Coach Smith was surprised when he turned the key and opened tryouts this week and saw the field filled with nearly 100 soccer hopefuls waiting for instructions.

“We have 92 kids signed up to try out – and that’s not counting any kids who want to come and try out after school opens next week,” Coach Smith, who is also a longtime English teacher at MHS added. “There is never an issue with the number of players – every coach appreciates a big turnout.”

Malden Public Schools Director of Wellness and Athletics Charlie Conefrey confirms that the boom in numbers is not just limited to Boys Soccer, but is a definite trend in the Fall Sports teams overall. “Coach [Witche] Exilhomme has his biggest turnout in years in Football, there is another big turnout for our Girls Volleyball team and it’s the same in most of our other Fall Sports,” said Conefrey, who is in his 10th year at the helm. “Our Golf Team has almost 30 trying out, Girls Soccer is up and our Cross-Country teams are solid as well. It’s a great start to our preseason.”

Conefrey said even more student-athletes will be joining the ranks after school opens officially next week on August 28. “Usually a lot of ninth-graders join the teams after school start and there is still plenty of time to join our teams, especially those freshmen looking to try out or join the programs.”

Conefrey said anyone seeking information on the process can email the Athletic Office to administrative assistant Jeanne Marquardo at www.jmarquardo@maldenps.org or call 781-397-6007.

At Macdonald Stadium, fourth-year Head Coach Witche Exilhomme welcomed nearly 60 football hopefuls to preseason practice sessions this week, the most he’s ever had and the most in years for Malden High football. “We are very happy about the turnout, we were hoping for some bigger numbers this season,” said coach Exilhomme, a former star three-sport athlete at Malden High who was a defensive standout at American International College (AIC) and at the pro level in Arena Football. “We have some good senior leaders and we are looking forward to what this season will bring.”

Malden High football will be hosting a pair of scrimmage sessions, including a tri-scrimmage tomorrow, Saturday, August 24 at 10:00 a.m. at Macdonald Stadium in Malden with Winthrop and Beverly coming to town, and then again on Friday, August 30 at 4:00 p.m. at home at Macdonald Stadium versus Catholic Conference power Boston College High School. The football season opener is set for Thursday, September 12 at 6:00 p.m. versus Lynn Tech at home.

Malden Boys Soccer is also scrimmaging tomorrow, Saturday, August 24 at 8:00 a.m. right down the bike path at Mystic Valley Regional Charter School on Eastern Avenue (beside the fieldhouse), then again on Friday, August 30 at 4:00 p.m. on the road at Saugus at Anna Parker Field. The Malden season opener is Monday, September 9 on the road versus Lynn English at Manning Field, Lynn.

Malden Girls Volleyball will be hosting a 10-team Jamboree today (Friday, August 23) from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Malden High’s Finn Gym. The season and Greater Boston League opener is Wednesday, September 4 at Everett High at 5:15 p.m.

Malden Girls Soccer is playing in a doubleheader scrimmage this weekend on Sunday, August 25 at Medford High fields behind the school in a jamboree against Winthrop at 1:00 p.m. and Arlington Catholic at 2:00 p.m. Then on Friday, August 30 at 3:00 p.m. versus Rockport at home at Pine Banks. The season opener is Thursday, September 5 at home versus Lynn English at Pine Banks at 4:15 p.m.