Aundrea Cifuntes also contributed to this article.
The Malden football team’s first home game against the Somerville Highlanders resulted in a thrilling 14-12 win for the Golden Tornados. They were able to come back from their first loss of the season and use that experience to gain a win, bringing Malden’s record to 1-1
Starting the game off, the Malden Tornados’ defense was strong. Despite recent struggles with losing a prime player on their defensive line, they have been able to persevere. The Highlanders were the first on offense to open the game. The Highlanders drove down the field to Malden’s 28-yard line, where, on a pivotal 4th and 10, Malden was able to stop them and begin their first drive.
After stopping Somerville, Malden quickly began to dominate, with sophomore captain Jayden McGuffie scoring a rushing touchdown for the team, to make the score 6-0 for Malden
Malden remained consistent on offense. The Malden offensive line demonstrated its skill by opening up various gaps for captain McGuffie to power through.
In the second half, the Highlanders were able to score a touchdown, leaving the score 14-6.
Malden’s defense struck back. Kenny Turcios Melgar got two tackles, keeping the Highlanders from scoring a touchdown, allowing Malden to continue to thrive offensively.
Early in the 4th quarter, the Highlanders made it close, catching up to Malden, making the score 14-12. Nevertheless, Malden’s run game prevailed, holding the ball for 8 of the remaining 9 minutes left in the game. This ensured that Somerville had no time to surpass the Golden Tornados.
Approaching the end of the game, the crowd rose to their feet in anticipation as the Highlanders made a last-ditch effort at scoring again, in hopes of coming back. However, with about 30 seconds to go, and the ball on their own 15-yard line, Somerville had no way of winning. The final whistle blew, officially making the Golden Tornados 1-1, 1-0 in the GBL
This game put Malden in 2nd place in the GBL, right behind Everett. Everett is in the GBL; however, they are classified as an independent team, ultimately making Malden 1st place out of the official GBL teams. If the Tornados continue to demonstrate their energy throughout various games while thriving, they seem to be on the path to winning the GBL altogether.
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