On Friday, October 2nd, Malden’s Varsity Football team played against Everett. This rivalry is not like any other. In fact, some claim it may be more intense than the rivalry between Medford and Malden.
Although Malden was unable to come away with the win, the team showed more defensive adjustments as the game went on and continued to show their efforts until the game reached an end. With their 35-6 loss, Malden moves to 2-2 on the season.
The rivalry between Everett and Malden has existed since 1893, standing as one of the oldest high school football rivalries in Massachusetts, just four years younger than the rivalry between Medford and Malden. They’ve had over 129 meetings. Everett leads with 71 wins, while Malden has 51, and they have 6 ties.
This year’s meeting was another chapter in their history. Everett started the game with control after winning the coin toss.
Throughout the first quarter, Malden struggled to keep up with Everett’s rushing attacks early on.
Malden called for a timeout midway through the quarter as they tried to regroup defensively, but Everett continued to pressure Malden, keeping the Tornados defense running around the field for several minutes.
Malden had trouble stopping Everett’s sweeps and counters, and by the end of the first quarter, Everett had taken a 7-0 lead, mostly through their running game.
In the second quarter, Everett continued to build on its lead after completing a pass for a touchdown, bringing the score to 14-0.
Malden then started around its own 20-yard line after a deep kickoff and put together a promising opening drive. However, Malden was unable to turn the drive into points and eventually punted. On its following possession, Malden fumbled, giving Everett another opportunity to attack.
Everett took advantage of the turnover and continued to control the game offensively. Both teams faced about 15 penalties throughout the first half, making it difficult for either side to maintain consistent drives.
By halftime, Everett had added another touchdown and took a 21-0 lead. Malden’s offense had struggled to find its rhythm, while Everett’s defense continued to keep the Golden Tornados off the scoreboard.
Coming out of halftime, Malden’s defense began to adjust to Everett’s offense. Early in the third quarter, Malden made an important defensive play by breaking up an impressive throw from Everett’s quarterback.
Throughout the third quarter, Malden started to recognize and counterattack Everett’s offensive plays as the Golden Tornados performed better by preventing big plays. Neither of the teams scored during the third quarter. This led the score to remain at 21-0 heading into the final quarter.
Everett opened the fourth quarter with another touchdown, extending their lead to 28-0. Malden quickly responded to this as senior Akre Akre returned the kickoff for a touchdown, bringing Malden’s score to 28-6, after missing their two-point conversion.
Later in the quarter, senior Jemiah Charles made an impressive catch while fighting through four Everett defenders and still being able to maintain his balance. This play gave Malden the energy they needed to continue fighting despite the score.
Everett added one more touchdown before the end of the game, bringing the final score to 35-6.
Even though Malden was the underdog in the game, Malden did not play to their potential. “The moment got to everyone’s head, and the game plan we had wasn’t being executed properly,” expressed junior Jamal Hakkaoui.
Malden’s defense held Everett off during the final few minutes, preventing the lead from growing any further.
“We just couldn’t get it done on offense; we weren’t prepared,” said Junior Captain Jayden McGuffie.
Junior Jaiden Gonzalez also looked ahead to the team’s next opportunity. “It was a tough loss at home, we’re hoping to bounce back with a win over Chelsea.”
Their next game against Chelsea will take place on Friday, October 9th, at Chelsea High School.
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