With the return of Malden High School’s Football team making their way back after their win against the Somerville Highlanders, the whole team was tested as the Northeast Metro Tech Knights got the best of Malden’s football team, resulting in a 42-14 loss.
As the audience set foot on the bleachers and prepared to watch the team, it was evident that they expected the Malden Tornados to win as a follow-up to their win against Somerville. However, the game did not start as expected, as their starting D-lineman, sophomore Jamal Hakkaoui, ended up getting injured.
Northeast’s team was able to successfully recover three onside kicks. Malden attempted to turn the tide of the game by gaining the ball, and senior captain Manny Perez, who is also a reporter for The Blue and Gold, was able to score a 30-yard touchdown reception. This was then followed by sophomore Nathan Schonton, who also scored a 15-yard touchdown reception.
Schonton and sophomore captain Jayden McGuffie agreed that the team’s chemistry was off before the game had started, hence the poor performance put on by the Malden Tornados.
As if that was not enough, the Northeast Knights were able to capitalize on their success by getting the ball back and scoring two touchdowns, causing the Tornadoes a 12-0 deficit early on in the game.
The Northeast Knights ended up calling for a time-out, and with Coach Witche Exilhomme’s pep talk, the Tornados were able to hold their own on defense for a couple of minutes with an outstanding tackle from junior Jamaurie Brown.
With the pep talk in mind, McGuffie was able to score a touchdown for the team, leaving the score to end 12-6 in the first quarter.
Although Malden’s defense did improve and stop some scores attempted by the Northeast Knights, they could not keep up with their offense, resulting in the halftime score being 28-6.
Malden’s defensive side of the team as a whole faced immense difficulties in connecting as a team, although some individuals stepped up when called upon. For example, senior Ismail Elbahlawan had major contributions offensively and defensively.
There was a repeated pattern of the Northeast Knights targeting senior captain and quarterback Billy Gavin, which led to many sacks being conceded against Malden’s offense. This did not stop Gavin and Perez, who ended up scoring a 30-yard touchdown within the final minute of the last quarter, resulting in a score of 42-14.
Soon after, their defense eventually gave way, and once again, they were challenged by Northeast Tech with numerous touchdown passes, ultimately concluding the game’s total score at 42-14.
Nevertheless, the Malden Tornados still have not given up, setting their eyes on the goal of winning the GBL, as this game does not affect their overall GBL record.
Although this game resulted in a loss, this is only a minor setback in preparation for a major comeback. The Malden Tornados will be working even harder during their off-game training to prepare them for their next game against Lynn Classical on Saturday, October 4th, 2025.
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