Season Recap: A Down Season for Malden Boys Hoops

Coming into the 2010-2011 season, it was anybody’s guess how things would unfold at the Roy G. Finn Gymnasium for the Malden High boys basketball team.

On the heels of its third-straight MIAA Div. 1 Tournament appearance, the team was a loose collection of several experienced veterans, a few highly-promising youngsters and enough representatives of Malden High’s gridiron gang to field a flag football team.

Following an 11-9 regular season last year, the Golden Tornadoes were shown the door at the North Sectionals by Lynn English in the first round, suffering a 78-64 loss at the capable hands of the Bulldogs—who went all the way to the semifinals before losing to eventual runner-up St. John’s Prep.

It would be a much different team in 2010-2011.

In addition to four departing seniors, talented guard Billy Bonnet, a player routinely competing in top recruiting showcases around the state, transferred to nearby Somerville High prior to the start of his junior year. Malden head coach Don Nally knew that his team would have its work cut out for them if they were to reach the postseason.

With returning players like Ryan Donovan and Teddy Francois, both already established as formidable defenders in the ultra-competitive Greater Boston League, the main question facing Nally was who would step up and assume the lion’s share of the scoring duties?

Not surprisingly, the spotlight turned to the Golden Tornadoes undisputed go-to defensive stopper Francois, who would have to add a bona fide offensive threat to his resume if Malden was to compete in the GBL.

When the first jump ball of the new season was tossed, there were many unanswered questions surrounding the team.

With a packed house and a newly-renovated Roy G. Finn Gymnasium, the Golden Tornadoes got off on the right foot with a 50-49 win over East Longmeadow. Equally important was the fact that Malden’s leading scorer was Rodney Morton. The sophomore dropped 12 points in the contest, an encouraging opening-night performance.

For Donovan, who also golfed at MHS, the season opener represented his most memorable moment as a high school athlete.

“That was pretty cool,” he said, after collecting a career-high 14 rebounds in the opener. “To get the win in the new gym, before a big crowd.”

The next time out, Morton would again pace the Golden Tornadoes, only the result wouldn’t end in their favor, as they fell 61-51 on the road against Dracut of the Merrimack Valley Conference. Morton posted 16 points.

After splitting its first two games, things took a sharp turn for the worse for MHS.

The Golden Tornadoes would end up winners of just three out of their first 13 games, being held under 40 points in six of those contests.

The silver lining, if there could be said to have been one, had to be the varied contributors to the offense. Francois led Malden in scoring six times during that span, while Morton, Donovan and Jerome Belle—another underclassman—all pitched in to that end as well.

Donovan, who was forced by Malden’s diminutive roster to play at the four, rather than his natural position of small forward, turned in a solid and steady senior season. His lethal shooting helped prevent opposing teams from simply stacking the lane against Malden's slashing guards, presenting a dangerous presence on the wings.

The grueling GBL schedule, however, offers very little in the way of a learning curve, as the conference schedule features two games against Somerville, Everett, Cambridge Rindge & Latin and Medford. All tournament teams, with the exception of the 8-12 Mustangs.

Malden ended up 0-8 in GBL play in 2010-11.

While there were certainly some positives to cling to, the results had simply not followed. After 14 games, at 3-11, the Golden Tornadoes bid to gain entry to the postseason was effectively over.

With little to play for other than pride, Donovan and the Golden Tornadoes’ seniors resolved to not let there final season end on a sour note.

“We just wanted to win games,” reflected the forward following the season finale on Feb. 24. “We didn’t want to just fold and finish 3-17...we wanted to go out strong.”

So that’s what they did.

Malden turned in its finest six-game stretch of the season, going 3-3, and ending the season with a 59-47 win over Boston Globe top-20 team Winthrop at home on senior night. Francois paced the offense that night with 21 points.

“I enjoyed my two years (of basketball),” said the guard, who ended his high school hoops career as MHS’ all-time single season steals leader, finishing with 69. “I’m happy we went out with a win.”

He wasn’t the only one smiling.

“I played all four years, so to get a win in my last game, that’s pretty cool,” added Donovan.

Perhaps the most promising thing about the otherwise unremarkable 2010-11 season was the emergence of Morton as rising star.

After a quick start, the sophomore guard played well all year, displaying a lethal mix of speed, agility and awareness, and rapidly becoming one of the team’s offensive leaders. Morton played some of his best ball down the stretch as well, averaging over 14 points a game over the Golden Tornadoes’ last four games.

Joining Morton as promising prospects for next year are Witche Exilhomme and Belle, the former entering his senior season having shown flashes of brilliance on the defensive end of the floor thanks to his tremendous athleticism, while the latter looks to be the point guard of the future at MHS.

“[Exilhomme] actually gets insulted when someone scores against him,” said Nally. “He doesn’t think that should happen.”

Belle, Exilhomme and Morton form a trio that will, if nothing else, be awfully to fun to watch next season. A fact not lost on the Golden Tornadoes’ departing seniors.

“Oh, they’re good,” said Donovan of Malden’s young guns. “They’re good; Rodney is only a sophomore, so he’s going to be fun to watch next year.”

The three-point specialist holds a similar stance on Exilhomme, a player who played his first season of high school ball this year after only limited organized basketball experience.

“It’s crazy for him to be that good in his first year,” said Donovan. “He just works harder than anyone I know.”

Nally and the Malden faithful will be hoping that work ethic translates into a tremendous senior season.