It was a big week as far as sports are concerned in the city of Medford, as the drama surrounding the ouster of MHS varsity soccer coach Mike Petrides finally came to a conclusion after mass outpouring of support from players, parents and colleagues prompted High School Headmaster Dr. Paul Krueger to reexamine his decision to relieve Petrides of his coaching duties back in April.
On July 30, In a rare Saturday morning press conference at Mayor Michael J. McGlynn’s office at Medford City Hall, Krueger announced the reinstatement of Petrides as head coach of the Mustangs, saying that while he stands by his earlier decision, he chose to reinstate the coach in the interests of “the cohesiveness and overall long-term interests of Medford High School and of the Medford community.”
At a July 25 School Committee meeting, MHS Athletic Director Bob Maloney refuted the text of a letter Krueger sent to Mustangs’ captain John Pires stating that the decision to remove Petrides had been a joint one between himself and the athletic director. July 30 saw Maloney change his tune, stating that the letter was, in fact, accurate and apologizing to Krueger for any flak taken as a result.
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The MHS players were understandably overjoyed by the decision to retain Petrides, and it was their loyalty and support that ultimately brought this situation to a head.
Petrides commended his team for their support, and stated his desire to move on from the recent controversy.
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Elsewhere, there was actual action on the fields of play to report, so without further delay, here’s the rundown from last week.
Intercity League
Andre Chiefs
The Chiefs (15-10) lost a pair last week and slipped back below Wakefield into third place in the ICL table with 31 points. On July 26 the Watertown Reds took a 4-2 decision despite three stolen bases from Jeff Bercume (2-for-4) and a good outing from Mike DiCato (3-3). Vinny Pennell doubled and Tony Deshler picked up an RBI during the loss. Next on the agenda was a July 27 clash with the league-leading Lexington Blue Sox. The Chiefs have had Lexington’s number all season long, but the Blue Sox finally managed a win against them, pulling out a 9-4 win. The Chiefs scored three runs in the fourth to tie the score at four all, but Lexington answered back with a crooked number of their own, posting a five spot the following frame. Bercume doubled and knocked in a run, while Matt Boleski also picked up an RBI. Jared Freni (6-1) took the ball for the Chiefs, and took his first loss of the year.
Medford Americans
The Americans (7-20) fared better than their crosstown rivals this week, taking both of their contests and snapping a ten-game losing streak in the process. On July 27 Medford took on the Testa Corp. Bombers at Malden’s Maplewood Park, and ran off with a 5-2 win thanks to some early offense and solid glove work. The bats were on display all throughout the lineup, and Joe Nixon (2-for-4), Jose Polanco (2-for-3), Danny Gilchrist, James McConville and Mike Burgoyne all collected RBIs. Nixon and Burgoyne each stole a base, while Polanco tripled. On July 28, it was the Arlington Trojans turn to take their medicine, as Medford’s bats again propelled them to victory, this time by a 9-5 margin at Playstead Park. Nixon went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs, while Joe Sheehan was 3-for-4 with a triple, home run and two batted in. Polanco (2-for-3, double), Dan Gunn (2-for-3) and McConville all added RBIs as well. Kevin Hayes (2-2) picked up the win for the Americans, going the distance in the process.
Yawkey League
The Medford Maddogs (12-9, fourth place in Ted Williams Division) played just once last week, in an interdivisional showdown with the Brighton Braves of the Tony Conigliaro Division on July 27. The Maddogs scored seven runs in the last two innings and snatched a victory from the Braves by a 8-5 margin. Brad McLean (2-1) came on for the final two and two thirds innings and recorded eight strikeouts to pick up the victory. The Delaney brothers, Mike (3-for-4) and Matt (2-for-4), paced the attack with two RBIs apiece, while Peter Byron, Johnny Cunningham and Matt Taylor also plated runs. Cunningham was 2-for-4 on the game.
