Everett’s Joe Gaff leads Lancers to Final Four
By Cary Shuman
The Malden Catholic High School football team continued its magical post-season journey, upsetting No. 4 seed Hingham, 27-13, last Friday to advance to the MIAA Division 3 Final Four.
The Lancers, under the leadership of head coach Joe Gaff of Everett, play No. 1 seed King Philip Regional (Wrentham) Saturday at 3 p.m. at Bridgewater Raynham High School. The winner advances to the Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Gaff expects a very large contingent of Malden Catholic faculty, alumni, students, and supporters at the game. MC has advanced further in the playoffs than any previous team since the MIAA went to a statewide format in 2013 for the playoffs.
“The support from the school and our fans has been phenomenal,” said Gaff.
Gaff has coached several of the current MC seniors since they entered the program as freshmen in 2022.
“I’m just very proud of the kids,” said Gaff, “They’ve really taken this to heart about getting better every week, and they’ve been dedicated in their approach, working extremely hard since the summer, doing weightlifting and believing in each other, and it’s really paid off. I’m so happy for them.”
The success of the Lancers has coincided with the opening of the school’s quite impressive $31 million academic and athletic facility that includes an all-turf indoor field, a fieldhouse, a gymnasium, a modern fitness center, coaches’ offices, and classrooms.
“The facility has helped boost our program and brought incredible energy,” said Gaff. “Our students see that the school has made a huge commitment to athletics and academics. Everyone feels a great sense of pride. People that attend our games look at the facility and say, ‘Wow, this is unbelievable.’”
Gaff, who just celebrated the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Super Bowl champion Chelsea High School team that he coached, has a talented and versatile football squad that has benefited from playing in the Catholic Conference, the SEC of high school leagues in Massachusetts.
Junior quarterback Dominic Mercer was having an excellent season before being sidelined by an injury. Jonathan Bloise, a sophomore, has kept the offense in high gear as the new quarterback.
Junior receiver Anthony Wadland is having an excellent season. Wadland received Boston Herald “Star of the Week” recognition for his three-touchdown performance versus Hingham.
Treyvon Turner of Chelsea is the Lancers’ leading rusher. Starting defensive end and tight end Phillip Thompson heads a group of ten players from Everett.
Geovanni Pena, a 6-foot-2-inch, 235-pound senior from Lynn, has been immense on both sides of the ball as MC’s starting defensive end and offensive tackle. A 2024 Catholic Conference All-Star, Pena is garnering offers from college football programs.
Gaff also commended his dedicated staff of assistant coaches that includes offensive coordinator, Brett Segala, defensive coordinator Nico Papas, Omar Garcia, Lubens Figaro, Glen Noble, Jose Quantana, Anthony Capalino, JP Walsh, Dan Ford, and Marcus Rojas.
Gaff said his team faces a tough test against King Philip Regional, a perennial powerhouse out of the Hockomock League.
“King Philip is a very good football team,” said Gaff. Coach [Brian] Lee does a great job with that program. Their league is very tough.” Interestingly, it has been an awesome autumn for football coaches with connections to Malden Catholic. Alumnus Paul McGonagle, who played football at Malden Catholic and the University of Kentucky, is the head coach of the Conference of New England (CNE) champion Endicott College team that will be competing in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Coach Joe Gaff’s son, Cory