EHS boys defeat Malden, 66-43, in season-opener
The Everett High boys basketball team opened its season with a strong, 66-43 victory over Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Malden Tuesday evening before an enthusiastic home crowd that came dressed in all-black for a “blackout” night.
Senior captain Cristian Vasquez netted a game-high 28 points to lead the Crimson Tide in the scoring column. Samir King-Dacosta (14 points) and Jayden Alsaindor (10 points) also reached double figures for coach Gerard Boyce’s squad.
Everett took control from the outset. King-Dacosta swished two free throws in the opening minute to notch the first points of the 2025-26 season and the Tide never looked back, sprinting to a commanding 18-7 lead after one quarter — paced by Alsaindor’s 10 points on strong moves to the bucket — and taking a 42-22 advantage into the intermission.
Although the Tide’s offensive momentum slowed a bit in the third period, their defense helped expand the lead to 21, 51-30, after three periods, from where they cruised to the victory.
“The boys displayed excellent teamwork and determination throughout the game,” said Boyce. “From the opening tip-off, we set the pace with aggressive defense and a well-executed offensive strategy. Our players shared the ball effectively and found open shots. The first half saw us build a solid lead thanks to contributions from multiple players, showcasing our versatility.
“In the second half, we continued to maintain our momentum,” Boyce continued. “Whenever Malden tried to make a comeback, our defensive effort held strong, limiting their scoring opportunities. Key rebounds and transition offense helped us keep control of the game.
“I want to highlight the contributions of our bench players who came in and made significant impacts. Their energy was crucial in maintaining our lead and everyone played and contributed. It’s always great to see everyone step up and play their role effectively,” the coach added.
“As we move forward, we’ll continue to focus on refining our execution and maintaining our defensive intensity. I’m proud of how the team performed,” said Boyce.
However, the Crimson Tide came up short in its next two contests vs. GBL foe Chelsea and non-league rival Brockton.
In a heartbreaking 44-43 loss at Chelsea last Thursday, Red Devil Roify Otanez Del Rosario swished a three-pointer with five seconds on the clock to provide the margin of victory for Chelsea, marking the first win for the Red Devils over the Tide in 37 years.
“It was a tough, tightly-contested affair, as we knew it would be,” said Boyce. “The final score, 44-43, speaks to the battle both teams put up. Credit to Chelsea; they executed when it counted most and earned a significant win for their program.
“From our side, we fought hard and I was proud of the effort the team put forth. There were moments of strong defensive intensity,” Boyce said. “However, as I’ve mentioned before, we had some costly turnovers down the stretch and need to learn how to better close-out games. We must be better in that aspect of the game. As I’ve always said, one game does not make a season. We will regroup, watch film, and continue to focus on refining our execution. The goal remains to get better each week.”
The following day, the Tide made the long trek to Brockton to take on the Boxers and came up short by a score of 57-46.
“It was a challenging game, particularly on Brockton’s home court,” said Boyce. “We came out strong and maintained a lead for most of the game. We had good rhythm offensively and played intense defense in the first three quarters. Then our point guard and center fouled out and we were not able to sustain the intensity needed.
“While the result isn’t what we wanted, the highlight is the team’s resilience,” Boyce added. “The boys continued to fight and display effort despite facing back-to-back losses. We will use the film from these two games as a learning experience.
“Our focus immediately shifts to our next game against Lynn Classical,” Boyce said. “We need to reset, regroup, and come back stronger. The season is long, and we are committed to improving every day.”
The Crimson Tide (1-2 overall, 1-1 GBL) were scheduled to host Lynn Classical yesterday (Tuesday) in a key early-season GBL matchup with the always-strong Rams.
Boyce and his crew will compete during the holiday break this Saturday and Sunday in the Larry Fisher Holiday Tournament at Bridgewater-Raynham (BR) High School. The Tide will meet Bishop Feehan in the preliminary round Saturday afternoon and then will face either BR or Old Rochester on Sunday in either the final or consolation game.
EHS girls edge Chelsea
The Everett High girls basketball team bounced back from a hard-fought, season-opening loss at Malden (44-39) last Tuesday to post its first win of the 2025-26 season with a 46-42 victory over Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Chelsea Thursday evening.
“We played a tough Chelsea team and it came down to the final seconds,” said EHS head coach Riley Dunn. “Shout-out to Chelsea for showing up and really challenging us on our home court. We had a great, loud environment in another close game and we finished it with a ‘W’.”
EHS captain Katerin Landaverde led the Lady Crimson Tide in the scoring column with 12 points. Fellow captains Casey Martinez and Nicole Damaceno both chipped in eight points “and were relentless in the win,” noted Dunn. “Julianna Rivera hit some key shots down the stretch to keep us in the game.
“I was proud of the team’s effort and our composure down the line. We will take this and keep getting better,” Dunn added.
The Lady Crimson Tide will host non-league opponent Haverhill during the vacation break next Tuesday afternoon (December 30) at 1:30.
Boys track tops Malden
The Everett High boys and girls indoor track and field teams competed in a tri-meet with Greater Boston League rivals Malden and Somerville this past Friday evening at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury.
The Crimson Tide boys, who now are 2-1 on the season, split their meet, defeating Malden, 49-37, but falling to Somerville (the top team in the GBL this season), 70-20.
Senior Kervens Joseph once again was the top performer for the Tide, winning the 55 meter dash in 6.69 seconds and the 300 dash in 38.06, both of which were the fastest sprints of the night among all of the GBL schools.
Teammate Arioc Akre also was a standout in the 55 dash with the second-fastest time of the evening in a clocking of 6.82.
Senior Lucas Nunez took first place vs. both opponents in the mile with a speedy run of 4:54.78, which was the second-best time on the track among all GBL opponents.
On the girls’ side, the Lady Crimson Tide came up short vs. both foes by scores of 46-32 vs. Malden and 75-20 vs. Somerville.
Graziella Foster was the top performer for the Lady Tide in terms of how she ranked among all GBL competitors on the night. Graziela’s shot-put toss of 29’-4.50” ranked her third among all of the GBL girls for the evening.
Full details of the meet will appear in next week’s Independent.