Where Are They Now? Bellingham’s Malo a Top-notch Three-Sport Star in Milford
Sep 30, 2014 08:38AM ● By Kenneth Hamwey
Bellingham resident Carl Malo was a 3-sport athlete at Milford High
Carl Malo’s athletic career may be one of the best-kept secrets in Bellingham—but not in Milford. A three-sport star at Milford High, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Malo played with passion, excelling as a scrambling quarterback, a defensive-minded point guard and a durable pitcher-outfielder. He led the Scarlet Hawks to seven victories in football during the 1963 season and struck out 13 in a no-hitter against Clinton as a senior in 1964. He also helped the Scarlet Hawks to a Midland League championship in baseball.
A resident of Bellingham for the last 30 years, the 66-year-old Malo keeps close tabs on the fortunes of sports teams from both Milford and Bellingham. His two step-daughters (Laurie and Leesa) played softball and volleyball at Bellingham, and Laurie was a co-captain in volleyball as a senior in 1988. She also was talented enough to earn a volleyball scholarship to play at Franklin Pierce College.
“I followed both of them while they were in high school,” Malo said, “and I thought it was fantastic this year when Bellingham won state titles in both softball and baseball. I was tickled pink for both teams because I know it takes lots of work to win a championship.”
Few in Bellingham probably know that Malo, pictured right, was such a top-notch quarterback that he was recruited to play for the Marlboro Shamrocks, who later became an ultra-successful semi-pro team. In his second year with the Shamrocks, Malo opposed Ed Songin, the first quarterback in Patriots’ history.
“Paul Drummey and Bill Grasso were assembling a semi-pro football team in Marlboro and were looking for players,” Malo recalled. “I was their quarterback the first year and we finished 7-0. We lost two games our second year, and one of them was against the Jersey Generals. Their quarterback was Songin, who played for the Patriots in 1960. They also had Northbridge’s Phil Vandersea at linebacker. He had played on a Super Bowl team at Green Bay. Jersey dominated us, 48-14.”
At Milford High, Malo relied on quickness, lateral movement and an uncanny jumping ability. Football and baseball were his strong sports, but he left his mark in basketball too, averaging 13.5 points a game and helping Milford post a 13-5 record his senior year.
“We won both games in the Town Series against rival St. Mary’s,” said Malo, who was a co-captain. “In the second meeting, I scored nine points, and we squeaked out a 44-42 victory. That was a big thrill to take both games. My best offensive effort was scoring 24 points in a 51-47 win over Marlboro.”
Malo could scramble effectively on the gridiron and throw accurately in medium-range situations. A sprained hip forced him to sit out his junior year, but he returned as a senior and became the Scarlet Hawks co-captain and eventual co-MVP with Tony Chinappi. Malo rushed for seven touchdowns and threw 10 scoring passes in a season that ended with a 7-2 record. “If my receivers were covered, I wasn’t afraid to scramble,” Malo said. “I had some speed and could evade tacklers.”
His two favorite football memories are a win over Maynard and the Thanksgiving Day victory over Uxbridge. “We were underdogs against Maynard and won, 30-0,” Malo noted. “We blanked Uxbridge, 28-0. I threw one TD pass and rushed for another score against Uxbridge. We had quality players in Nick Consoletti at wide receiver, Tony Chinappi at linebacker and Al Alves, Lenny LaFlamme and Dick Pilla in the backfield.”
Malo, who hit .275 during two varsity seasons on the diamond, rates Milford’s winning a Midland League title and his no-hitter as top thrills. “We won one title during my baseball career,” he said. “The no-hitter against Clinton was a 17-1 victory. I survived a bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning by striking out the next two batters.”
Malo, who was an all-star in all three sports, had scholarship offers from Clark, Bridgeport and AIC, but he decided to join the Air Force. After a year, he was discharged honorably.
Besides competing for the Shamrocks, he also played adult softball for Kimball Sand Company of Blackstone and Mendon. He pitched and helped the team win the Class C Massachusetts title. “We qualified for the nationals and went to Baltimore,” Malo said. “We finished around 14th out of 50 teams.”
Malo and his wife, Jane, have four daughters and five grandchildren. Calling his late parents (Clayton and Helen) role models for their encouragement, he also admired his older brother Dick, who played sports as well.
“My philosophy of competing was to give 100 percent and try to win,” said Malo, who is co-owner of A&G Glass Company in Milford. “If a loss occurred, that was okay as long as I put forth a good effort.”
Carl Malo was a successful competitor because of a common thread that existed in his approach to all sports: he had an insatiable passion for athletics. And that passion is still evident as he follows the achievements of both Bellingham and Milford athletic teams.
A resident of Bellingham for the last 30 years, the 66-year-old Malo keeps close tabs on the fortunes of sports teams from both Milford and Bellingham. His two step-daughters (Laurie and Leesa) played softball and volleyball at Bellingham, and Laurie was a co-captain in volleyball as a senior in 1988. She also was talented enough to earn a volleyball scholarship to play at Franklin Pierce College.
“I followed both of them while they were in high school,” Malo said, “and I thought it was fantastic this year when Bellingham won state titles in both softball and baseball. I was tickled pink for both teams because I know it takes lots of work to win a championship.”
Few in Bellingham probably know that Malo, pictured right, was such a top-notch quarterback that he was recruited to play for the Marlboro Shamrocks, who later became an ultra-successful semi-pro team. In his second year with the Shamrocks, Malo opposed Ed Songin, the first quarterback in Patriots’ history.
“Paul Drummey and Bill Grasso were assembling a semi-pro football team in Marlboro and were looking for players,” Malo recalled. “I was their quarterback the first year and we finished 7-0. We lost two games our second year, and one of them was against the Jersey Generals. Their quarterback was Songin, who played for the Patriots in 1960. They also had Northbridge’s Phil Vandersea at linebacker. He had played on a Super Bowl team at Green Bay. Jersey dominated us, 48-14.”
At Milford High, Malo relied on quickness, lateral movement and an uncanny jumping ability. Football and baseball were his strong sports, but he left his mark in basketball too, averaging 13.5 points a game and helping Milford post a 13-5 record his senior year.
“We won both games in the Town Series against rival St. Mary’s,” said Malo, who was a co-captain. “In the second meeting, I scored nine points, and we squeaked out a 44-42 victory. That was a big thrill to take both games. My best offensive effort was scoring 24 points in a 51-47 win over Marlboro.”
Malo could scramble effectively on the gridiron and throw accurately in medium-range situations. A sprained hip forced him to sit out his junior year, but he returned as a senior and became the Scarlet Hawks co-captain and eventual co-MVP with Tony Chinappi. Malo rushed for seven touchdowns and threw 10 scoring passes in a season that ended with a 7-2 record. “If my receivers were covered, I wasn’t afraid to scramble,” Malo said. “I had some speed and could evade tacklers.”
His two favorite football memories are a win over Maynard and the Thanksgiving Day victory over Uxbridge. “We were underdogs against Maynard and won, 30-0,” Malo noted. “We blanked Uxbridge, 28-0. I threw one TD pass and rushed for another score against Uxbridge. We had quality players in Nick Consoletti at wide receiver, Tony Chinappi at linebacker and Al Alves, Lenny LaFlamme and Dick Pilla in the backfield.”
Malo, who hit .275 during two varsity seasons on the diamond, rates Milford’s winning a Midland League title and his no-hitter as top thrills. “We won one title during my baseball career,” he said. “The no-hitter against Clinton was a 17-1 victory. I survived a bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning by striking out the next two batters.”
Malo, who was an all-star in all three sports, had scholarship offers from Clark, Bridgeport and AIC, but he decided to join the Air Force. After a year, he was discharged honorably.
Besides competing for the Shamrocks, he also played adult softball for Kimball Sand Company of Blackstone and Mendon. He pitched and helped the team win the Class C Massachusetts title. “We qualified for the nationals and went to Baltimore,” Malo said. “We finished around 14th out of 50 teams.”
Malo and his wife, Jane, have four daughters and five grandchildren. Calling his late parents (Clayton and Helen) role models for their encouragement, he also admired his older brother Dick, who played sports as well.
“My philosophy of competing was to give 100 percent and try to win,” said Malo, who is co-owner of A&G Glass Company in Milford. “If a loss occurred, that was okay as long as I put forth a good effort.”
Carl Malo was a successful competitor because of a common thread that existed in his approach to all sports: he had an insatiable passion for athletics. And that passion is still evident as he follows the achievements of both Bellingham and Milford athletic teams.
