Girls basketball team improves to 18-0
Four more games.
Four more wins.
Unfortunately for the opponents of the Revere High girls basketball team this season, that story line represents just another typical week of work for the Lady Patriots, who improved to 18-0 with a pair of wins over former Greater Boston League rival Medford that bookended two more triumphs over Northeastern Conference foes Lynn English and Beverly.
Revere posted wins over Medford on the past two consecutive Monday evenings, 66-54 last week and 62-27 this week. The initial triumph was not as close as the final score might indicate, as the Lady Patriots went into the fourth quarter with a comfortable 56-37 advantage that never was seriously threatened in the final frame. Morgan Jenkins and Marissa Parent teamed up for 17 points apiece and Gena Restiano tossed in 13 points in that one.
The rematch must have seemed like a remake of the movie Groundhog Day for Medford, as Revere once again moved out fast and early, only with even more intensity the second time around.
“We have been challenging ourselves to increase our defensive intensity at the start of each game, because our offense feeds off our defense,†said RHS head coach Diana DeCristoforo.
And indeed, Medford felt the full impact of that high level of intensity as the Lady Patriots stampeded their Lady Mustang foes in the opening eight minutes to the tune of a 23-6 lead. With the scoreboard showing a 41-16 Revere advantage at the half, DeCristoforo’s crew had accomplished their main objective of achieving a powerful start.
Jenkins paced a balanced scoring attack with 22 points, followed by Parent with 13, Restiano with 12, Ashley DeFraia with six, Amy Rotger with four, Kat Prince with two, and Caitlyn Caramello with two.
Although Friday’s contest with Beverly showed a final score of what seemed like a 72-39 runaway, the game was fairly close at the half, with Revere holding a 10 point lead, 33-23. “We did not come out as hard as we should have,†said DeCristoforo. “I think we expected Beverly to just show up and roll over for us, but we should know by now that every team we play is gunning for us.â€
A “pep talk†at the intermission from their less-than-happy coach proved the right medicine, and by the end of the third quarter, the 10 point lead had almost doubled, to 56-37.
Jenkins was immense at both ends of the floor, hitting for 20 points and pulling down 25 rebounds. Restiano also reached double figures with 11 points and dished out five assists.
Last Tuesday’s encounter with Lynn English will prove to be the sort of game that will provide invaluable experience for the Lady Patriots when they get into the state tourney. English is a physical team that always plays hard, especially in its own gym.
Revere trailed all the way, 15-14, 31-29, and 46-41, at each of the quarter poles. With six minutes to go and the Lady Pats still trailing by six, DeCristoforo called a time out. “I told the girls that if they have a switch, they needed to turn it on now, because time was running out.â€
An English turnover, a couple of Revere buckets, and then a three pointer by Caramello from the corner brought the teams into a deadlock, at which point the Lady Patriot running game finally got untracked. The final score of 67-60 represented a 13 point swing in a six minute span.
“English tried to slow the game down and had done a good job of it for three and half quarters,†said DeCristoforo. “But once we got into a running game with them, we were able to pull away.â€
Jenkins put on a show that added to her credentials for league MVP honors, pouring in 30 points and hauling in 22 boards. Restiano tingled the twine for 15 points.
So now DeCristoforo and her crew are just two games away from regular season perfection as the Journal goes to press. However, their path to a 20-0 final mark will not be easy. The Lady Pats last night (Tuesday) hosted a Lynn Classical team that is second in the NEC’s Large Division with an 8-4 mark and is 11-5 overall. Although Revere easily handled Classical 63-34 in their first meeting, the Lady Rams, who at one time were 2-3, have won nine of their last 11 outings.
Revere travels to long time rival Peabody Friday night in the season finale. The Lady Pats cruised to a 76-39 win five weeks ago, but the Lady Tanners always are a tough foe on their home court.
Mosko named NEC track Coach of Year
For the second time in three years, Revere High track coach Jack Mosko was named the Coach of the Year of the Northeastern Conference Large School Division at the meeting of league coaches last Tuesday.
Revere had Breny Guzman selected as a first team All Star in the 300 meters. The Patriot 4 x 400 meter relay team of Mike Fitzpatrick, Johnny Lopes, Devin Colon, and Brahim Rhazi also was named a first team All Star selection.
Wednesday’s NEC Freshman/Sophomore meet saw RHS freshman Ricardo Maldanado capture first place in the high jump with a leap of 5-6. Ricardo also finished sixth in the 55 meter dash. Many other Revere competitors achieved ribbons in that meet and full results will appear in next week’s Journal.
Revere will be well represented at Friday’s Division 1 meet at the Reggie Lewis Center with Guzman competing in the 300, Fitzpatrick in the 600, Rhazi in the 1000, and Joey Ritchie in the long jump.
Hockey team tops Somerville, 7-2
The Revere High hockey team broke out of its scoring slump in a big way last Wednesday with a 7-2 triumph over Somerville. The Patriots also gained revenge for a 2-1 defeat at the hands of their former Greater Boston League rival in their earlier meeting this season.
After spotting Somerville a 1-0 lead at the 9:00 mark of the opening period, the contest belonged to the Patriots. Drew Lauria evened the count 45 seconds later, assisted by Joe Corbett, and Peter Marino, assisted by Chris Whalen, made it a 2-1 affair shortly thereafter at 10:54 to give Revere a lead it never would relinquish.
Whalen lit the lamp at 2:20 of the second frame from Corbett. Brandon Mastropietro did likewise at 6:20, assisted by Corbett and Marco Mazzarelli. Dale Paradise kept the good times rolling for Revere at 7:24, assisted by Lauria.
Corbett (goal) and Lauria (assist) teamed up again at 4:11 of the third frame, as Drew picked up his third point of the night in his first game after being moved to forward from defense Sophomore T.J. MacDonald then joined the party with his first goal of the season (on his first shot on net), assisted by Corbett at 13:40 to round out the Revere scoring. For Captain Corbett, the assist marked his fifth point of the evening.
Somerville slid one past RHS netminder Jeff Redding for a meaningless tally with 25 seconds to play to account for the 7-2 finale. In the intervening 35:35 between Somerville goals, Redding had been superb, turning aside 30 Somerville shots on goal.
However, Revere’s hopes for a spot in the state tourney suffered a tough blow with a 2-1 loss to Lynn Saturday evening. Both teams came into the contest fighting for second place in the South Division of the Northeastern Conference, a position that assures a berth in the tourney.
With Revere leading Lynn by one point in the standings, the contest had the air of a tournament game and both teams played fine up and down hockey.
The Patriots “drew†first blood on a lamplighter by Lauria, assisted by Corbett and Whalen, at 5:00 of the opening period. But Lynn struck for two markers before the period ended and that’s how things remained until the final horn.
The final tally for shots on goal showed Revere with a 33-29 edge, but with the goalies at both ends playing staunchly, neither team was able to reach the back of the net the rest of the way. Revere put on a valiant effort to notch the equalizer when RHS head coach Jim Palumbo pulled Redding for a sixth skater with 1:20 to go, but a frantic and frenetic finish saw Revere do everything but light the red lamp.
Both Revere and Lynn have three NEC games left. The Pats play Marblehead tonight (Wednesday) at Salem State and host Salem at 5:00 Saturday at Cronin, a contest that will feature Senior Night festivities. Palumbo and crew still have to make up a game with NEC rival Winthrop. They will play in a tournament over the vacation break next week.
Boys hoop team drops three contests
The Revere High boys basketball team dropped three contests this past week.
Friday’s 58-54 loss to Beverly saw the Patriots battle hard all the way and eventually move out to a 47-45 lead early in the fourth quarter. Although a seven point run by Beverly resulted in a 52-47 Beverly lead with about three minutes to play, a breakaway basket and a three pointer by Sean Quiroz brought the Pats to within a bucket, 54-52, with 25 seconds to go.
However, Revere was unable to make it all the way back as Beverly made its free throws down the stretch to come away with the win. Quiroz led Revere on the point parade with 13, followed by Trae Weathers with 12, Greg Cabral and Chris Palladino with 11 each, Frank Colleran with five, and Paul Norton with two.
A 66-61 loss to Somerville last Wednesday saw the Pats mount a furious comeback bid in the final frame as they tried to erase an 18 point deficit, 56-38, after three periods. However, their 23 point effort in the final eight minutes proved the proverbial too little, too late, though it was a valiant effort.
Cabral and Weathers enjoyed banner nights, striking for 27 and 24 points respectively. D.K. Khalieng added four points and Quiroz and Joseph Aut had three apiece.
Last Tuesday the Pat took on one of the top three teams in the state, Lynn English, a perennial Eastern Mass. powerhouse that always seems to have lots of speed, height, and depth, and which typically is rounding into tournament shape by this time of the season. Revere trailed by 14 after one quarter and 20 at the half en route to coming out on the short end of a 94-65 decision.
Cabral hit for 20 points with Weathers (12) and Quiroz (10) also reaching double figures. Colleran added nine.
Coach Rick Hayes and his crew, who must win all of their remaining games in order to qualify for the post season state tourney, traveled to Lynn Classical last night (Tuesday), host Chelsea tonight (Wednesday), and host Peabody Friday. They will play in a vacation tournament next week, meeting Masconomet Tuesday and the winner or loser of Malden Catholic v. Reading in either the championship or consolation game on Wednesday.
