The Revere High School football cheerleading squad is officially No. 1 in Massachusetts after winning the MIAA Division 1 Large Coed state championship at Shrewsbury High School.
Coach Julianne Esposito’s talented contingent outpointed four other state finalists, Natick, Norwood, Marblehead, and Diman Vocational, to take home the state championship trophy.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to win the state championship,†said Esposito. “We’re very proud of the squad. I’m definitely very impressed, but all along we thought we would have a good chance at doing it but anything can happen at states.â€
The Revere squad was at its best in the most important test of the year, performing a flawless routine with enthusiasm – a team effort that earned high marks from the judges in all categories: stunts, tumbling, jumps, dance, and motion.
“We hit all of our stunts and stuck all of our tumbling,†said Esposito, whose Revere squad bested Natick by a decisive 10-point margin.
Revere captains Angela Petrangelo, Taylor D’Elia, Kemal Custovic, and Kylie Mazza agreed that it was an amazing finish to a spectacular season that saw the squad finish first in every competition it entered.
“This was such an amazing season,†said Petrangelo. “I couldn’t ask for a better team to share this experience with. This really made my senior year that much more memorable and I’m said to say it’s come to an end.â€
“This has been the best season I have cheered in all my four years of cheering,†said D’Elia. “Due to our hard work and determination, we overcame every challenge to get where we wanted to be – state champions and an undefeated season.â€
“This season worked out a lot in our favor because we all acted like a family,†said Custovic. “This was by far my favorite season cheering for Revere High School.â€
“I don’t think anything else that happens during senior year will add up to winning states; it was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life and sharing it with those 14 other girls and Kemal made it that much more memorable,†said Mazza. We’ve always been a good team but I think this season we were tired of being good and worked hard to prove that we could be great.â€
Mazza also thanked the squad’s fans for their support. Revere had the largest fan section at the state finals, a group that included Athletic Director Shaun Hart, students, parents, and faculty.
“We wouldn’t have been able to do this without our amazing fans that came out week after week and supported us,†said Mazza. “I’m so thankful for them. They deserve a lot of recognition.â€