We remember the excitement that former Revere High basketball star Richie DeCristoforo and his teammates brought to the city’s sports community in the early 1970s.
With coach Buddy O’Neill on the bench, the RHS boys basketball team was a formidable one, challenging powerful Somerville High for supremacy in the Greater Boston League. We believe one Revere-Somerville game was closed to all spectators because the old Whelan School gymnasium couldn’t accommodate the tremendous crowd that wanted to see that game.
And now Mr. DeCristoforo’s daughter, Diana, head coach of the RHS girls team, is rekindling that golden era of Revere basketball with the girls program. This year’s team – made up predominately of underclassmen – won the Northeastern Conference North championship and claimed a victory in the State Tournament before its season ended Saturday night in Billerica.
There is no question that Diana DeCristoforo’s expert coaching had a lot to do with the team’s success. Those who have watched Diana in action on the Revere sidelines understand the key adjustments she makes in the course of the games that put her team in the best possible position to succeed.
But Diana is quick to point out that the girls’ heart, determination, and teamwork were instrumental qualities in this overachieving group of student-athletes winning 17 games this season. As the New England Patriots have shown, the combination of an excellent coach and a team playing together as one established a strong foundation for winning games.
We congratulate the RHS girls basketball team on its championship season and with several talented players returning next season, the future looks exceedingly bright for the program. There will be more excitement next season for supporters of the RHS girls basketball team.
