Sports 04-13-2016

RhS sports Roundup

RHS girls lacrosse team wins two straight

The Revere High girls lacrosse team earned a pair of runaway victories this past week, taking the measure of Saugus, 11-1, and Malden, 11-4.

In Friday’s triumph over Saugus on the turf at Harry Della Russo Stadium, senior captain Amina Mansouri led the Lady Patriot offense with four goals. Marina Robinson also turned in a fine offensive effort with three goals and an assist.

Taylor Giuffre-Catalano, Basma Mered, Allegra Penn, and Kiana Napolitano all reached the back of the Saugus net for single tallies.

RHS goalie Shateya Travis recorded four saves in the victory.

The Revere girls were back on the field the next day against Malden and recorded  an 11-4 triumph.  Freshman Kiana Napolitano was a force on the offensive end with four goals and an assist.  Adding single goals for the Lady Patriots were Lily DelloIacono, Taylor Giuffre-Catalano, Amina Mansouri, Jenna Wells, Emily DiGiulio, and Dzenana Omerovic. Mansouri and Marina Robinson also earned assists. Travis came up big in goal one again with four saves for the game.

“We started the game a bit slow scoring-wise, but controlled possession the majority of the first half,” said RHS head coach Karen Atkinson. “We came out in the second half strong and confident.

“We are creating more of a team atmosphere with assisting our goals, rather than independently scoring,” added the coach. “Our ground ball control was exceptional during the Malden game.”

Atkinson’s crew was set to play this past Monday against Swampscott and will host Wakefield tomorrow (Thursday). They will entertain Salem on the holiday Monday and make the long trek to Gloucester next Wednesday.

RHS softball team bashes Beverly, 12-6

A week of postponements of their season-opener proved well worth the wait for the Revere High softball team, as the Lady Patriots finally began their 2016 campaign with a 12-6 thrashing of Beverly Monday.

The Lady Patriots belted out 18 hits, led by Juliana Cecere, who went 4-for-5, and sophomore Gia Santinello, who similarly had four hits.

Santinello also was the winning pitcher, allowing four earned runs, while fanning five and walking four.

“We hit the ball well and played well on defense,” said RHS head coach Joe Ciccarello. “We must be a gritty team and grind out wins all year long if we are going to be successful and this was a nice first step.”

Ciccarello and his squad trek to Danvers today (Wednesday) and will host Everett Saturday at the Susan B. Anthony School field. They play at Lynn Classical on the holiday and then at Lynn English next Wednesday.

RHS boys lacrosse defeats two opponents

The Revere High boys lacrosse team opened its season in style this past week, defeating both of its opponents.

Thursday’s 7-6 triumph over Northeastern Conference rival Salem marked a pair of firsts for the boys’ lacrosse program. The win marked both the first-ever opening day triumph for an RHS boys lax team and the team’s first win over Salem.

“After two and one-half weeks of practice, it was great to get a game in despite the miserable weather conditions,” said RHS head coach Steve Magno. “The guys stuck to the game plan and the defense came up big.”

Steve Noel, Eddie Sullivan, and Rickie Briana all scored goals to pace the Revere offense.

The Patriots made it two in a row the following day with a 10-7 win over Matignon in a contest that had been rescheduled from Wednesday because of the spring snow.

Revere jumped out to a quick start with goals by Eddie Sullivan and Steven Noel as the Patriots took a commanding 6-2 lead at the half.

However, unforced turnovers and undisciplined play allowed Matignon to crawl back into the game after the intermission. “We didn’t stick to the game plan and made many mental mistakes,” said Magno.

Revere also was hurt by penalties, which left the Patriots playing a man down for most of the second half, including a locked-in, three-minute stick violation penalty to start the half.  Matignon scored immediately and cut into the RHS  lead.

“The toughest part about locked-in penalties is that a team can score as many times as it can and the penalty does not get released,” observed Magno. “We were able to kill off the rest of the penalty and goals by Eric Bua and Steve Noel put us back in front.”

The contest remained a close one at 9-7 in Revere’s favor into the final minute. The situation became precarious for the Patriots when they were called for penalties that gave Matignon a two-man advantage.

However, Matignon was called for a penalty immediately on the ensuing whistle which gave Revere the ball in the offensive end with about 45 seconds left in the game. The Patriot offense was able to kill the clock and Dan Muller sealed the game with a final-second goal to make it 10-7.

Anchoring the 2016 team is a solid foundation of players returning from last year’s squad. Captains Steve Noel and Mike Dellorfano have provided leadership and have modeled a strong work ethic for new players, according to Magno.

Returning juniors Ed Sullivan, Dan Muller, Nick Smith, Cody Jeglinski, and Wesley Spagnuolo and sophomores Vito Grillo, Patrick Adolphus, and Felipe Catano-Medina have rounded out the core of the team.

Senior defenseman/long stick midfielder Kevin Chiles and sophomore defenseman Julian Giraldo have continued to demonstrate their abilities to be impact players, noted Magno.  Defenseman-turned-midfielder-turned-goalie Anthony Destefano has been tremendous in the cage through the first two games, filling in for freshmen Cam Mazza who is slated to return to the lineup on Friday.  Newcomers Sebastian Bolivar, John DiGregorio, Jason Reyes, Jordi Palma, Joe Ristino, and Alex Rindone continue to develop, and Magno said he expects solid contributions from each of them during the 20-game season.

The 2016 campaign also marks the long-anticipated arrival of four freshmen in the RHS varsity starting lineup.

“This is the first year since 2013 that we have had such an influx of kids who played for several years in the youth program,” said Magno. “Matt Stasio, Eric Bua, Rickie Briana, and Nick Sujko have made an immediate impact as freshmen players at the varsity level.

“Freshmen goalie Cam Mazza is slated to return to the team on Friday,” added Magno. “We expect a high level of play from him.  They all still have a lot to work on, but that will come with experience playing and practicing at the varsity level.

“The youth program has been integral to the success of this program,” continued the coach. “I enjoyed starting the youth program and introducing the sport to many young players in Revere. There are currently 10 players on the roster who played for us at the youth level.  There are many others who have gone onto private schools.  I have since turned the program over to my assistant coach, Austin Powers, who has done a tremendous job working with me over the past couple of years with the youth program.

“We need more players to learn the game and develop before they get to the high school,” continued Magno. “Learning this sport at the varsity level is extremely difficult.

“We are in a good spot right now,” said Magno, “but we need to play more disciplined lacrosse and stay out of the penalty box.”

The Patriots’ schedule heats up this week with three games in three days. The Pats are scheduled to play at Northeast Regional today (Wednesday), at Swampscott tomorrow, and the at home Friday against Mystic Valley.

“These teams will give us their best effort, but if we play according to our system, we can beat anybody,” said Magno. “Overall we are a young team with a lot of raw talent.  Our players need to continue to work hard in practice to develop and mature.  My assistant coaches, Chris Piazza and Austin Powers, have done a good job working with the new guys to improve their skills.  While it has been great to jump out to a 2-0 start to the season, we have reminded the players that we still have 18 games left in the season. There is still a lot of lacrosse yet to be played.”

Cheever wins the 800 event against Beverly

Tricia Cheever crossed the line in a time of 2:51 to take first place in the 800 meter event for the Revere High girls outdoor track and field team last Wednesday in their season-opening meet with Beverly.

Although Cheever was the sole victor for the Lady Patriots, many other Revere girl scored points with second and third place finishes.

Helen Perez took second in two events, the 400 hurdles in a time of 78.5 and the 400 dash in a clocking of 71.0. “Helen is our best mid-distance runner and also has the versatility to hurdle and sprint if necessary,” said RHS head coach Antonio LaBruna. “She had a great meet finishing second in both the 400 hurdles and 400. She works hard to improve and should be primed for a great junior season.”

Rachel Shanbar grabbed second in the shotput with a toss of 28’-5”. Angelina Nguyen finished second in the 100 dash in 13.9. Hannah Fitzpatrick scored three points in the 800 in 2:52, just behind Cheever.

Estefania Velasquez came across in second in the high hurdles in 19.7. “Estefania had a tremendous ending to her indoor track season,” said LaBruna. “She has improved her technique while clearing the hurdle and has the ability to lead with both legs. She should be in for a great spring season once her speed and conditioning improve.”

Four Lady Patriots added single points to the Revere cause with third place efforts: Angel Hodaj with a javelin throw of 71’-3”; Shanbar with a discus toss of 66’; Angelina Nguyen in the 200 dash in 30.4; and senior captain Suellen Guerreiro in the two-mile in 13:27.

“Suellen has gotten better each and every season and comes into this spring with a personal goal of breaking 6:00 in the mile,” noted LaBruna. “Her best time in the two-mile last spring was 13:27 and she matched that time in our opener despite cold and windy conditions. It’s a matter of when, not if, it will come for Suellen to break six minutes in the mile.

“As with every first meet of a new season, we definitely experienced some growing pains and made some mistakes in both the track and field events,” added LaBruna. “But we’ll be better because of it. We didn’t jump well and got shut out in the three jumping events, so that will be a big focus in the coming practices, trying to get those distances up and ultimately put some points on the board.”

LaBruna and his squad took on Peabody this past Monday. They will be back in action next Wednesday during the vacation week against Saugus.

Boys tennis team plays well in openers

The Revere High boys tennis team opened its season amidst last week’s inclement weather, with the first of the three contests on the schedule postponed because of last Monday’s snowstorm.

In last Wednesday’s contest at Danvers, junior captain David Grujic emerged as the lone victor for the Patriots. Grujic, playing in the number two singles slot, defeated his Panther counterpart in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

In the number one position, junior captain Mateo Lopez fought hard in both sets before succumbing, 4-6, 4-6. In the third singles spot, junior Josh Preciado fell by scores of 1-6, 3–6.

In the doubles contests, the first doubles duo of junior Naveed Jabbar and junior Andrea Shehaj fell by a score of 1-6, 3-6. At second doubles, the tandem of junior Ralph Corbelle and senior captain David Henao dropped a hard-fought match, 6-7 (6-8), 2-6.

In Friday’s contest at Lynn Classical, Grujic once again earned the lone point for Revere with a win at second singles 7-5, 6-2. Lopez at first singles and Shehaj, playing at third singles, dropped their matches.

In the doubles contests, Jabbar and Preciado fought fiercely in a pair of sets that went into tiebreakers. The first set tiebreaker was a marathon battle, with the Classical duo finally prevailing by a score of 12-10 in the tie-break. The second set tiebreaker did not go as long, with the Patriot twosome falling, 2-7.

In the second doubles match, senior Ibraham Danguir and sophomore Alejandro Zuleta-Munoz, who were playing together for the first time, fell in straight sets.

Coach Mike Flynn and his crew have a busy stretch ahead. They were scheduled to face Beverly yesterday (Tuesday) in a make-up of their postponed contest from last Monday. The Patriots will host Lynn English today (Wednesday), Medford on Friday, Peabody on Monday, and Gloucester next Wednesday.

RHS baseball team drops season-opener

The Revere High baseball team came up short in its season-opener Monday against Beverly, dropping a 15-5 decision to the visiting Panthers at Tony Conigliaro field.

The Revere bats were alive, as the Patriots pounded out nine hits. Captain Maxx Anderson and capt. John DeSimone had two hits apiece. Capt. Dan Murphy contributed a single and an RBI, as did Hector Zevala. James Feeley popped a double and Nick Castellarin and Christian Ordonez both added base hits.

Freshman Matt Crovatto knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly.

However, the Patriots fell short in the pitching department. Four Revere pitchers took to the mound, but were unable to find success.

“We allowed too many walks,” said RHS head coach Shawn Brinkley, who lauded his team’s overall defensive effort. “Our pitchers were being too careful around the plate. They have to realize they have to throw strikes and then rely on their defense behind them.”

The contest was a close one at 5-2 in the fourth, but Beverly added three in the fifth to pull away.

Brinkley and his crew are set to be back in action today (Wednesday) at Danvers. They play at Lynn Classical on the holiday Monday and will host Lynn English next Wednesday.

Diana Finn receives coaching award from North Shore basketball referees

By Cary Shuman

This winter Diana Finn led the Revere High School girls basketball team to the finest season in the program’s history, a momentous journey that culminated with an appearance in the Division 1 North Sectional final.

The IAABO Board 130 basketball referees took notice of Finn’s coaching excellence and her sportsmanship, honoring Finn with the prestigious John Squires Sr. Award at its awards dinner March 29 at the Danversport Yacht Club.

Fred Corey, chairman of the award committee, presented the award to Finn.

“The award is given to a high school varsity girls coach who demonstrates a high level of sportsmanship and treats officials professionally and respectfully,” said Corey. “Diana is always professional and polite toward the officials from the time they enter they gym until the time they leave.”

Corey said Finn is “very energetic and somewhat animated” on the Revere sidelines and one of her finest attributes is how well she coaches her players.

Corey added that Finn’s coaching technique of “nicely” explaining various in-game decisions to her team  “encourages, motivates, and builds confidence in her players and at the same time builds a strong bond between the players and the coach.”

Finn said she was honored to receive the esteemed award from Board 130.

“As a coach and a guidance counselor, I always want my players and students to learn the lesson within the lesson – that life and basketball aren’t only games where wins and losses matter.”

Finn said the 2015-16 season revealed the character of the Revere players. “They showed resilience and toughness in the face of adversity. As a coach and educator, I’m proud of who they are as people even more so than how they play the game. As a Revere native, I’m proud that this team represented our city and school so well and into the postseason. I am a better coach and person because of them and I can’t wait ‘til next year.”

Finn is a 1999 graduate of  Revere High School where she was a 1,000-point scorer for the basketball team. In four seasons coaching at Revere High, she has a record of 73-15, including three Northeastern Conference championships and four appearances in the State Tournament. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College and a Master’s degree from Salem State University. She is a guidance counselor at Revere High School.

Corey said that Revere High director of athletics Frank Shea summed up perfectly what makes Diana Finn one of the most outstanding coaches in Massachusetts. “Diana is a passionate, hard-working, and knowledgeable  coach who is well respected by her players, her colleagues and staff. Diane is truly gifted and the Revere girls are lucky to have her in their life.”

 RHS sports Through the Years

10 years ago

April 12, 2006

The Revere High baseball team overcame 10 errors to post a victory by a football-like score of 19-12 in the season-opener against Everett. RHS head coach Al Blasi said the contest rates as one of the weirdest and wildest he has seen in his 41 years as a coach. RHS pitchers Rick Mastropietro went four innings and yielded only one earned run and Dan Broadford tossed three innings with only two earned runs. Brian Hartman led the Patriot offense with a 5-for-5 effort at the plate that included a grand slam and six RBI; Broadford went 4-for-5 with two RBI; and Anthony Coscia went 4-for-5 with four RBI and a three run homer.

The RHS softball team opened the season with wins of 5-4 over Somerville and 8-2 over Salem. Danielle Fraunton delivered a clutch base hit in the bottom of the seventh to bring home Jessica Falzone with the winning run in the Somerville contest. In the Salem win, Christina Polsonetti twirled a five-hitter and Amanda Morash swatted a triple and two doubles for three RBI.

The RHS boys tennis team opened the season with a 4-1 win over Salem. Andre Boguslavsky, Dave Lent, and John Mauro all won their matches at singles.

20 years ago

April 10, 1996

Touch Ek won three events, both of the hurdles and the triple jump, to lead the RHS girls track team to a 91-31 win over Everett. For the boys, Carlos Lobato won the 200 dash and the javelin and took second in the 100 dash to pace the Pats to a 92-43 win over Everett.