RhS sports Roundup
RHS football team opens
season Friday at Gloucester
The Revere High football team will kick off its 2018 season this Friday evening at 7:00 when the Patriots make the long trek to Gloucester to take on the Fishermen, one of Revere’s rivals in Tier 2 of the Northeastern Conference.
“Gloucester always presents a challenge,†said veteran RHS head coach Lou Cicatelli. “They’re well-coached and have a pair of their top backs returning from last year.â€
The Patriots also are returning a number of key players on both sides of the line of scrimmage and are looking forward to a strong season, building upon the excitement generated by the dramatic victory in the final minute over Winthrop in the Thanksgiving Day game.
Sophomore quarterback Calvin Boudreau, who took over the starting role early last year, has added a few inches in height and was impressive in the Patriots’ 30-12 victory over Northeast Regional in a controlled scrimmage this past Saturday at Harry Della Russo Stadium.
Boudreau engineered a 70-yard scoring drive on the Patriots’ opening possession, mixing the passing and running game nicely, that set the tone for the game. At one point, Calvin hit on six straight pass attempts, with his chief target being X-man Jonathan Murphy, whom Cicatelli utilizes in various positions — tailback, slot receiver, and wide receiver — that keeps the opposing defenses guessing.
Another key returnee is running back Darius McNeil, who made some big gains between the tackles in the Northeast game and figures to be a powerful force whenever he touches the ball.
Junior running back Zach Furlong, who poses another threat to enemy defenses, broke off a 70 yard run in the Northeast game and figures to be a mainstay on offense.
Defensively, the Patriots will be anchored by senior captain Frank Sims at nose tackle. “If there was an MVP of the Northeast game, it was Frank,†noted Cicatelli. “The Northeast line couldn’t handle him and he disrupted their entire offense throughout the game.â€
Defensive end Mazer Ali and defensive tackle Devin Matthias also earned plaudits from Cicatelli for their solid efforts against Northeast.
The biggest setbacks thus far for Cicatelli and his crew in the pre-season have been beyond their control. The oppressive heat and humidity forced all athletic teams to cancel their outdoor practices for two days early last week, which for the Revere gridmen meant the cancellation of their scheduled scrimmage last Tuesday afternoon wth Saugus.
“The on-field temperature on the turf had to have exceeded 100 degrees for a few days,†said Cicatelli. “We practiced in the fieldhouse and did a lot of board-work, but the days we lost on the field set us back a bit.â€
In addition, two key Patriot performers, Lucas Barbosa (bicep injury) and Joseph Ilannos (ankle sprain), will be out of action for the Gloucester tilt.
Cicatelli and his crew will host their home opener next Friday evening against Marblehead.
Fall sports season swings into high gear
The 2018 fall athletic season for Revere High was scheduled to get underway this  week — weather permitting.
The record-setting heat and humidity for this time of year forced the cancellation of outdoor practices last week and could impact the start of the season this week.
The RHS volleyball team hosted Danvers yesterday (Tuesday) to mark the official start of the fall season. The Lady Patriots play again tomorrow (Thursday) at Somerville and entertain Saugus next Wednesday.
The field hockey team will open its season today (Wednesday) when the Lady Patriots host Marblehead. The Lady Patriots will trek to Beverly on Friday, entertain Everett on Monday, and host Peabody next Thursday.
Tomorrow (Thursday) will mark the season-openers for the girls soccer team, which hosts Winthrop in the afternoon; the boys soccer team, which entertains Somerville at 6:30; and the cross country teams, which race Everett at the Belle Isle course.
The boys soccer team will be back in action on Friday when they travel to Catholic Memorial and next Wednesday with a trip to Medford. The girls soccer team hosts Gloucester next Wednesday.
The Patriot golf team swings into action Monday against Malden at the Cedar Glen course and will meet Lynn Classical the following day, also at Cedar Glen.
Yawkey League title eludes unlucky Revere Rockies
By Bob Marra
The Revere Rockies probably have a good idea of how the 2004 New York Yankees felt after the Red Sox roared back from a 3-1 series deficit to win a decisive Game 7.
The Rockies probably also have some of that bitter 1986 Red Sox Game Six anguish to boot.
After constructing a 3-games-to-1 lead over the Brighton Braves in the Yawkey League Championship series, the Rockies saw it fizzle away when they dropped game 5, then lost a 4-1 final inning lead in Game 6, and finally suffered a devastating 1-0, extra-innings loss Thursday night in the ultimate Game 7.
The championship series lived up to its billing.
The Braves, winners of the Ted Williams division with a 20-11 record, were top-seeded. The Rockies, 19-11-1, slipped to a second place finish in the Carl Yastrzemski division after a late-season slide but were seeded third in the six-team playoff format.
The Rockies topped the Charlestown Townies (16-13-2) in the opening round, and then made quick work of the second-seeded South Boston Saints with a four-game sweep to advance to the finals. The Braves, who enjoyed a first-round bye, topped the surprising McKay Beacons 4-2 in the semis to set the finals matchup.
The series began just as an unrelenting late-August heat wave parked over Greater Boston.
The game action matched the weather as the Rockies and Braves played a grueling seven games in eight days. The Braves took Game 1, 6-2, but the Rockies reeled off three straight (3-0, 8-7, 10-9) to grab what appeared to be a commanding series lead.
But the Braves weren’t done by any stretch. Led by Series MVP pitcher Mike Smith, who hurled the Game 1 win, the Braves shut out the Rockies 4-0 in Game 5 on Tuesday (August 28). In Game Six, the Rockies appeared ready to uncork the championship champagne as they took a 4-1 lead into the seventh (final) inning, but the Braves staged an uprising with a 7-run seventh. The Rockies rallied for 2 in the bottom of the seventh but it wasn’t enough as the 8-6 loss set up Thursday’s title game.
Smith returned to the mound for the Braves on only one day’s rest and hurled a masterpiece, and his mound magic was matched by the Rockie’s Chris Sandini (five innings) and Jon Sheppard as neither team could nudge across a run despite a handful of chances.
The Rockies threatened in the eighth with two on, but Smith worked his way out of trouble. In the eighth, the Braves Alex Haslam beat out a slow roller to short to lead off, then stole second when Ari Glantz missed on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Glantz missed another bunt attempt to push Haslam to third, but with two strikes he roped a controversial single inches inside the third base bag and Haslam came home to score the game’s only run and give the Braves their first Yawkey League title since 1977.
PHOTOS
Rockies 15:
ROUND TRIPPER: Revere Rockies Chris Hartery is congratulated by teammate Alex Cruscuolo after Hartery’s solo homerun in the third inning of Game Three in the Yawkey League Championship series on August 26. The Rockies won the game to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Rockies 37:
FENCED IN: Revere Rockies center fielder Alex Wong takes a leap but cannot prevent a Boston Braves homerun during Game 3 of the Yawkey League Championships. The Rockies won the game but eventually lost the series in a decisive Game 7 on August 30.
Yawgm7 19:
HARD KNOCKS: Revere Rockies second baseman Ken Polanco loses his hat—but not the ball, after he tagged out a Boston Braves runner who slammed into Polanco to break up a double play.
Yawgm7 28:
PUMPED UP:Â Revere Rockies pitcher Jon Sheppard is pumped after striking out a Boston Braves hitter in the sixth inning to quell a Braves threat. The Braves went on to win the Yawkey League Championship with a 1-0 extra-inning victory on Thursday August 30.
Yawgm 7 34:
YOU’RE OUT: Revere Rockies shortstop Ryan Petrone puts a tag on Brighton Braves Andrew Lindquist in a force play at second base.
