RHS LACROSSE STAR:Eric Bua Signs Letter of Intent to Attend Franklin Pierce Univ

Eric Bua began playing lacrosse in the Revere youth program in the sixth grade. Former Revere lacrosse coach Steve Magno knew right away that Eric was a special player with a bright future in the sport.

Eric’s mother, Renee Richards, had introduced her son to the joy of sports years before.

“From the day he was born, he had a ball in his hands – baseball, basketball – and he played football for the first time this season and did amazing,” said Richards, who couldn’t have been prouder at her son’s national letter of intent signing ceremony Nov. 19 at the Merullo Field House.

Bua made it official in front of his family, teammates, and classmates that he had accepted a scholarship to attend Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire. He will be continuing his lacrosse career in the school’s highly-ranked program.

Director of Athletics Frank Shea, a former basketball coach, recognizes the magnitude of an RHS athlete being so highly regarded by college athletic programs that he was deserving of a scholarship.

“To have a player representing our school the way he has and to receive a lacrosse scholarship in our [RHS] program that’s been around for less than 10 years is a real credit to his coaches and to Eric’s passion for the sport and his overall excellence as an athlete,” said Shea.

Bua, a 6-foot, 180-pound senior midfielder who can score and plays excellent defense, made an immediate impact on the varsity program as a freshman. He has been a multi-year All-Star and one of the premier players in the area under the direction of head coach Austin Powers.

“We knew Eric was very good from his freshman year onward, so this prestigious honor is not a surprise to us, but it’s really nice to have a scholarship athlete in our school” said Shea.

A humble 17-year-old high school star, Bua chose to turn the attention of the momentous occasion toward the coaches who helped develop him in to a college prospect.

“I really had help from all the coaches,” said Bua. “Mr. Magno started up the program when I was in sixth grade and Coach Powers helped bring our team together and made us all better players. I also had AAU coaches helping me out as well.”

Bua’s leadership, hard work, and willingness to devote many hours to improving his skills in the offseason at elite lacrosse camps and showcases, set a positive example for the underclassmen in the RHS program. He also earned respect and admiration from his football teammates for joining Lou Cicatelli’s program in his senior year. Bua became a key contributor as a receiver in the Patriots’ successful 7-4 season, culminating with a big victory over Winthrop on Thanksgiving.

Bua said he visited Franklin Pierce on three occasions and liked the campus and its academic and athletic facilities. He intends to study business.

He said he was grateful to his parents, Eric Sr. and Renee, for their support throughout his athletic career. Eric’s grandfather, Nick Bua, is well known in the city, having served as Revere’s veterans services director.

“My parents were always there for me,” said Bua. “The teachers at Revere High really helped me out a lot and the coaches were always there to help me out, too.”

Steven Magno, SeaCoast principal, made it a point to be in attendance at Eric Bua’s signing ceremony.

“Eric was in the first group of boys to play in our youth program and I remember back then he was something special,” recalled Magno. “He was always dedicated to the sport and played it the way it was supposed to be played – he did everything a coach would ask for by doing the little things on and off the field. From early on, Eric made lacrosse his No. 1 sport.”

And six years and many practice sessions and individual workouts later, the potential that Magno saw in an aspiring lacrosse player has been realized.