RHS Graduate Jerry Gerardi Is Now the Voice of RHS Sports

By Melissa Moore-Randall

As Revere High students returned to school and athletics after a year of remote learning and canceled and delayed sports seasons, a familiar voice could be heard at RHS basketball and football games. Jerry Gerardi, a 1992 graduate of Revere High School, has now become the official “voice” of Revere High School (RHS) sports.

Gerardi, who is a lifelong Revere resident, was raised by single mom, Christine who is also a breast cancer survivor of 24 years. When he is not in the booth at Harry Dellarusso Stadium or on the sidelines at Roland Merullo Fieldhouse, Gerry is a full time sales associate at Brooks Brothers in Assembly Row.

Gerry unofficially became the voice of RHS sports when he was a student at Revere High School. “I was at the right place at the right time for my announcing debut. I was in legendary RHS Girls Basketball head coach Mr. Ed Leyden’s freshman Math class at RHS 1988-1989 (his last at RHS as coach), when he asked me to be the manager of the team. I started out doing videography. I was okay at it, but he then asked me to be the PA announcer mid-season knowing I loved the vocal stylings of longtime beloved Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most and esteemed erstwhile Celtics PA announcer Andy Jick (who I met in person at Boston College in 2012).  I did one game of Boston College Baseball after my idol Andy Jick, who called BC Athletics, namely basketball and baseball for 18 years before his untimely passing.  In fact, the previous game I did was done in silence in his memory and to be the first person on the PA system afterwards was equally nerve-wracking, humbling and an honor, hoping to do justice to a guy who I met, idolized, and listened to for many years, proud.  I’d go to BC basketball games just to hear him, the game was secondary. The rest is history. The next year, I did both the girls and boys basketball home games until 1998 at RHS.”

In addition to his time at Revere High, Gerardi also was the voice of the men’s and women’s basketball teams for his alma mater Emerson College. “I worked at Emerson games until 2004.  Also, from 1995 to 2004, I was blessed to be part of the announcing team at the old Wonderland Greyhound Park, the best part-time job I ever had.  My voice can be heard in the 1998 independent movie “Next Stop Wonderland” during the scenes from the racetrack.  I also did a few summer Bay State Games basketball games in the 1990s including the 1994 Championship Boys and Girls Basketball games from the old Boston Garden thanks to RHS alum Kim Penney née Kelley.”

With the help of Revere Public Schools truant officer Peter Martino and RHS Athletic Director Frank Shea, Gerardi returned to RHS basketball and football in 2019 as a guest announcer.  Since 2021, he has been the primary PA announcer for football as well as girls and boys basketball home games.  In addition to RHS, since 2002 Jerry has been the primary announcer for the National Prep School Invitational founded by RHS alum ’97, basketball guru and former Kobe Bryant mentor Mike Procopio.

“Mike brought me on board to an ever-evolving four-day/thirty plus-game basketball showcase in Rhode Island featuring teams from all over the world and potential future collegiate and NBA talent.  In 2003, I did one season of Malden Catholic Football thanks to Revere native Robert Bucchino, an administrator at the private school. That same year and the year later, I announced for a couple of local pro wrestling cards in Dorchester.  Lots of fun indeed.”

Jerry really enjoys his announcing jobs. “I enjoy announcing because it fuses my love of sports and public speaking with the right amount of entertainment all rolled into one.  Since I never was a good athlete but I wanted to be in the game. It allows me to feed off the energy of the crowd and play off the inherit drama of the game, keeping in mind, the athletes are the real stars of the game; they create the music on the field or court, I’m there to provide an appropriate lyric to what they are playing.’

When asked what his favorite game to announce has been to date, he reflected on a game this past season for the RHS boys’ basketball team. “If I had to pick one though it had to be the RHS Boys Basketball game vs Lynn English this past season. Revere won while defeating a team that won the Division 1 State Championship just a few years ago, plus the energy at Roland Merullo Field House was electric for sure. As a result. it helped the Patriots qualify for the state tourney.  Overall, I have been blessed to announce for my schools for the most part, I am a little biased in my announcing, I admit but I try to be respectful to other teams as well. The keys to successful announcing are getting the pronunciations down pat, being enthusiastic at the right time, working well with the staff e.g. scoreboard operators, shot clock operators, statisticians, etc. and your announcing career will go a long way, even thirty three years.”

Many at Revere High School have high praise for Jerry and his work announcing the games.

Athletic Director Frank Shea said, “We are extremely fortunate to have someone as dedicated and as enthusiastic as Jerry. His announcing enhances the overall game experience for many of our athletes and we are appreciative of his service.”

RHS Girls’ Basketball Coach Chris Porrazzo noted, “Jerry is an amazing member of our basketball program. He is not just an announcer to us, he is part of the team. He celebrates our wins and laments our losses. He is friendly and supportive and truly wants to see Revere sports succeed. His voice amplifies the memorable moments for our athletes. He is a great guy and a great friend.”

“Jerry is one of the biggest supporters of Revere athletics. It was so much fun having him travel with us to our state tournament games and listen to all of his stories and knowledge of Revere teams and players past and present especially in basketball. The ultimate Patriot, ” commented RHS Boys’ Basketball Coach David Leary.

And RHS Football Coach Lou Cicatelli added, “Jerry! Great guy and huge supporter of all Revere sports! He’s been very dependable and helpful through the years when covering Revere Football.”

Jerry is looking forward to the football and basketball seasons at RHS next year. However, he also has other announcer aspirations and a bucket list. “I would love to be a track announcer at a thoroughbred horse racing track. I have been honing my skills at race calling since I was 13 years old when I first heard Suffolk Downs iconic announcer Jim Hannon over the loudspeaker there.  I have done some race calling on Facebook from Suffolk, in the last years of the track’s live racing, to get my voice out there in hopes a track would hear me.  Plus I used to practice call on the rooftop of Suffolk in the 1990s and early 2000s next to the booth of current NBC Sports Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup race caller Larry Collmus who described the action at the Revere-East Boston oval from 1992 to 2008. Calling horse racing at a track would fulfill my bucket list for sure.”