Becky Coots has many joyous memories of her years as a student-athlete at Revere High School. One of her special recollections is playing in the 2010 Revere High-Winthrop High Powder Puff Game.
“We beat Winthrop, 21-0, recalled Coots, who competed in basketball and track. “I was a starting offensive tackle. Our quarterback was Marisa Parent, who was a three-sport captain and went on to have a great soccer career at Framingham State.”
Coots is in third season as the head coach of the RHS Powder Puff team, having been on the staff for nine years overall. Winthrop has won the two previous matchups in the Coots Era. “Hopefully, on Saturday [1 p.m. at Miller Field in Winthrop] we’re going to change that,” said Coots.
An RHS 2011 graduate, Coots said she and assistant coaches Megan O’Donnell, Lexy Angino, Jason Torrey, and Justin Pezzuto have organized team-bonding activities to compliment the flag football practices. “I’m trying to make this game more than just a six-week thing for them and a fundraiser. I want them to remember their Powder Puff experience for the rest of their senior years and the rest of their lives,” said Coots, who is a special education teacher in the Winthrop school district.
Haley Belloise will start at QB
Coach Coots will look to basketball player Haley Belloise to put some firepower in the Revere offense.
“Haley is a great athlete who is a dual threat (run and pass),” said Coots
The backfield, which Coots describes as “fast,” consists of soccer star Giselle Salvador and lacrosse standout Jayla Foster.
Rocio Gonzalez Castillo, one of the RHS cross country team’s leading runners, is the defensive captain. The other team captains are Haley Belloise, Ambra DeCicco-Clyne, Bella Stamatopoulos, Jannet Sehli, and Sofia Vargas-Rivera.
The team will be wearing their familiar Revere Patriots’ uniforms in the game. “The uniforms that we wear have been passed down from generation dating to the 1980s,” said Coots. “We want to keep the tradition going.”
Coots is optimistic that Revere will return home with the Powder Puff championship trophy.
“I’m confident – this team is different,” said Coots. “The girls have picked up the strategy and skills more quickly than in past years, and they have what it takes to produce a victory. We feel good about our chances.”
