Revere Jr. Patriots fifth-sixth grade team defeats Wakefield to advance to NECYF title game
By Cary Shuman
Looking like a championship contender, the Revere Junior Patriots fifth-and-sixth-grade football team rolled to a 36-12 victory over Wakefield in the NECYFL semifinals before a lathe crowd Sunday at Harry Della Russo Stadium.
Head coach David Spiriti’s Revere contingent (7-1) advances to the NECFL Super Bowl to play Melrose (8-0) Sunday at noon at Victory Field in Watertown.
Quarterback Chris Payson rushed for two touchdowns to lead Revere’s high-powered offense. First-year player Nathanael Kumahia returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown and set up other Revere scores as the team’s outstanding kickoff and punt returner.
Also excelling on special teams was placekicker Michael Marquez who booted three PATs for six points.
Gerry Ocasio had a strong rushing performance out of the Revere backfield and was also excellent on defense. Defensive ends Rocco Spiriti and Kevin Waldron did a great job containing the
“The defense has played tremendous football all season,” said Coach Spiriti, who is in third season (one Pop Warner, two American Youth Football) with the team. “The addition of the younger players, along with coaches Tim Harrity (father of Revere player Declan Harriry) and Dave Bono (father of Revere player David Bono,) has really helped us become a very good football team.”
Melrose defeated Revere, 8-0, in their Week 2 regular season meeting. Revere is riding a six-game winning streak into the Super Bowl.
“We’ll practice four times this week and then head to Watertown this Sunday,” said Spiriti. “It’s been a fun season. To go to another community and play in a Super Bowl is a really exciting experience.”
Coach Lou Cicatelli
remembers David
Spiriti’s All-Star
football career
Interestingly, Revere High School head football coach Lou Cicatelli was an Everett High varsity assistant coach when David Spiriti was the star quarterback for the Crimson Tide.
“David was a great football player, but what most impressed me was his leadership on the field and how the other players rallied around him,” recalled Cicatelli.
Spiriti was a part of the last Chelsea-Everett Thanksgiving game in 1989 as the Crimson Tide routed the Red Devils, 32-0, and the game ended in a brawl.
“That was quite an event. I was a freshman on the sidelines in uniform,” said Spiriti. “[Future heavyweight boxing champion] Johnny Ruiz was playing for Chelsea. That was the last game we ever played against Chelsea. I remember when I was a kid, my father (Chelsea native Dean Spiriti) used to take me to all the Chelsea-Everett Thanksgiving games.”
David Spiriti went on to play college football at Northeastern University and UMass/Dartmouth.
“Parsons Field (Brookline) was a great stadium to play football at Northeastern,” said Spiriti. “We had a great rivalry with BU.”
This Sunday David Spiriti will be hoping to lead the Revere Junior Patriots to a Super Bowl title. He is optimistic about his team’s chances to win and be forever known as a champion.
“This team believes in themselves, they play together as a team, and they’re relentless,” said Spiriti. “They have confidence and that’s what it takes.”
Spiriti made it a point to commend the parents and Revere officials for their support during the season. “The parents have been fantastic. The organization has been awesome. [President] Jackie Del Rio and the board have done a superb job.”
