By Cary Shuman
Coach Louis Cicatelli and his staff understand the magnitude and tradition of their football team’s annual Thanksgiving Day game to be played at Miller Field in Winthrop.
The Revere-Winthrop game is not only one of the longest-running holiday rivalries in the region, but it is also unique in that it pits two geographical neighbors from two different leagues (Greater Boston League and Northeastern Conference) against each other. The coveted Beachcomber Trophy is presented to the winning team.
What is very much on the minds of Cicatelli and Company is that Revere (5-5) can clinch a winning season with a victory over the Vikings – a perfect cap to what has been a tremendous turnaround for the Revere program who, following an 0-4 start, put together a five-game winning streak before losing to Wakefield last week.
“If we win, we get to 6-5 and it’s a winning record,” noted Cicatelli. “After starting off the way we did, with such a young team – honestly, it’s one of my better years coaching if we can get there. We made a good turnaround.”
Cicatelli said preparations begin in full force today (Wednesday) for Winthrop.
“We gave the team a couple of days off, but the coaches have obviously started breaking down game films of Winthrop and we have an idea of what we need to do win this game,” Cicatelli said Tuesday. “We’re getting ready. We’re back at it today.”
GBL All-Star running back Gio Woodard scored Revere’s lone touchdown on a 30-yard pass reception from quarterback Danny Hou in the 41-6 loss to Wakefield.
“We ran into a buzzsaw, they were a very good team,” said Cicatelli. “I say it all the time, top to bottom the Middlesex League is one of the better leagues in the state.”
But now the football team and the City of Revere’s focus is on next-door rival Winthrop and the Battle for the Beachcomber Trophy.
