RHS Football Team Drops Opener, 35-22

It often is said that the most important statistic in a football game at every level is the turnover stat: The outcome of any contest can be measured as much by lost fumbles and interceptions as by the points on the scoreboard.

The truth of that axiom was apparent Friday evening at Medford for the Revere High football team. The Patriots coughed up four fumbles, three of them deep inside Medford territory to kill potential scoring drives, with the end result on the scoreboard being a 35-22 loss to a resurgent Medford football squad.

“Give Medford credit, because they have some strong running backs and a quarterback who was tough to bring down. We moved the ball well ourselves, only to fumble away many of our chances,” said RHS head coach Lou Cicatelli. Indeed, if you take away the Revere giveaways, the contest was statistically fairly even, as the Pats advanced the sticks seemingly at will, only to see their opportunities thwarted by fumble-itis.

Captain Tom Portrait gave an indication of the banner senior season upon which he has embarked by picking up 130 yards on 23 carries and scoring touchdowns on runs of 10 and 15 yards. Tommy also added a two point conversion for a total of 14 points on the night.

Tight end Steve Selevitch accounted for the eight other RHS points with a 10 yard TD reception and a follow-up catch for the two point conversion. Both scoring tosses were made by RHS sophomore quarterback Dan Murphy.

Kaleb Silva picked up 65 yards rushing and Murphy added another 60 yards carrying the ball to give Revere some impressive stats in the ground game department.

After Medford opened the evening with a long drive on its opening possession, the Patriots responded with a drive of their own into the endzone, with Portrait crossing the goal line from 15 yards out.

The Medford offense stormed back on its next possession, the key play coming on a fourth-and-10 that resulted in a touchdown. The Patriots, not to be outdone, put together another long drive that brought the ball to the Medford seven. However, the first of the quartet of lost Revere fumbles on the night nullified the nice effort and shifted the momentum squarely in Medford’s favor.

“We drove the ball all night and accumulated a lot of yardage, but we lost the ball at crucial moments that turned the game in Medford’s favor,” said Cicatelli.

However, Cicatelli added that another key factor in the loss was the inability of the Revere defense to contain the Medford running game. “We missed a lot of tackles,” noted Cicatelli, whose defense was missing key performers Paul Norton and Brian McNitt in the secondary because of injuries. “We have a lot of young players and we have a lot of work to do. However, the good news is that the problems we saw against Medford are fixable.”

Cicatelli lauded the efforts of senior captain Ed Volcimus at his middle linebacker post and Silva, “who was all over the field for us on defense.” The coach also praised the work of his offensive line that opened some big holes for the Revere backs.

The Patriots next will take on another former rival from the Greater Boston League when Malden comes to Harry Della Russo Stadium for a Friday Night Lights affair in the Pats’ home opener. The Golden Tornadoes are a big team and will present a strong challenge for Revere. Friday evening’s kickoff is set for 7:00.

The drought is over: RHS field hockey  team tops Everett, 3-2

The Revere High field hockey team ended one streak and began another.

Seven years of frustration for the RHS field hockey program came to a dramatic and exciting conclusion with a 3-2 victory over Everett  last week. “It was a long time coming, especially for the 11 seniors on this team,” said RHS head coach Erin Parker. “These girls have been playing together since they were freshmen and all of their hard work finally has paid off.”

After spotting Everett a 1-0 lead in the opening five minutes, senior Michaela Elliot evened the count with  a goal before the end of the first half. Senor captain Noelle MacDonald gave the Lady Patriots a 2-1 lead with a marker shortly after the intermission, but Everett responded with a goal five minutes later to even the count once again.

With the clock ticking away, it appeared as though victory would be elusive once again for the Lady Patriots. But with 2:30 to go, Erica Ronga let go a shot that deflected off the Everett goalie for what would prove to be the decisive tally.

Needless to day, jubilation filled the Revere side of the field at the final horn. “These girls have worked hard and they deservd this victory,” said Parker. “I’m especially happy for the seniors, who have stayed with this program and who believed in themselves.”

Parker’s senior-laden squad has 11 members of the RHS Class of 2014: Captains Raquelle MacDonald and Logan DiCarlo, Victoria Guarino, goalie Amanda McCarthy, Jennifer Martinez, Stephanie Gregorio,  Taylor D’Angelo, Angela Curtis,  Julia Jones, Erica Ronga, and Michaela Elliott.

Junior team members are Jamina Zevkanovic and Yesenia Arango. Sophomore Adanna Hector moved up from the junior varsity squad and has moved into a starting position.

“We came into this season expecting to win some games,” said Parker. “I could not be more proud of them. They have worked  very hard and they deserve to have broken that streak. The girls went into the weight room for the  captains’ practices over the summer and it really has paid off. But now we have to emphasize that we have to continue to execute and play better if we are to have a successful season.”

Parker and her crew were set to meet Bcverly yesterday (Tuesday) and will host Danvers tomorrow.

Volleyball team remains undefeated

The Revere High volleyball team rolled to its third straight victory of the season, defeating Swampscott, 3-1, in a hard-fought battle last Thursday.

After dropping the first game by a 25-21 score, the Lady Patriots roared back to take the next three games, 25-19, 27-25, and 27-25. Senior Natalie Colon-Martin, who accounted for seven service aces, seven kills, and six blocks in the match, delivered the final and deciding point when she tapped the ball into a hole in the Swampscott defense.

Also racking up impressive statistics in the victory were fellow seniors Shannon Spillane, who was credited with 20 digs, and Raela O’Donnell, who earned 20 assists as the Lady Patriot setter.

“It was a very arduous match, not only because the games went for so long, but also because it was so hot in the fieldhouse,” said RHS head coach Jamie Imbracsio, referring to the unseasonably hot temperatures in the 90s that day. “The entire team pulled together after we lost the first game and we played very well after that,” noted the coach, who also lauded the play of senior Helen Davis and sophomores Ally Hinojosa and Natasha Iacoviello.

Imbracsio and her crew have a busy stretch ahead with four matches in nine games. The Lady Patriots were set to travel to Beverly yesterday Tuesday); trek to Danvers tomorrow; host Lynn Classical Monday; and journey to Peabody Wednesday.

Busy stretch ahead for RHS girls soccer

The Revere High girls soccer team has a busy stretch of games on tap  for the coming week. The Lady Patriots took on Lynn Classical in a Northeastern Conference encounter yesterday (Tuesday);  then will host Salem tomorrow (Thursday); trek to Weston Friday for a non-league contest; and then journey to Beverly Monday.

“We have four games in seven days,” said RHS head coach Megan O’Donnell. “They will be a good test for our team.”

After opening the season last Friday with a win over Everett, a former long-time rival from the Greater Boston League, the Lady Patriots dropped a 5-0 decision to Peabody last week. Peabody is a perennial power in the NEC and despite the final result, O’Donnell was pleased with much of what she saw in her team’s performance.

“We held our own and played very well at times,” said the coach. “Peabody scored three quick goals, but we settled down and played them fairly evenly the rest of the way.”   More important, O’Donnell was proud of her team’s effort. “We never gave up and battled right to the end,” said the coach. “We never quit. The girls showed a lot of heart.”

Among the Lady Patriots who earned plaudits from their coach were senior midfielder Olivia King, senior midfielder Andrea Carlo, and junior Maria Ayala. Marisa Verruto earned a particular mention from O’Donnell for stepping up to play defense, as did junior Danielle Fortuna for her defensive play.

RHS boys soccer team plays well in opener

Although the Revere High boys soccer team dropped its season opener to perennial Northeastern Conference power Peabody last week, 3-0, new RHS head coach Abdel Rhazi, who was making his debut at the helm of the RHS program, was pleased with his team’s performance.

“We played well against a team that always is among the best in the NEC,” said Rhazi. “The entire team played  hard and gave a good effort.”

Two of the three Peabody goals were of a controversial nature, with the ball seemingly in the hands of Revere keeper when the Peabody players kicked it.

Rhazi had words of praise for captain center-midfielder Abel Alcantar, senior defenseman Younes Hartout, and freshman center-mid Adrian Perez for their efforts against Peabody. Senior forwards Tarik Maddrey and Reuben Soares made some nice runs for good chances in the contest.

Rhazi and his crew were set to take on Lynn Classical yesterday (Tuesday) and will travel to Salem tomorrow before returning home to host Beverly Monday.

Golfers open season

The Revere High golf team opened its season with a pair of matches against Malden Catholic and Peabody. Although the Patriots came out on the short end of both contests, coach Matt Nazzaro’s squad had a pair of individual winners.

Freshman David Sinatra, playing in the number eight spot, was a victor against his Malden Catholic counterpart, 5-4. In the Peabody encounter, junior  Alejandro Rojas, who came back after a season away from Revere as an exchange student in Jordan, won his match at number eight with a 9-0 shutout over his Peabody rival.

The Patriots were set to host Peabody tomorrow (Thursday) and will face Lynn Classical Tuesday.