RHS Sports Roundup

Football team plays well, comes close against Salem

Frustration proved to be the dominant theme for the Revere High football team once again Friday night at Harry Della Russo Stadium. The Patriots held a 14-7 lead midway through the second period and were controlling their opponents on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

But the usual two culprits — turnovers and allowing their opponents a big play — eventually combined once again to leave Revere on the short end of a 21-14 decision.

“It was a good high school football game between the two teams,” said RHS head coach Lou Cicatelli. “We had the edge in the statistical part of the game and we allowed them only one first down in the second half. But Salem had the advantage in the only place that matters, on the scoreboard.”

After Salem marched 75 yards for a touchdown in the opening series of the game, the Patriots responded immediately thanks to a 75 yard kickoff return by Kaleb Silva that brought the ball to the Salem five. Two plays later, RHS captain Tom Portrait punched the pigskin in for six and Steve Selevitch booted the PAT to knot matters at 7-7.

Revere continued to maintain the momentum when Portrait, playing in the secondary for the Pats, made an acrobatic, one-handed interception to set up Revere in the midfield area. “Tom made one of the most-amazing catches I’ve ever seen at any level of football,” said Cicatelli of his captain’s ESPN Top 10-worthy play.

Portrait and Silva then took turns breaking through holes in the Salem defense, taking the ball to the Salem one yard line, from where quarterback Ravi Ryland scored on a keeper. Another successful PAT by Selevitch made it a 14-7 Revere advantage.

The Patriots threatened to extend their lead, once again marching deep into Salem territory to the 30, but a penalty set back the Revere drive and Salem took over on downs at its own 40.

The visiting Witches then made the most of their opportunity before the half, driving the 60 yards to reach the endzone and leave matters deadlocked at 14-14 after two quarters.

Revere adjusted its defensive strategy during the intermission that reaped big dividends, as the Pats held the Witches to just one first down in the second half. After a scoreless third period, Revere seemed poised to take the lead in the final frame when the Pats drove to the Salem 15 with about seven minutes to play. However, an offsides penalty on first down set Revere back and Salem eventually would take over on downs.

Two plays later, the Revere defense, which had played so well to that point in the second half, suffered a lapse in missed assignments and allowed the Salem  ballcarrier to break free for an 80 yard touchdown run down the sidelines.

“It was a broken play, but we still should not have allowed it to happen,” said Cicatelli.

The Patriots refused to quit and as was the case last week, Revere drove deep inside enemy territory in the waning minutes in a last-ditch effort to tie or win the game. However, on a first down play from the Salem 15 with 48 seconds left on the clock, an interception thwarted the Pats’ comeback hopes.

“We never gave up and the team once again battled to the end,” said Cicatelli. “But we have to understand that all 11 players have to play hard on every down if we are going to be successful.”

Cicatelli lauded the defensive performances of middle linebacker Eddie Volcimus, defensive end Selevitch, and sophomore linebacker Steven Noel. The coach also noted the fine play on offense of Silva, Portrait, and sophomore wide receiver Jake Noftle, who  made some nice blocks on the edge for the Revere running game

The Patriots this week will host Peabody in a Friday Night Lights affair. Kick off time at Harry D.R. Stadium is set for 7:00.

First place boys soccer team wins pair,      now 7-2-2

The Revere High boys soccer team improved to a sterling 7-2-2 on the season with a pair of well-played and hard-fought shutout victories this past week. The twin wins clinched a berth in the post-season state tournament for the Patriots.

In a 2-0 win over Swampscott last Wednesday, Tarik Maddrey and Saad El Khain scored the goals for Revere. Ruben Soares, who was moved to midfield by RHS head coach Abdel Rhazi, played what Rhazi termed Soares’s “best game of the season.” The coach also lauded the fine play of fullback Younes Hartout and midfielder Abel Alcantar.

Friday night saw the Patriots engage in a tough battle with a Winthrop team that always seems to get pumped to play Revere, especially on the Vikings’ home pitch. However, the Patriots overcame both Winthrop and the horrendous playing conditions on the latter’s Miller Field to come away with a 1-0 win.

Maddrey scored the game-winner, assisted by Abel Alcantar, who placed a nice pass in front of Tarik, who trapped the ball with his chest, settled it, and delivered a nice strike from just inside the 18 yard line to reach the back of the net.

“Winthrop always plays us tough,” noted Rhazi. “But we did what we had to do to win. Their field conditions were horrible, so we also had to be careful and not get hurt.”

The Patriots, who presently sit in first place in the North Division of the Northeastern Conference, have two huge games on tap this week. They were set to host undefeated Peabody (the first place team in the NEC South Division which handed Revere its only NEC loss in the first game of the season) yesterday (Tuesday) and then play tomorrow (Thursday)  at Lynn Classical, which is in second place behind Revere in the North.

“The team is playing well, but we still have a lot of work to do,” said Rhazi. “We have the best kids in the city and the challenge is to bring them together as a team.”

The Pats will host Salem Monday and journey to Beverly next Wednesday. They will wrap up their 2013 regular season next Friday when they entertain Lynn English.

Nelson sets RHS school mark, girls shut out Salem

Revere High senior captain Nikki Nelson set a new Revere girls’ home course record, shaving 15 seconds off her previous mark, to finish in first place in a time of 19:20 over the 2.88 mile course, leading the way for the Lady Patriots in a 15-46 shutout victory over visiting Salem last Wednesday.

“The girls ran extremely well,” said RHS head coach Katie Sinnott. “Nikki set a blistering pace of 6:43 per mile and altogether 14 of the girls set new personal record  paces.”

Freshman Alyssa Silveira and sophomore Meloee Nazaire both took 1:45 per mile off their previous PR race pace to earn the most improved status for the team.  Other Lady Patriots who set PR race paces were: seniors Nelson and Taylor O’Neill; junior Hayley Mangino; sophomores Jaclynne Dion, Suellen Guerreiro, and Kasey Sierra; and freshmen Rajaa Belhaouari, Megan Erwin, Vanessa Puopolo, Joanna Severino Perez, Lani Stevens, and Vivian Vo.

The final results for the Revere girls are as follows:

Nikki Nelson, 19:20, 1st overall; Vanessa Puopolo,  20:31,  2nd overall; Hayley Mangino,  21:57, 3rd overall; Suellen Guerreiro, 22:04, 4th overall; Jaclynne Dion, 22:25, 5th overall; Taylor O’Neil, 23:07, 7th overall; Trisha Cheever, 24:13, 10th overall; Nicole Paddock, 24:44, 11th overall; Joanna Severino Perez,  25:00, 12th overall; Ghizlane Benzerdjeb,  27:28, 16th overall; Jessica Ventura,  28:15, 17th overall;  Lani Stevens, 29:02, 20th overall; Megan Erwin, 29:37, 21st overall; Evelyn Bonilla, 31:26, 23rd overall; Meloee Nazaire, 32:35, 24th overall; Vivian Vo,  32:37, 25th overall;  Alyssa Silveira, 32:38, 26th overall; Michelle Vargas, 32:40, 27th overall; Rajaa Belhaouari, 37:36, 28th overall; and Kasey Sierra, 38:11, 29th overall.

The Lady Patriots now stand 3-2 for the season. They were set to host always-strong Peabody in their final dual meet of the year yesterday (Tuesday) at the Belle Isle Marsh course.

Volleyball team wins two more matches

The Revere High volleyball team enjoyed a fine week, winning two of its three matches to improve to 10-4 on the season and clinch a berth in the post-season MIAA state tournament.

The Lady Patriots opened the week with a 3-0 blanking of Marblehead, winning the three games by scores of 25-20, 25-18, and 26-24.

“We played as a full team against Marblehead,” said RHS head coach Jaime Imbracsio. “Every girl on the court contributed to this win, whether it be serving aces or scrambling to pull help balls.  Marblehead had a few good hitters that made us work and cover every hole.”

Among the statistical leaders for Revere were Helen Davis, who had two kills, three blocks, and six aces; co-captain Natalie Colon-Martins, who had five blocks; and Raela O’Donell, who served nine aces.

The Lady Patriots dropped a 3-1 decision to Swampscott last Wednesday, 25-18, 25-19, 27-29, and 25-20. “It was a disappointing loss,” said Imbracsio. “We just couldn’t put it together.”

However, the Lady Patriots rebounded two days later to earn a dramatic 3-2 victory over Beverly on the local floor. After dropping the first game, 25-19, the Revere squad took the next two games, 25-19 and 26-24. However, Beverly fought back and took the fourth game, 25-16, to knot the match at 2-2 and send the contest into a deciding fifth game.

Beverly seized the initiative, jumping out to an 8-3 advantage, which is huge considering that fifth games are a race to 15 points, though the winner still has to prevail by two points.

However, the Lady Patriots displayed the resiliency and determination that has been a hallmark to date of their successful 2013 campaign and fought back to take 10 of the next 15 points, leaving matters deadlocked at 13-13.

With the serve in their favor, the Revere squad then pulled out two saves and placed the ball into gaps in the Beverly defense to pull out the dramatic victory, 15-13. Rachael DeSantis was credited with the winning point.

“The last game was a real nail-biter,” said Imbracsio. “We started out down by five points and then made a huge comeback to tie the game. From there on out it went from point to point.  We got the ball at 13-13 and made a couple of amazing saves that we put back over the net and into a hole on the other side to win the game and match.

“We had worked hard in practice after the loss to Swampscott and it paid off against Beverly,” added the coach. “It was the best the girls have played all season. Beverly was an excellent match to coach against and we had a lot of fun on both sides.  The girls did exactly what they were supposed to do and what we had practiced.”

Among the statistical highlight makers for Revere were captain Colon-Martins (whom Imbracsio said, “played her best game of the season”) with 10 blocks, three kills, and four aces;  Shannon Spillane with 10 digs; and Ally Hinojosa with six digs.

With their ticket for a Journey to the Tourney now well in hand, the Lady Patriots will be seeking not only to finish with the best record in the history of the Revere volleyball program, but also to secure a home match for the tourney opener. Imbracsio and her crew were set to host Danvers yesterday (Tuesday) and travel to Lynn Classical Friday. They will entertain Peabody Monday and journey to Lynn English Wednesday.

Field hockey Alumni Day set for Sunday

Alumni, family, friends, and community members are invited to the 20th annual Revere field hockey Alumni Day where the current varsity team competes against an alumni team in a friendly, fun-filled game.

Anyone who supports Revere field hockey is welcome to come and alumni are welcome to play. The festivities will be held at the Revere High School turf (behind the baseball field) on Sunday, October 20th, from 10 a.m. – noon.

Shin guards and a mouth guard are optional, but recommended. Sticks will be provided for those who need them.

T-shirts will be available for those who make a donation to the program and there will be snacks and beverages for sale.  There will be two friendly competitions for anyone who comes – air dribbling and goal scoring.  Winners will receive gift cards.  Please bring cash or a check.

Last week, Revere played Gloucester and lost 2-0. “We out-cornered them and outshot them, but could not score,” said RHS head coach Erin Parker. “The last time we played them, we lost 7-0, so that was a big improvement.”

A similar scenario prevailed for the Lady Patriots in a  1-0 loss to Salem. “Again, we out-cornered and outshot them, but we could not score,” said Parker. “We lost to Salem 6-3 in our first meeting, so again, there was a nice turnaround. We now are focusing on improving our offense.”

Parker and her crew were set to play at Marblehead yesterday (Tuesday) and at Swampscott Monday. They will wrap up their 2013 season next Wednesday, hosting Peabody.

Injury bug bites RHS girls soccer

Although the Revere High girls soccer team lost its three games in the past week  to Northeastern Conference rivals Gloucester, Danvers, and Swampscott (a fourth contest with Winthrop was suspended), RHS head coach Megan O’Donnell expressed satisfaction with her team’s performance.

“We lost to Gloucester 3-0, and got hit with the injury bug during that game,” said O’Donnell “but the girls played really well and are starting to come together as a team. The girls have shown great team spirit and  we had great defense, led by Brenda Rudecindo, and Cassandra DiBella is our  rock in the net. Cassandra has made the jump from playing the field to  the goal and she has yet to complain about switching position in her senior season.

“We had great mid-field play by Tori Coots and Mac Langat,” continued the coach. “Rim Lerean has stepped up to the plate and has been playing great.”

Although the Lady Patriots came out on the short of a 10-0 decision to always-powerful Danvers, O’Donnell praised her squad’s grit and determination.

“I could not be prouder  of  my girls,” said O’Donnell. “They did not let the score get them down. I saw a lot of  good soccer from Paolo Ortez, Jade Aguilar, and Maria Ayala. We went into the game down five key players, but we had girls come up from JV and  play with us. They played hard and it was like they never missed a  beat.

“Luana Santos played great defensively and at mid-field,” noted O’Donnell. “Vanessa  Guttierez went into goal and shook up the Danvers offense by making them miss about seven shots due to her aggressive goalkeeping. Olivia King, Brenda Rudecindo, Cassandra DiBella, Amanda Carlo, and Tori Coots all played with the heart of a lion and never quit.”

The Lady Patriots were set to travel to Peabody yesterday (Tuesday) and will host Lynn Classical tomorrow. They play at Everett Friday and at Salem Monday before returning home Wednesday to face Beverly.

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