“Sheer joy” are the words that came to our mind Thanksgiving Day morning as we watched the Revere High football team exult in the immediate aftermath of their 14-7 victory over archival Winthrop on McCarthy Field at Harry Della Russo Stadium.
The energy with which they performed their “Revere jacks” (a more energetic form of post-game jumping jacks), the hugs all-around, and even some players making snow angels on the turf field, all were signs that this was a moment that the players and staff wanted to savor and to make it last forever.
Indeed, for the 16, 17, and 18 year-old young men who battled valiantly for 44 minutes against a worthy opponent, their triumph over their ancient foe in front of a crowded stadium of fans is an occasion that will remain etched in their memories for the rest of their lives.
What impressed us even more than the Patriots’ excellent standard of play on the field was the team’s outstanding display of sportsmanship throughout the contest. Emotions always run high in the Winthrop-Revere game and sometimes cooler heads do not always prevail. But it was Winthrop that showed a lack of discipline when a Viking player was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct which cost his team 15 yards and helped Revere keep control of the ball entering the fourth quarter. Coach Lou Cicatelli (who was named the Coach of the Year for the South Division of the Northeastern Conference), his staff, and his players were a credit to themselves, their families, their school, and their community before, during, and after the hard-fought contest.
So too, the entire environment of the game was a tribute to Revere High School and the City of Revere. The RHS cheerleaders, as always, were superb; the student body was loud and supportive, but well-mannered; and the new Harry Della Russo Stadium, replacing the decrepit facility that long had outworn its useful life (the old stadium was built as a WPA project in the late 1930s), reflected favorably upon a city that we all can be proud of.
It was a great day all-around — and we offer our thanks and congratulations to all who did their part to make it that way.
