Sports 01-30-2019

RHS Sports Roundup

RHS swim team tops Eastie, 90-64

The Revere High swim team celebrated Senior Night in fitting fashion with a 90-64 triumph over East Boston High last Thursday.

The meet was highlighted by a number of superb performances by RHS swimmers who qualified for the state sectionals: Captain Lelia Cesic qualified for in the 50 free; sophomore David Del Rio qualified in the 100 free; and the boys relay team of Del Rio, captain Andrew Carvalhais, Ashton Hoang, and Jeffery Martinez qualified in the 200 free.

Among the members of the RHS Class of 2019 who were honored for their contributions to the Revere High swim program were: captains Carvalhais, Cesic, William Arias, and Hassan Giliel (who swam the medley relay together and took first place) and fellow senior teammates Kevin Nyungen, Stefani Flores, David Phan. and Jen Parada.

“All of the seniors have been integral to building the team into the highly-competitive squad that it is,” lauded RHS head coach Chris Hill. “All have been wonderful representatives of Revere and Revere High.

The East Boston meet concluded the Patriots’ regular-season schedule. Next up for Hill and this crew are the Northeastern Conference championships set for yesterday (Tuesday) and today (Wednesday).

RHS boys basketball tops Swampscott, 48-45

The Revere High boys basketball team delighted a hometown crowd Friday evening with a 48-45 victory over Swampscott at the Merullo Field House.

The visiting Big Blue came out red-hot to start the game, jumping out to an early 10-3 lead in the opening minutes and taking a 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.

“We were really struggling with turnovers on offense,” said RHS head coach Dave Leary of his team’s slow start. “Our defense settled in however, and was able to slow down the Swampscott offense.”

The second quarter initially proved to be a grind for both teams at the offensive end, but when Leary made the switch to his second unit, the Patriots immediately got a lift when senior co-captain Sebastian Vanegas nailed a three-pointer. Following several Revere defensive stops, junior forward Scott Toglan (12 points, five rebounds) scored three straight baskets off great assists by junior guard Amara Bockarie to boost the Patriots into a slight edge at the half, 19-17.

Revere came out with a surge after the intermission, infused by back-to-back treys from senior co-captain Scotty Montefusco (nine points) and senior point guard Donato Colarossi.

Junior guard EJ Leone (10 points, five rebounds) got going from the foul line (EJ was eight-for-10 from the stripe on the night) and, combined with a swarming Revere man-to-man defense led by senior center Nick Ciciulla (12 rebounds, three blocks, four steals), Revere held Swampscott to just four points in the third period to move out to a 33-21 lead at the third buzzer.

The Patriots continued to maintain their defensive intensity and Toglan made a big offensive put-back to up the Revere advantage to a seemingly-safe 14 points with six minutes to go.

However, the visiting Big Blue refused to give up. Swampscott picked up its defensive intensity, forcing turnovers and fouling the Patriots who, other than Leone, struggled from the free throw line (the rest of the Revere squad was just 12-for-26 from the line). The combination of Revere’s empty trips on offense and Swampscott’s baskets resulted in the once-safe Patriot lead being closed to just four points with a minute to go.

Some timely time-outs by Leary calmed down the Patriots, who made sure the ball went into the hands of Leone and Montesfusco, who calmly sank six free throws down the stretch to fend off the Big Blue and preserve the 48-45 victory in front of a great crowd on Autism Awareness Night, wth more than $400 being raised for the the Little Ricky Foundation to help special education in Revere schools.

The contest also was highlighted by a scrimmage at the half between the Revere eighth grade travel team and the Revere Middle School squad.

‚ÄúThis was a big night for our program,” noted Leary. “Obviously, the ability to hold off a tough Swampscott team with great team defense was very important, but just as important was how our community supports these kids and a very important cause. Thank you to all the parents, players and cheerleaders for volunteering that we should be proud of.‚Äù

Last Tuesday’s game with archival Winthrop was a mirror image of the Swampscott tilt. This time, it was the Patriots who came out firing to open the contest, led by the hot shooting of Montefusco (18 points on 6-of-12 three-pointers), who drained four treys to give Revere a quick-as-a-flash 12-3 lead just two minutes into the game.

The Patriots continued to play their most-efficient game so far this year on the offensive end, as Ciciulla (eight points, six rebounds) put in consecutive baskets to leave Revere leading 18-13 after the first quarter.

Winthrop fought back, led by senior point guard Chrono Washington (23 points), who made some tough shots to keep the Vikings in the game, but the Patriots continued their hot shooting, with Toglan (nine points, four rebounds) and senior guard Wilkens Altenor (four points) providing a lift off the bench to boost Revere into a 37-27 advantage at the intermission.

However, the second half proved to be a different story. Winthrop switched to an extended 2-3 zone defense and the Patriots’ shooting cooled down. Winthrop sophomore Cameron Conway (nine points) got going and the Vikings cut the Revere lead to just 48-45 heading into the fourth quarter.

Revere extended its lead to eight points early in the final period, but the Viking duo of Washington and Conway continued to make big shots, while the Patriots’ offense struggled.

Winthrop took its first lead, 54-53, with five minutes left in the game and never looked back. Leone (12 points, four rebounds), who battled with foul trouble all night, fouled out with 2:30 left in the contest and Winthrop made all its free throws down the stretch to take the game, 72-61.

‚ÄúThis one hurt,” said Leary. “We played so well in the first half, scoring our most points by halftime all year, but basketball is a 32 minute game and Winthrop just kept battling.

“I give Winthrop all the credit,” added Leary. “We should be disappointed that once Winthrop took the lead, we hung our heads and stopped competing. Our defense has basically carried us so far this season. It‚Äôs just unfortunate that the night we finally play well offensively, we did not complete things on the other end. We just need to learn from this and move on.‚Äù

Leary and his crew (who now are 5-7) will host Lynn English this evening (Wednesday). The Bulldogs are the big dogs of the Northeastern Conference this season, sporting a 10-1 record and a #3 ranking in Eastern Mass.

The Patriots will hit the road to 10-2 Salem Friday evening before returning home to host Gloucester next Tuesday.

RHS hockey team ties Somerville, 2-2

The Revere High hockey team earned a 2-2 tie with Somerville last Wednesday evening at Cronin Rink.

After yielding a goal just 0:16 into the game, the Patriots responded with a pair of markers by senior Rick Briana and junior Corey Rufo to take a 2-1 lead after one period.

Junior center Matt D’Annolfo assisted on both of his linemates’ lamplighters.

Somerville knotted matters with a goal with just 40 seconds left in the second period, setting the stage for a fast and furious final 15 minutes in which both teams skated up-and-down the ice, but proved unable to break the deadlock.

RHS goalie Tristian Goroshko, a sophomore, made 25 saves on the night.

The Patriots traveled to Gloucester on Saturday to take on the first-place Fishermen (10-2-2 overall, 7-0-1 in the NEC North) in one of the toughest arenas for a visiting team in the Northeastern Conference.

Revere started slowly, yielding two early goals and then a power-play goal, to trail 3-0 at the first horn.

However, the Patriots came out on fire to start the second period, cutting the Gloucester advantage to a single goal on markers by Corey and Zach Rufo. Revere’s momentum was checked by a penalty that gave Gloucester a power-play. The Fishermen took full advantage of the opportunity and reasserted control of the contest, eventually moving out to a 6-2 lead after two frames.

The teams battled evenly in the final 15 minutes, with both teams lighting the lamp. Freshman Alexio Trichilo, assisted by Wayne Cintolo, potted the Patriot goal for the 7-3 finale.

Goroshko turned in a superb performance in the net, recording 41 saves.

“Overall we played well in both games,” said RHS head coach Joe Ciccarello. “We fought back in the Gloucester game after a tough first period and gave it our best shot against the first-place team in our division.”

Ciccarello and his crew play at Lynn Saturday at 4:00.

Up-and-down week for girls basketball

It was an up-and-down week for the Revere High girls basketball team.

The Patriots came through with a big defensive effort to defeat the visiting Lady Vikings of Winthrop last Tuesday at Merullo Field House, 36-27.

“The game was an offensive struggle for us, but our defense stood strong,” said RHS head coach Matt Willis. “Katie O’Donnell had three big steals down the stretch and Caroline Stasio and Emily DiGiulio protected the basket all game.”

The following evening, the Lady Patriots took on a Melrose squad that is one of the top teams in Division 2 and came out on the short end of a 61-30 decision.

“Melrose’s outstanding center was too much for us to handle, especially on the second night of a back-to-back,” noted stasis. “We were a bit outmatched, but played hard from the beginning to end, and there was the opportunity for lots of great minutes for the backups.”

Revere then traveled to up the coast Friday evening to face 10-1 Swampscott.

The Lady Big Blue jumped out to grab a big lead in the early going, but Lady Patriot Caroline Bettero’s outstanding defense and nine points helped Revere get back into the game.

With Stasio also striking for nine points, the Lady Patriots clawed back from a 15 point deficit to get as close as three points in the final minute. However, it proved too little, too late and Swampscott held on for the 41-37 victory.

Chloe Giordano and Erika Cheever both had great games on the boards for Revere.

Willis and his crew play at Lynn English tonight (Wednesday) and will host Salem Friday. They will make the long trek to Gloucester next Tuesday.

RHS boys, girls track conclude regular season

The Revere High boys and girls indoor track & field teams took on Beverly last Wednesday at the Merullo Field House.

Fraynel Del Rosario Amparo was the leading scorer for Revere, adding eight points to the Patriot side of the scoresheet. Fraynel took first place in the high jump with a leap of 5’-8” and grabbed second spot in the 50 yard hurdles with a time of 7.3 seconds.

Yussuf Ali Buda was the lone other Patriot to win his event, outsprinting the field in the 50 yard dash in a clocking of 5.8.

Revere boys who scored three points with second-place finishes in their events were: Eric Bua with a shot put toss of 40’-1”; Sam Gonzalez in the 600 dash in 1:35.7; and Christian Madrid in the 1000 in 2:56.9.

Patriots who added single points to the Revere cause with third-place finishes were: Antony Arias in the high jump with a leap of 5’-4” and in the hurdles in 7.4; Jaryd Benson with a shot put throw of 37’-9”; William Byrne Ginepra in the 50 dash in 6.0; Augusto Goncalves in the 300 dash in 41.4; Idriss Taoujni in the 1000 in 3:13; and Victor Pelatere in the mile in 5:22.5.

The final tally had Beverly winning the meet, 52.29.

On the girls’ side, Kiana Napolitano was the top Lady Patriot finisher with her second place performance in the shot put with a toss of 28’-2”. Teammate Jenna Wells took third in the shot with her throw of 26’.

Revere scored points in three other events with third-place efforts: Luana Barbosa in the 50 yard hurdles in 8.7; Lily DellloIacono in the 50 yard dash in 6.6; and Olivia Novoselsky in the 1000 in 3:40.5.

“Beverly is a powerhouse,” said RHS head coach Antonio LaBruna. “I used this meet to mix up the lineup a bit and give some of the girls a new look in a different event. Our sprint times were slower than I would have liked and we didn’t jump particularly well. We have a week left to get better before the NEC Meet and I am expecting some good performances this Sunday.”

Both the boys and girls concluded their dual-meet seasons. They will take part in the Northeastern Conference Meet that is scheduled for this Sunday morning at 9:00 at the Reggie Lewis Center.

Joli Giuliano selects Regis

All-Conference star will continue her field hockey career

Joli Giuliano had never played field hockey until she arrived at Revere High School as a freshman.

Now an 18-year-old senior, Giuliano is leaving the program as a four-year varsity player, an All-Conference performer, a captain, and a vital contributor to a senior class that helped the Lady Patriots compile their best overall record in several years.

Monday afternoon in an impressive ceremony attended by her proud parents, Leanne Affonso and Scott Sullivan, Director of Athletics Frank Shea, and teammates and friends, Joli Guiliano affirmed her substantial progression in the sport by signing her letter of intent to attend Regis College.

Shea called it a significant honor for Giuliano, who will be continuing her field hockey career for the Regis Pride, who compete in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. Regis, located in Weston, is a leading Catholic coed university with outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and doctorial programs in the arts, science, and health professions.

“Joli is one of our top athletes in the senior class,” said Shea. “She’s a two-sport athlete, a leader in her class, and she’s been an asset to the field hockey and softball programs, and I’m happy to see her moving on to play at the next level.”

Giuliano was a quick and athletic forward for the Revere field hockey team that was coached by Briana Scata, who was named the NEC Coach of the Year.

“I’m so proud of what we accomplished as a team this season,” said Giuliano. “And our coaches did a great job not only being our coaches (Briana Scata and Lauren Sanford) but by being a friend and mentor, and I think that’s what led our team to the success that we had.”

Giuliano credited her teammates for their dedication and hard work. “Being a captain my senior year, and seeing them grow on an off the field, I felt proud of that because there was a lot of responsibility on my half to make sure that the team was going to continue the positive strides we had made for the past four years. It made me proud to be a captain.”

Giuliano singled out RHS softball coach and teacher Joseph Ciccarello as one of the truly inspirational figures in her high school career.

“Mr. Ciccarello has seen me grow a lot, and it’s something he mentions all the time, how proud he is of me,” said Giuliano. “Having someone who is a friend, a mentor, and a coach all in one, as well as my teacher (economic and mathematics) the past two years, I’m grateful to him for all his mentoring. I’m looking forward to playing softball for his team this spring.”

Giuliano said she found a welcoming environment during her visit to Regis, where she intends to major in Exercise Science.

“I felt right at home,” said Giuliano. “I felt everyone welcomed me my first time on campus so I just knew it was my school.”

Giuliano can expect the continued support and encouragement from her parents, who have followed her academic and athletic career from the McKinley School to the Rumney Marsh Academy, to her four immensely rewarding years at RHS.

“They’ve dealt with me on and off the field, which I know is not an easy job, but I think being the first one in my family to go to college, they’re definitely proud of who I am,” said Giuliano.

CUTLINES

Revere High School Director of Athletic Frank Shea congratulates senior Joli Giuliano on her decision to continue her athletic career at Regis College in Weston.

Joli Giuliano had the company of her teammates and friends at her letter of intent ceremony announcing that she will be attending Regis College and continuing her field hockey career in the NCAA Division 3 program.

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