Chelsea High-Revere High was always a great football rivalry in the old Greater Boston League – and in Pop Warner as well. In fact, head coach Lou Cicatelli experienced it as a former football player for the Revere High Patriots.
Cicatelli brought his team to Chelsea Memorial Stadium Friday night for a renewal game with the Red Devils, and Round 1 went to the Revere contingent by an impressive 34-0 margin before Chelsea’s largest crowd in six years, according to school officials.
Chelsea is currently an independent football program but is a full-fledged member of the GBL other sports.
Running backs Wilmer Rodriguez and Davi Barreto led the way offensively, with each player accounting for more than 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Junior kick returner Sami El Asri opened the proceedings with a dynamic, 73-yard kickoff return down the sidelines during which he bounced off and then evaded several tacklers. El Asri set up the offense on the Red Devils’ 4-yard line.
Sami El Asri also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Anwar Marbough, in which El Asri made a full-length, diving catch in the end zone. El Asri’s TD came on the final play of the first half.
“Sami had a really good game,†said Coach Cicatelli. “But the guy who really stood out was Wilmer Rodriguez, who tore up the defense on two counter plays. Our running backs (Rodriguez and Barreto) had big nights. And I though Anwar managed the team well.â€
Junior captain Max Doucette had another All-Star caliber performance, helping to keep Chelsea off the scoreboard with 11 tackles and a sack. Also containing Chelsea quarterback Erick Galeano Flores and the Red Devils’ offense were captain and defensive end Augusto Goncalves, inside linebackers Filipe Cotta and Abbas Atoui, and outside linebacker Mark Marchese (“He was everywhere on the field and had seven tackles,†said Cicatelli). The defense really swarmed to the ball. There were eight or nine players around the ball on every play, and you can’t ask for more when you get that.â€
Revere (1-1) travels to Hormel Stadium in Medford Friday for a 6 p.m. kickoff with the Mustangs.
