RHS Sports Roundup

RHS hockey team earns Senior Night shutout win

The Revere High hockey team celebrated Senior Night in fine fashion with a well-played 2-0 victory over Lynn Saturday evening at Cronin Rink.

“The team really put it all together,” said RHS heads coach Joe Ciccarello. “We played unselfish hockey at both ends of the ice and received a stellar game in the net from Jon Papasodora.”

Shayne Cambria gave the Patriots a 1-0 lead in the opening period and Cam Whalen provided an insurance marker with about 10 minutes left to play in the third frame. Papasodora was unbeatable between the pipes, turning aside 26 Lynn shots on goal.

“It was a very emotional night for everybody and the team responded very well,” noted Ciccarello. “Lynn had beaten us 7-1 the first time we met them a few weeks ago, so it was a sign of our team’s improvement and determination for us to beat them in the rematch.”

The RHS seniors who were honored before the game were captains John Papasodora, Shayne Cambria, Chris Curtis, Nick Piabella, Gerard Sorechetti, and Nico Luisi.

The triumph was the Pats’ second of the season, the other having come the previous week with a 3-1 victory over Salem. Junior Marco Mazzarelli lit the lamp twice for the Pats and Cambria potted the third marker in that contest.

Ciccarello and his crew were set to conclude their season this week at the annual Newburyport tournament with contests on tap for yesterday (Tuesday) and Friday.

So near, yet so far for boys hoop; trio named all-stars

For the grandparents of the members of the Revere High boys basketball team, the enduring refrain that might come to mind to summarize the recently-concluded season might be from the classic early ‘60s song, Halfway to Paradise (popularized by Bobby Vinton): “So near, yet so far away.”

The Patriots concluded their season with an 8-12 mark, but it just as easily could have been 12-8, had a bounce here, or a ref’s call there, gone their way.

A 63-62 loss to Beverly last Tuesday, a contest that could have brought the Pats within one game of qualifying for the Holy Grail of a post-season state tournament berth, typified the tough luck Coach Rick Hayes and his squad suffered in a number of close encounters this season.

Although Beverly had fairly handily defeated Revere in their first meeting (59-43) at Merullo Fieldhouse in early January, the Patriots came out with energy and determination from the outset on the Panthers’ home floor. Revere trailed by slim margins of 18-16, 40-36, and 46-45 at the quarter markers and, after falling behind by as many as seven in the fourth frame, battled back to knot matters at 62-62 with 36 seconds to go and with the ball.

However, the Pats never got off a good shot and turned the ball over with just seconds left on the clock. A Panther player took the ball at mid-court and drove at the basket, throwing up a wild shot that was not even close. However, with 1.6 seconds to play, and both teams seemingly destined to an overtime period, the ref blew his whistle for a foul on a Patriot. The Beverly player sank one of his two free throws and that was the game (although a desperation heave by Dom Boyce from halfcourt at the buzzer hit off the rim).

“I haven’t had a problem or a complaint with the refs in my six years as a coach, but that really was a tough call at that point in the game,” said Hayes. “You let the kids decide it, not the refs.”

Clutch free throw shooting down the stretch (the Pats were 12-for-12 with Boyce, Geo Gomez, and Tommy Sor all hitting four free throws each) pulled Revere into the 62-62 deadlock, but it proved to be just short of earning the “W.”

“It was a heartrending loss for us and a very emotional scene in our locker room,” noted Hayes. “The boys played their hearts out against a team with a much better record. We left it all on the floor.”

Sor topped a balanced Revere scoring attack with 16 points. He was joined in double figures by Gomez with 15 and Boyce with 10. Mike Ciambelli and Mike Dreeszen made solid contributions with eight points each and Doug Zingali chipped in four. Sor and Dreeszen sank two treys apiece and Boyce and Gomez both hit a three pointer.

In the season finale with Peabody on Thursday, Hayes departed from his usual starting five to feature an all-senior lineup. After a slow start (Revere was down 25-10 after one period), the Pats made it 31-23 at the half and 43-37 after three. They got as close as 50-47 down the stretch, but the visiting Tanners sank their free throws (when Revere was forced to foul) to hold on for a 59-49 triumph.

Gomez drained two from three point land and led Revere with 13 points. Sor also hit two treys and had 11 points. Ciambelli added 10 points, followed by Boyce with five, Chris Hinajosa with four, Ravi Ryland with three, and Dreeszen with three.

Three Patriots were named to the Northeastern Conference North all-star team, the first time that more than one Patriot has been selected to the squad in quite a while. The trio are Boyce, Ciambelli, and Gomez and all three will play in the upcoming NEC all star game.

Patriots shine at D-1 State Meet

Four members of the Revere High boys track team took home medals and the Patriots scored 11 points at the MIAA Division 1 track meet held Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.

Tarik Maddrey jumped 6’2” to place fifth in the high jump and earn an automatic berth in the upcoming All-State meet.

Johnny Lopes set a new Revere High record in the long jump with a leap of 20’, 8.25” to place sixth and also grab an automatic berth in the All-State meet.

Karim Sahila placed seventh in the 55 meter high hurdles with a time of 8.18. Bobby Rose, who was named the Most Valuable Performer in the Northeastern Conference Large School Division, took seventh in the 300 meter dash with a personal record (PR) time of 36.64.

Both Sahila and Rose also could qualify for the All-States if their times are among the best out of all four divisions. (Those who finish in the top six in each division earn an automatic berth, with the next six best performers out of all four divisions also earning an invitation.)

Other Patriots who competed in the D-1 meet were Younes Hartout in the 55 meter dash with a time of 7.00; Omar Morales in the shotput with a toss of 45-1.75, which placed him 10th; and the 4 x 200 relay quartet of Joe Ritchie, Hartout, Rose, and Lopes, who came home in 13th place in a  time of 1:34.58.

On the girls’ side, Comfort Toglan competed in the 300 meter dash and finished in 45.10; Janice DeStefano tossed the shotput a distance of 27-8.5; and the 4 x 200 team of Toglan, Raychel Adreani, Brenda Rudecindo, and Angeli Buenaventura crossed the line in 1:57.43.

Rose, Mosko, Ros win top NEC plaudits

The Revere High indoor track teams received significant honors in the Northeastern Conference Large Division for their stellar efforts this season.

Senior Bobby Rose was named the loop’s Most Valuable Performer and his veteran coach, Jack Mosko, was named the Coach of the Year.

RHS girls’ coach Sam Ros, who guided his team to its first winning record in three years, was named the girls’ co-Coach of the Year.

Patriots who were named to the first team all-star squad were Rose in the 300 meter dash; Omar Morales in the shotput; and the 4 x 400 relay team of Joe Ritchie, Johnny Lopes, Zack Primo, and Rose.

Karim Sahila was named a second team all-star in the 55 meter hurdles.