Patriots seek to turn tables on Winthrop on Thanksgiving
Although the 3-7 Revere High football team will be a decided underdog when the Patriots take to the gridiron at Miller Field to battle a 9-1 Winthrop squad Thanksgiving morning at 10:00, Coach Lou Cicatelli and his crew will pay little attention to season records when they line up for the opening kickoff.
“It’s Thanksgiving against Winthrop, and whatever has happened beforehand means nothing,” said Cicatelli. “For the seniors, it’s the final high school game of their careers and for the underclassmen, it’s a chance to make a statement about next year. Plus, there’s always a big crowd on hand and that makes it a special day of football.”
The day will be an extra-special one for the Patriots because it will be highlighted by Senior Day festivities for the Class of 2015 players for whom this will be their last appearance in an RHS uniform. Revere has played all of its games on the road this season because of the reconstruction project of Harry Della Russo Stadium and thus the Senior Day festivities will be held on Winthrop’s field.
Revere and Winthrop already have met once this season, with the Vikings coming out on top by a score of 21-0 on the last Friday of September. The Vikings were undefeated at that time and remained undefeated until they lost to Lynnfield in the Division 4 North Sectional final of the MIAA playoffs.
Revere meanwhile, has had an up-and-down season. The Patriots, who defeated Medford and Salem, qualified for the Division 3 Northeast playoffs as the eighth seed. The Patriots took on top-seeded Masconomet in the opening round and, though a heavy underdog, fought valiantly until the final whistle before falling short by a score of 19-7. Revere then racked up its third win of the year when it defeated Wilmington, the fifth seed in the D-3 North bracket, by a solid 27-6 score.
The Patriots will be led offensively by their all-purpose running back and captain, Kaleb Silva, who has done it all out of the backfield for Revere this season. A true double-threat, Kaleb is both a powerful ball-carrier and a sure-handed receiver who can catch-and-run as well as anyone in schoolboy circles. If Kaleb gets some open field, he can turn any play into a big-gainer.
Revere quarterback Danny Murphy is another double treat. The junior has improved immensely at the helm of the Revere offense since the beginning of the season and is equally dangerous, whether throwing the ball or running an option play.
The Patriot defense has been solid all year, led by linebackers Steve Noel, Anthony DeStefano, and Silva, lineman Brandon Britto, and defensive back Mike Norton.
Although Revere certainly will have its work cut out for it against a Winthrop team that is bigger and has proven to be one of the best on the North Shore this season, Cicatelli and his crew no doubt will have a few wrinkles to throw at the Vikings in the season finale. In addition, there is last year’s precedent to keep in mind when Revere lost the early-season battle between the teams, but turned the tables on Thanksgiving.
RHS Cross-country banquet
Courtesy Photos
The Cross-country team held their banquet at the Patriot Club on Nov. 18.
In the above photo from left Salah Barhoum, Fredy Flores, Coach Mike Flynn, Christ Genty, Sebastian Mejia, Domenic Giangregorio and Bounlaing Chea.
In the photo to the right Middle School runners: Marco Cerbone, Joey LaGrassa, Devna Langat, Dante D’Ambrosio, Luisa Gil, Peter DiGiuilio, Erika Cheever, Sebastian Bolivar, Brenden Godino, Grace Dow, Sal Giuiliano, Sam Ros, Jaclynne Dion, Angel Ahmed, Ziarra Villaneuva, Vanessa Puopolo, Leila Cesic, Nawal Khan, Nicole Paddock, Monica Posada, Joanna Severino and Megan Erwin.
RHS sports Through the Years
10 years ago
November 23, 2004
The Revere High football team will enter its Thanksgiving Day contest with archival Winthrop as a decided underdog when the teams take to the field at 10:00 a.m. at Harry Della Russo Stadium. The Patriots are 4-6 overall, but will be facing an 8-2 Viking squad that averaged 31 points per game this season and is led by its NEC MVP quarterback, Anthony Fucillo, son of WHS head coach Tony Fucillo. Coach Lou Cicatelli’s Patriots will be led by their trio of GBL all-stars: running back Jose Escobar, who has gained 1090 yards on the season; fellow running back Emilio Digitale; and standout two-way lineman Lance Rodriguez. Winthrop has dominated the series over the past three decades, winning 26 of the past 29 contests and leads the series 45-25-3. The Revere victories in the past 29 years came in 2001, 1989, and 1984.
30 years ago
November 21, 1984
The Revere High football team will be seeking to end a nine year losing streak in its Thanksgiving Day rivalry with Winthrop. RHS coach John Miller’s 2-7 Patriots rate as a slight favorite over Bob DeFelice’s 0-9 Winthrop squad. Winthrop came into the1984 season riding a 33 game winning skein that included two Super Bowl victories, but is winless this year. Both offenses have been anemic this season and the contest figures to be a defensive struggle.
40 years ago
November 20 1974
Frank Mucci set a new Revere single-season rushing record, shattering the mark set just last year by Joe Festa, in a 14-6 win over Somerville Saturday. Mucci now has 1213 yards on the season on 203 carries with one game still to go, eclipsing the 1149 yards gained by Festa (on 167 carries) for the 1973 Revere Super Bowl team. Festa still shares the single-season touchdown mark of 17 with Charlie Imbrescia, but Mucci has 16 TDs. Joe DiPlatzi scored for Revere on a seven yard run and Vinny Clucas scored the winning TD when he fell on a blocked punt in the Somerville end zone. Coach Silvio Cella’s 6-2 team now will face Coach Bob DeFelice’s 2-6 Winthrop Vikings on Thanksgiving Day in search of their third win in a row over their traditional archrivals. The Patriots have been victorious in seven of the last 10 Turkey Day tilts.
The RHS soccer team finished in sixth place in the GBL in its debut season as a varsity sport. The Patriots’ lone win came against last-place Everett. Revere also tied three games. Senior Mark Palladino has been named the recipient of the Revere Journal’s Most Valuable Senior award. Palladino had three goals and four assists from his halfback position.
50 years ago
November 20, 1964
A capacity crowd is expected to pack Paul Revere Stadium Thanksgiving Day for what rates as the most-anticipated Turkey Day battle in the history of the Revere-Winthrop series when coach Silvio Cella’s 7-0-1 Revere team will host coach Ed MacFarland’s 8-0 Winthrop squad. Not only is an undefeated season at stake for both teams for the first time in their season finale, but a Class B title also is on the line. Revere will be led by its all-scholastic southpaw quarterback, Jim DelGaizo, while Winthrop will be paced by its all-scholastic running back, Steve “The Tank” Adamson. Although the permanent bleachers at the stadium will to be available because they have been deemed unsafe by the Revere Building Dept., Revere Mayor Peter Jordan said that temporary bleachers have been installed and will accommodate up to 4200 fans. Revere officials turned down a request by Winthrop officials to move the game to a neutral site to accommodate the big crowd that could exceed 10,000 fans. Since the rivalry resumed between the schools in 1959, they have split the four games (last year’s contest was canceled in the wake of the assassination of President Joh F. Kennedy). Three of those four contests were decided by a touchdown or less, with Winthrop’s 20-0 win in 1962 being the only game that was not close. The schools’ rivalry on Thanksgiving Day was suspended after the 1946 contest because of a brawl among players and fans that occurred at the 1945 game.
Revere kept alive its chances for a Class B title, rebounding from the previous week’s 6-6 tie with Malden Catholic, to post a 28-14 triumph over Newton South Saturday.
