Sports 03-30-2016

RHS Spring Sports readying for season

The Revere High spring sports season is well underway, with all of the various Patriot boys and girls teams entering their second week of the pre-season as they prepare for their 2016 campaigns.

The RHS girls lacrosse team will kick-off the spring sports schedule tomorrow (Thursday) with a contest against No. Reading at 4:00 on the turf at Harry Della Russo stadium.

The RHS softball team has played a scrimmage with Melrose and will scrimmage at Winchester Saturday and at Burlington Monday before opening their season next Thursday (April 7) at Medford. Coach Joe Ciccarello and his squad will play  eight of their first nine games on the road before settling into St. Mary’s Park as their home field.

“This season has been by far my toughest decision yet as coach of this program and speaks to the talent level of the team,” said Ciccarello, discussing the ongoing-process of selecting his 2016 varsity squad. ”Ally Hinojosa, Julia Cecere, Gab Cammarata, and Cheyenne Fullen are our seniors and are doing a great job of leading.”

Ciccarello said he expects sophomore Gia Santinello to be the team’s principal pitcher and will be counting upon freshman Olivia McManus to provide some much-needed innings as the season progresses.

“We have hit really well in an intra-squad scrimmage and in the scrimmage against Melrose last weekend,” noted Ciccarello. “This upcoming week is big for us to start to work on our new players and players in new positions.

“I like the talent level and commitment as well as the work ethic I’m seeing so far,” added the coach.

The RHS boys and girls tennis teams swing into action Monday against Beverly and Wednesday against Danvers.

The boys lacrosse squad also opens its season Monday at Lynn English and then will trek to Matignon Wednesday.

The boys and girls track teams will open their seasons Wednesday at Beverly.

The Patriot baseball team is schedule to scrimmage at Woburn tomorrow (Thursday) and will host Beverly on Monday, April 11, in the season-opener.

The Revere High girls lacrosse team will kick off the 2016 spring season when the Lady Patriots host No. Reading tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon on the turf at Harry Della Russo Stadium.

Coach Karen Atkinson’s squad will be led into the fray by senior captains Amina Mansouri and Basma Mered.

“I am excited for this season, as we have gained a bit more experience over the past year and have seven freshman joining our squad who have experience playing at the youth level,” said Atkinson. “The game of lacrosse is finally beginning to take off in Revere, gaining momentum and interest each year. We are a fairly young team, but I expect us to mesh together nicely as the weeks progress.

“Our schedule strength is fairly high,” added Atkinson, “but I look forward to seeing how we react under pressure against well-disciplined teams.”

Atkinson and her crew will host Winthrop Monday and Saugus next Friday.

St. Mary’s Boys Basketball will opt up to Division 3 next season

By Cary Shuman

The St. Mary’s High School of Lynn boys basketball program, fresh off winning the Division 4 state championship, will opt up for placement in the Division 3 next season.

The Spartans, led by coach David Brown, defeated Maynard in the Division 4 state title game March 19 at Springfield College. In the days following the schook’s victory, the chatter grew intense in the basketball community that St. Mary’s would ask the MIAA to move up to Division 3.

After consulting with director of athletics Jeff Newhall, Brown said that St. Mary’s will formally request an “opt up” to Division 3. The request would be for the 2016-17 season, which is the final year of the MIAA’s current four-year alignment, and carry over in to the next four-year alignment (the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 State Tournaments). The MIAA could decline St. Mary’s request but the consensus is that the MIAA would rule favorably on the move.

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