Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 30, 2026 CRIMSON TIDE SPORTS NOTEBOOK: Football stages thrilling finish; Girls soccer gets ready for the playoffs; Boys soccer ties non-league Lowell on Senior Night By Joe McConnell EHS football hangs on to beat Somerville to extend winning streak to five games T he Somerville Highlanders (3-4), the 17th seed in Division 3, came close to upsetting host Everett last Friday night, Oct. 23, but in the end the Tide (6-1) persevered to extend its winning streak to five games, 27-26. As a result of the narrow win, the Everett boys dropped from 11th to 14th in the Division 1 power rankings, making this Friday night’s game (Oct. 30, 5 p.m.) against Lynn Classical at Lynn’s Manning Field critical in terms of possible Round of 16 playoff opponents. The Highlanders actually led at halftime, 14-7. They also led after three quarters, but only by one point, 14-13. Both teams each scored two touchdowns in the final period, but a failed Somerville two-point conversion attempt turned what would have been a heartbreaker into exhilaration in front of the home fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium. For the Tide, it all came down to believing in themselves, according to coach Rob DiLoreto. “Our team has shown consistent belief in themselves this season,” he added. “We just stuck to that next play mentality, while staying in the moment, playing each play (out) to the best of (our) abilities. There were many crucial plays in this game, but (we) showed tremendous passion and belief in ourselves to stay focused on each snap. It took the entire team to secure this win, and I’m very proud of the effort, passion and persistence that they put into it.” Freshman quarterback Michael Walsh got the scoring going in this game on a threeyard touchdown run in the first quarter. Luca Da Silva then knocked the extra point straight through the uprights to increase the lead to 7-0. But the Highlanders scored two unanswered touchdowns in the second quarter to take the lead at halftime, 14-7. They missed the first conversion try, but they made the second one to account for their seven-point lead at the break. Walsh scored the lone touchdown in the third quarter on a quarterback keeper from the one to trim the Tide’s deficit to one, 14-13. The Everett defense put the home team ahead early on in the fourth quarter, when junior Phil Pimenta ran his interception back 82-yards for six points. But Somerville quickly regained the lead on the kickoff return. Now trailing 20-19, Walsh (9 completions for 143 yards, 1 touchdown, plus 2 on the ground) had more magic in his arm, when he completed a seven-yard scoring strike to Jamauri Dulin (4 receptions for 97 yards; 3 carries for 8 yards), before hooking up with Tyler Freni (3 catches for 19 yards; 8 carries for 26 yards) for what turned out to be the decisive two-point conversion try. They needed every one of those points, because Somerville came back to score another rushing touchdown. Instead of then going for the game-tying extra point to force overtime, they went for the win, but to no avail on the conversion attempt, thanks once again to the Everett defense. After this type of game, it was difficult for DiLoreto to single anybody out. “Every player on our team deserves credit for this win, because it took every ounce of energy by everyone to win it,” he said. “We had two onside kick recoveries by sophomores Terry Jean and Ronald David. On defense, Phil Pimenta had an amazing interception return for a touchdown, while Jeremiah Joseph saved the game after he incredibly knocked down the pass on the final two-point conversion attempt. On offense, Jamauri Dulin made some fantastic catches, and Michael Walsh came up with some very big throws, while also scoring two rushing touchdowns.” Turning to Friday night’s game against host Lynn Classical (3-4, 25th seed in Division 3), DiLoreto has much respect for its hard-nosed brand of football. “They are a very athletic, physical team that run a smashmouth, gritty offense, and we know that we have to work very hard in practice to stop their running attack,” the coach said of the Rams. Tide girls soccer ties Lowell on Senior Night A s the regular season winds down, the Tide girls soccer team (9-4-4) fought nonleague Lowell to a scoreless tie after Senior Night activities on Oct. 20, before dropping a 4-0 decision to visiting Medford two days later. The home team reversed that score against Lynn English on Oct. 27. The annual GBL (Greater Boston League) Cup games followed the win over the Bulldogs after press deadline. The game against the Red Raiders ended the same way as the Sept. 10 encounter in Lowell. Both teams each earned a point in both contests that obviously featured plenty of defense. “Lowell is very good at playing an offside trap, and we had trouble adjusting to that, but we still had some good spurts, especially in the second half,” said coach Dom Persuitte. Bella Mitrano had the best chance to break the scoreless tie late in the second half, but was denied by the Lowell goalie. “I have to give the Lowell goalie credit. She did a great job owning the box,” said Persuitte. “Our goalie Julianna Rivera also played well, even though she wasn’t tested nearly as much as her Lowell counterpart. But when called upon, she stepped up and did her job to earn yet another shutout, her ninth this season.” The veteran Everett coach then added that Liv Simon also played well coming off the bench. Persuitte said that his senior captains Kayla Andrade and Sofia Arana-Quintanilla played “lights out” in this game. “They showed that they are leaders of this team, as they constantly showcased their aggressiveness and skills,” he said. “It hurts not to win this game, but a tie is better than a loss. I have to give Lowell credit. They play a very high line (up front), and are also organized in the back, while being quick (all around the ball).” The final score against Medford did not reflect the action on the pitch, according to Persuitte. “We held our own against them, even though we were missing six key players due to illness and injuries. But we were not able to capitalize on our opportunities,” the coach added. Medford, however, managed to complete the task of scoring goals to come out on top. “Overall, I was pleased with our bench players, who got to showcase their skills and abilities, while filling in for those missing players,” said Persuitte. “Having a bench is a key (ingredient) to any game, but since we are heading to the state tournament, it’s even more important right now.” Sofia Arana-Quintanilla, Tiffany Aguilar and Simon were notable standouts, according to Persuitte, who also noted that Bella Mitrano played very well in the second half, using her speed and powerful (leg) to put the ball on target, while taking corner kicks, as well. Tide boys soccer shuts down Medford; ties Lowell on Senior Night T he Everett High boys soccer team (4-9-2) began last week with a convincing 3-0 win over host Medford on Oct. 20. Two days later, they hosted non-league Lowell on Senior Night at Veterans Memorial Stadium, where they battled the Red Raiders to a 3-3 tie. Coach Rodney Landaverde had plenty of high praise after the win against Medford. “We had a great display of team play that featured plenty of scoring opportunities,” he said. “We created many chances (near the net), but struggled to finish them off until Saymon Coelho boomed the ball from 25 yards out, which ended up sailing over the Medford keeper’s head to get his teammates on the board for the first time in the game.” Throughout the rest of the game, Landaverde said that Pedro Romero, Luca Cruz, Jonathan Hernandez and Sebastien Styl held down the back line superbly with an amazing defensive display. It was also the first varsity game for Cruz and Styl, and they ended up playing 80 “impressive” minutes, according to the veteran Everett coach. “We controlled the second half a bit less than we wanted to, but still managed to maintain an attack,” said Landaverde. And as a result, Coelho took advantage of the team’s relentless offense with two more goals to record his first varsity hat trick that helped seal the deal for his teammates. SPORTS | SEE PAGE 15
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