Page 26 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 3, 2023 Shocked and chagrined sums up the Tide’s feelings after Sunday’s news Everett football keeps on winning, but unexpectedly drops in the rankings to miss the playoffs By Joe McConnell E verything was looking good last Friday night for the Everett High School football team (7-1) after they defeated Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Lynn Classical at Everett Stadium, 43-12. It was the team’s seventh straight win, and first-year Head Coach Justin Flores and his players were optimistic that they would soon be preparing for the Division 1 playoffs. But two days later, all that optimism quickly turned to disappointment. The Crimson Tide started the Lynn Classical game as the 16th seed, but in a matter of 48 , putting them on the hours they dropped two spots to 18th outside looking in of a playoff spot. The Top 16 teams in each division qualify for the playoffs, and it doesn’t matter if a team has an extraordinary winning record, because it’s all about power rankings under the new statewide postseason format that features three rounds of games, with the semifinal winners advancing to the respective Super Bowl games at Gillette Stadium in early December. But none of this makes it any easier for Flores and his players. “I don’t agree with the final rankings, as I and many others know we are one of the Top 16 teams in Division 1,” said Flores. “The players are taking it very hard. It’s a mixed bag of emotions, but especially for the seniors who will never get a shot at the playoffs again.” The only solace they can take from this news is that they are still beating up on opponents, with the Rams from Lynn their most recent victims. Last Friday night’s win also secured another GBL championship. “The defense carried us through the [Lynn Classical] game,” said Flores. “We didn’t execute well in the first half on offense, but we got back on track as a team in the second half.” Quarterback Carlos Rodrigues had another good game, completing five of 14 passes for 71 yards with one touchdown. He also rushed the ball three times for 78 yards. Manny Santiago was credited with two rushing touchdowns against Classical, while also running for 47 yards on 16 carries. Christian Zamor once again had a superb all-around twoway game. On offense, Zamor ran the ball three times for 34 yards, accounting for two touchdowns. He also caught one pass for six yards. He made an impact on defense, as well. He was credited with eight tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception, which went for a touchdown. Senior Domenic Papa was on the receiving end of one touchdown pass that went for 49 yards. Flores said that Zamor was the standout on offense Crimson Tide girls’ soccer team completes season with positive outlook for an encouraging future By Joe McConnell T he Everett High School girls’ soccer team (7-11) split the final week of the regular season. They first defeated non-league Lowell, 4-1, on Oct. 25. Two days later, non-league Stoneham was all over them to the tune of 7-1. Layla Cardona set up Aldrona Flore for a goal on a free kick against Lowell to begin the week. Luna Sepulveda Maselli then assisted on Yelsa Garcia’s marker. Layla Leles was credited with the team’s third goal of the game via a deflection off the Lowell goalie. Sofia Arana-Quintanilla closed out the offense in this game with her first goal of the season. “Sofia is showing a lot of promise that will only benefit the program in the future,” said coach Dom Persuitte. The coach then added that Emilia Maria-Babcock played well in net to help secure the win for her teammates. Despite the lopsided score against Stoneham, the Everett girls played well into the second half, according to Persuitte. “But then, a few mistakes started to happen, and Stoneham capitalized on them,” the coach added. Garcia scored the lone Everett goal in this game assisted by Layla Cardona. “We played very well overall, but the standout against Stoneham was our goalie Emilia Maria-Babcock, who kept the Stoneham offense at bay, despite the final score,” said Persuitte. “My takeaways on the season are nothing but positive,” continued Persuitte. “My overall goal is still to get to .500. This year, we were plagued by injuries, but the amount of positives that came out of this season far outweighed everything else. I’m very proud of this group of girls. They were asked to do a lot, especially when they had to step outside their comfort zone. “I want to thank my coaching staff – Bridget Cifuni and Rodney Landaverde – for helping out and making this such an enjoyable experience and season. All three of us are already looking forward to next year.” The Everett girls ended up in Division 1, which is com48th prised of 51 teams. Natick (151-1), Bishop Feehan (16-0-1), Hopkinton (16-0-1), Wellesley (13-5), Brookline (12-3-2), Winchester (15-1-1), Franklin (162), Acton-Boxborough (10-32), Concord-Carlisle (12-3-2) and King Philip Regional (15-3) are the Top 10 teams in the division this fall. against the Rams, particularly in the second half, when he scored all of his team’s touchdowns in those final two quarters. The first-year coach had a more difficult time singling out individual contributions on the other side of the ball. “The defense as a whole was outstanding all game long,” he said. “I can’t single out any one guy. They all played together as one, forcing five turnovers, including a safety and an interception that went for a touchdown.” But now, unfortunately, the Everett boys move on to the non-playoff games of their schedule. Flores doesn’t anticipate any letdown after being robbed of a playoff berth. “I don’t think there will be a hangover effect, but these teenagers are only human, and they have gone through a lot in a short amount of time,” he said. Flores will find out the mood very quickly tonight (Nov. 3) when they host Lowell (2-6, 23rd seed) in a 7 p.m. game at Everett Stadium. But if they want to maintain their winning streak, they will come out and play very hard, according to the coach. “[Lowell] will come in with a true spread offense, while playing a 3-4 defense,” he added. For the record, St. John’s Prep (8-0), Xaverian Brothers (6-2), Needham (7-1), Andover (7-1), Lincoln-Sudbury (71), Methuen (6-2), Springfield Central (7-1), Boston College High (5-3), Taunton (5-3), Central Catholic (3-5), Natick (5-3), Weymouth (6-2), Franklin (53), Westford Academy (5-3), St. John’s of Shrewsbury (3-5) and Leominster (4-4) are the Top 16 2023 Division 1 teams. These playoff teams include BC High, which the Tide defeated in September. It’s just another example of a possible flaw in the process that left Flores’ squad bewildered to be left out of the postseason. Crimson Tide field hockey team wraps up season with competitive games against Revere, Malden By Joe McConnell E ntering the final week of the regular season, the Everett High School field hockey team (4-13) first took on host Revere on Oct. 24. The Patriots were able to double up the Tide in a competitive game, 4-2. “This was a good matchup,” said first-year coach Sabrina Wright. “[Revere] had some lucky corners that resulted in a goal. The highlight of this game was a penalty stroke in the first quarter. We have a great goalie [Willins Julien], and I had full faith in him, and he came up with a huge save on that stroke. This was the first and only penalty stroke of the season, so it was fun.” Senior Emma Longmore accounted for the first Everett goal. Malaica Guillaume produced the second score. Luiza Velev was the team’s MVP in this game. Last Saturday, Malden came to Everett to wrap up the 2023 season and was able to escape with a slim 1-0 victory. “This was a crazy game,” said Wright. “The game was scoreless until late in the third quarter when Malden scored on a penalty corner. My team fought hard, and had a few good scoring opportunities, but Malden held on to win the game, 1-0.” “It was a great game to HOCKEY | SEE PAGE 35
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