Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 Two Patriots earn all-league recognition By Greg Phipps S hortly after its season ended in the opening round of the Div. 1 North playoff s, the Revere High School boys’ basketball team received news last week that juniors Dillan Day and Crisrael Lithgow were named to the Greater Boston League (GBL) all-star team. The Patriots completed an 11-10 performance for 2019-20 and won their fi nal six regular-season games to capture a playoff berth. Head coach David Leary said the prospects for next year are promising with the return of the two all-star underclassmen. “Dillan was consistent game in and game out, averaging close to a double-double scoring and rebounding, and [Lithgow] was our leading scorer for the season and was the second leading scorer in the league,” Leary pointed out. Lithgow had some huge scoring performances during the season and is capable of lighting it up from downtown Revere junior forward Dillan Day as well as penetrating to the hoop. Day is an eff ective presence both defensively and on off ense. His ability to anticipate plays and get to the basket is a big plus. “[Lithgow’s] ability to shoot the three-pointer and get to the basket makes it tough to stop him. We look forward to seeing how much they can both improve this off season and come Revere junior guard Crisrael Lithgow back poised for … senior year,” Leary said. The Patriots sat at 5-9 after 14 games this winter and appeared to be out of the playoff hunt. But they regrouped and went on an impressive 6-0 run to end the regular season. That streak included a tournament championship at the annual General Patton Tourney at HamiltonWenham Regional High School. Wickens, Platcow named hockey all-stars By Greg Phipps H aving come up four points short of making the postseason tournament this winter, the Revere/Malden/Matignon Patriots received word recently that two of their players were selected to the Greater Boston League hockey allstar team. Freshman goalie Cam Wickens capped off a fi ne inaugural varsity season by getting an all-league nod. Senior defenseman Eric Platcow was the other recipient. Senior guard Erika Cheever Throughout the season, Patriots head coach Joe Ciccarello cited the strong play from Wickens and talked about how the young netminder kept the Patriots in many games. Defense was another positive area the coach often Revere battled through a 5-15 campaign and did not qualify for the playoff s. Cheever was the team’s leading scorer with multiple 20-plus point eff orts, including a 30-point performance against Medford on Senior Night. She finished her career with 20 points in the team’s fi nal game against Peabody in the consolation round of the Larry McIntire Tournament at Beverly Senior player Katie O’Donnell High School back in February. O’Donnell was the team’s other starting guard. She played aggressive defense and had the ability to eff ectively drive to the basket. Shortly after the season concluded, head coach Matt Willis praised the attitude and effort from his two senior captains. “I can’t say enough good things about them and everything they’ve done for the program,” he said. “Their leadership and perseverance through a tough season will set an example for the younger players.” The Lady Patriots do have some strong returnees for next season, including guard Skyla DeSimone, who led the team in scoring on several occasions, and Alana Nelson, who came on strong at the end of the year. mentioned, a facet that was reinforced by Platcow’s play. “We struggled to score all year, but defense and goaltending were our strengths,” Ciccarello pointed out. The Patriots won six games overall, including victories over East Boston and Lynn to end the season. A trip to the playoff s was missed due mostly to four ties that kept the team shy of the necessary points to qualify for tourney play. The program became a Senior defenseman Eric Platcow Freshman goalie Cam Wickens three-team merger this season with Matignon being added. Ciccarello said it took some time for the players to get familiar with each other and be able to function eff ectively together. A slow start to the season put the Patriots behind the eight ball, and they could not overcome it in the end. Cheever, O’Donnell receive all-league honors By Greg Phipps T he 2019-20 season didn’t end up being what the Revere High School girls’ basketball team hoped for, but the Lady Patriots received some good news last week when senior captains Erika Cheever and Katie O’Donnell received Greater Boston League (GBL) all-star recognition.
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