Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 One more ride: Cicatelli, Patriots enter 2026 with experience — and some old friends along for the journey By Dom Nicastro R EVERE — There will be plenty of news about the Revere High football team this fall. There is a more experienced group coming back from last year’s young roster. There is a revamped Greater Boston League schedule that will send the Patriots outside the league for half of their games. There are new responsibilities for several returning players and some new faces on the coaching staff . But some of those new faces are actually very old friends. Head coach Lou Cicatelli begins his 24th and fi nal season leading the Patriots surrounded by several former Revere teammates from the successful 1980s squads and lifelong friends, some of whom have traveled across the country to spend one more football season together. And Cicatelli hopes the Patriots can make that fi nal ride a successful one. “We’re going to go for it this year,” Cicatelli said. “Try to get the playoff s.” Revere opens up at home against Quincy Friday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. It has other nonleaguers against Beverly, Gloucester and Whittier Tech before getting into league play. The league opponents will be Everett, Somerville, Chelsea and Lynn English. No Medford. No Malden. No Lynn Classical. It’s now a tiered Greater Boston League, and Cicatelli is not a fan. He feels the league should have stayed intact. The Patriots fi nished 4-7 last fall with a roster heavily dependent on underclassmen. Cicatelli believes some of the growing pains the Patriots experienced in 2025 could pay off now. “We were a very, very young team last year,” Cicatelli said. “We were all sophomores and juniors, and most were sophomores. There’s a nice group RHS Head Football Coach Lou Cicatelli giving instructions from the sidelines during last season’s action. (Advocate fi le photo) of juniors, a nice group of seniors. I think we’ll be improved on both sides of the ball.” The Patriots have nearly 50 players in the program and got an early look at themselves during preseason work with Melrose before scheduled scrimmage action coming up against Burlington and Acton-Boxborough. Among the most important returnees is junior Jose Fuentes, who played quarterback last season but fi gures to spend considerably more time at tailback. Fuentes showed his versatility throughout his sophomore season, including throwing two touchdown passes in Revere’s Thanksgiving loss to Winthrop. Cicatelli believes getting Fuentes back into the backfi eld will allow the Patriots to take better advantage of his playmaking ability. “Jose had an amazing sophomore campaign last year,” Cicatelli said. “He looks real good in preseason. So he’s going to carry us. I think he’s totally one of my best players, without question.” Senior captain Sergio Peguero is currently working at quarterback after seeing some time there last season. Fuentes will still have packages in which he lines up behind center. “He can manage a game as can Jose, but we really miss Jose at tailback,” Cicatelli said. “He’s a true tailback. And we think that he’ll give us a lot more, be able to run our offense a lot more eff ectively if he is at that position.” Peguero also plays defensive back. He is joined as captain by senior Silvio Neto, an off ensive and defensive lineman. Cicatelli said the two earned their captain leadership roles through the work they put in before offi cial practices even began, helping organize captains practices and encouraging teammates to get into the weight room. “They did a really good job in the summer with captains practices and going to the weight room, getting the kids to show up and do their part,” Cicatelli said. “Early leadership. Just doing that means a lot, especially at the beginning of the year.” Other players Cicatelli expects to play signifi cant roles include Mani Alejo at defensive end and wide receiver, junior Reda Atoui at linebacker and running back and Anthony Pelatere at slot receiver, wide receiver and linebacker. Cicatelli believes the offense has a chance to take a noticeable step forward. The biggest challenge will be eliminating the kinds of mistakes that hurt a young team a year ago. “We made a lot of mistakes as a young team last year,” Cicatelli said. “That’s a fact, and it did cost some games. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve got to limit mistakes and just be competitive, and try to get to.500 and see what happens.” Revere will have to navigate an unusual schedule to do it. The Greater Boston League has been divided into tiers, leaving the Patriots with only four league games: Chelsea, Everett, Somerville and Lynn English. That forced Revere to fi nd four nonleague opponents, and the Patriots did not exactly search for an easy path. You need a tough schedule to boost playoff chances. “We’ve got a tough schedule. I’m not gonna’ lie,” Cicatelli said. “No easy games, none.” Cicatelli understands one reason for scheduling stronger nonleague opponents. The MIAA playoff power-ranking system rewards teams for playing stronger competition, and he has seen GBL teams — including his own — hurt by the league’s overall strength in playoff qualifi cation. Still, the longtime coach isn’t a fan of a league structure in which teams don’t play one another. “If you’re gonna’ have a league, you play everybody in your league,” Cicatelli said. “That’s the one thing they got away from.” The most personal part of Cicatelli’s fi nal season may be happening on the sideline. Several members of the Revere High Class of 1982 who played together under longtime coach Silvio Cella are back together as coaches. Vinny Gregorio, Cicatelli’s longtime assistant and “right hand guy,” has been with him since Cicatelli took the Revere job. Ed Doris, another teammate, lives in California but has returned to coach wide receivers and is beginning his fourth season on the staff . This year, Rich “Rico” Finelli has joined them. Finelli was a standout quarterback and defensive back for Revere and later played at Boston University on a full football scholarship. After living in California for approximately 25 years, he returned east and rented a place in Wakefi eld as he prepares to spend Cicatelli’s fi nal season coaching quarterbacks. Their connection has survived more than four decades. When Cicatelli was approaching his 100th career victory in 2024, Finelli flew across the country to be there. SPORTS | SEE Page 18
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