THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2025 Page 11 RHS SPORTS FALL ROUNDUP Revere boys’ soccer bows out in Round of 32, caps strong season By Dom Nicastro R evere High School boys’ soccer made another postseason appearance under fi rstyear head coach Gerardo Rodriguez, reaching the Division 2 Round of 32 before falling to three-time defending state champion Oliver Ames, 4-1. The Patriots, seeded No. 32, faced the top-seeded Tigers on their home fi eld in North Easton. Oliver Ames entered the tournament 12-1-3, while Revere fi nished its season at 10-4-5. Revere reached the Round of 32 with a 3-2 victory over Southeastern Regional in the preliminary round. Senior striker Patrick Valentim scored twice, and Jeronimo Agudelo added a goal to help secure the win. Rodriguez said his fi rst year as head coach was full of learning moments but also progress. “I’m very satisfi ed with the growth I saw from the boys,” he said. From mid-July summer workouts through preseason and into the fall, Revere developed a lot as a team, the coach added. Facing Oliver Ames provided a clear benchmark for the program. “I thought it was a pretty good game plan. The reality of playing a very tough, welloiled machine at their house, you have to play a very clean game,” Rodriguez said. “We competed in open play, but you have to play a very clean game against a team like that. Three of their goals came on corners, and that shows there’s a separation the level of focus and level of seriousness that you have to take in and be able to perform on a given night on a very tough time. We’ll be able to watch and learn from it and apply new things.” Rodriguez praised sophomore goalkeeper Cristian Flores for his development. “He had a very good game against Oliver Ames and grew up this season,” the coach said. At the start of the year, he was hesitant to come out for balls on corners, the coach said, but, by the end, he was challenging everything. That kind of growth is huge, Rodriguez said. Looking ahead, the Patriots expect to return nine or 10 players, including a core of rising seniors who will anchor the midfi eld and attack. “I’m looking forward to seeing all these guys come back, and we’ll be very strong in midfi eld and forward, but we will have to pretty much reconstruct our defense,” Rodriguez said. “I’m looking forward to having a competitive team next fall and learning for myself as a fi rst-year head coach. Being an assistant for a long time has its perks, but going through the things that you go through as a head coach, now that I know, I can plan things better.” The coach is targeting a shakeup for non-league games and is eyeing teams like Brookline, Newton North and BC High, “teams that are usually very competitive in states.” Rupp, Hamdani close standout crosscountry careers T he Revere girls cross-country team wrapped up its season at the Division 2A state race at Northfi eld Mountain, a steep 5K course that marked the fi nal competition for seniors Olivia Rupp and Rania Hamdani. Head coach Katie Sinnott said the pair’s leadership and commitment defi ned the program. “Coaching them has been an absolute pleasure,” she said. “They’re strong runners who led us to winning records the past few seasons.” Rupp narrowly missed advancing individually to the state fi nals, fi nishing just outside the top 10 cutoff. “She may have been disappointed, but I’m not,” Sinnott said. “She and Rania gave everything they had to the race— TEAM LEADERS: Olivia Rupp and Rania Hamdani at the Division 2A state race at Northfi eld Mountain. (Courtesy photo) the perfect way to fi nish their high school careers.” Hamdani, known for her powerful fi nishing kick, joined the team last year and quickly became a key scorer. Rupp, a four-year runner and team captain, leaves behind a reputation for consistency and positivity. “Olivia never complained, never quit, and always lifted up her teammates,” Sinnott said. “She’s the kind of athlete every coach wishes for.”
12 Publizr Home