First annual Crimson Tide alumni boys soccer game makes strong pitch to revive the sport in Everett

Everett coach Rodney Landaverde leads the way to promote success for the program statewide

By Joe McConnell

First-year Everett High School (EHS) boys soccer coach Rodney Landaverde is reviving soccer interest in the city. As a former player, he wants to develop that love for the sport, which he has had all his life.

To that end, Landaverde took another step in achieving his goal by hosting the first annual Crimson Tide boys soccer alumni game at Everett Memorial Stadium last Saturday, Nov. 23.

“With much anticipation, we rallied 80 alumni to participate in this game, and they were joined by many families and friends in the stands,” Landaverde said. “This event brought many graduating classes together to reminisce and catch up with former teammates and classmates, all in the name of reviving the Everett (soccer) legacy.”

Everett High graduating classes from 1997-2024 took part in the alumni game, with current seniors also participating.

“It was such an amazing turnout,” said Landaverde. “(The alumni game) brought many people (to Everett Memorial Stadium last Saturday) to (help) celebrate and play the sport once again that once brought us together throughout (our) high school (years),” said Landaverde.

Landaverde organized the event with added support from former coaches Eric Chajon (Class of 2012) and Oswaldo Constanza (Class of 2002).

“I truly feel very grateful, honored and blessed to be connected with so many players of different generations,” Landaverde said. “To have this much support in my first year (as the Everett High coach) has been surreal, and this is just the beginning.

“Soccer in this city has been on the rise for a while now, and it will only continue to grow,” the first-year Tide coach added. “I have always been passionate about this sport, and loved how it unites people and builds family. As someone who was raised in Everett, and played and coached in the town programs, while also captaining the (EHS) team in my senior year, this is very personal to me. I will give it all I have to set a new standard for soccer in this city in order to give it the recognition that it deserves.”

Landaverde promises more soccer events over the next couple of months to maintain this positive momentum, which will hopefully translate into an even better fall campaign in 2025 for his high school program. They ended up with a 7-7-4 regular season record this year, which qualified them for the Division 1 state tournament, where they dropped a preliminary round heartbreaker in overtime to host Beverly, 2-1.

But this past fall was just the beginning of bigger and better things if Rodney Landaverde has anything to say about the transformation of the program from the youth level to high school.