Crimson Tide Fall Sports Postseason Recap

By Joe McConnell

Tide boys’ soccer gets two on the GBL all-star team

  The Everett High School boys’ soccer team (6-8-4) came ever so close to making the Division 1 state tournament. They missed it by just one slim win, but with so many good players returning next fall, second-year coach Rodney Landaverde is excited about what lies ahead.

“It was a tough way to end the season by not qualifying for playoffs, but I’m very hopeful for next year, as we have a strong group of players coming back, who will only be sophomores and juniors. They will lead the team with so much [varsity] playing experience, while still being young players,” said Landaverde.

Despite the near postseason miss, the Crimson Tide still had two veteran players – Gabriel Garcia and Kevin Renderos – make the Greater Boston League (GBL) all-star team. “Both of these players contributed so much to the team offensively,” Landaverde said. “Gabriel [Garcia] had 10 goals and 1 assist, while Kevin [Renderos] contributed 1 goal and 3 assists to the team this season. They [brought] explosiveness up front, taking on players one-on-one, moving the ball across the field [continuously] and taking chances with corners and assisting the midfield spread on both sides of the [pitch].

“Gabriel, in particular, finished his final two years on the team with 14 goals under my watch, and I’m really proud of the hard work that he has put in being a two-year captain. But I’m also now looking forward to having Kevin come back for his senior year to help lead this next group of underclassmen.”

Three Tide field hockey players chosen as GBL all-stars

  Field hockey coach Nicola Jones says that she had the privilege to watch her athletes embody everything that the team was striving to reach with preseason goals this fall. Jones singled out their spirit, dedication and heart.

“While the scoreboard didn’t always fall our way [the team finished up with a 5-12-1 record], the growth and resilience of my players demonstrated that the season was still nothing short of inspiring,” the coach said. “Our final record was certainly not what we were hoping for, but I still look back on this journey with immense pride. Overall, it was a great season, full of essential learning moments that will serve these athletes well far beyond the turf. They learned how to handle tough losses, to push through exhaustion and to trust in each other completely. They have hung up their sticks for now, but I’m still proud of their effort this year, and the character that they have demonstrated, which will be our foundation going into next year. We are strong, because of it, and it’s built on the spirit, dedication and heart of every player who wore the Everett uniform this year. I’m already excited on what the future holds for this group, and I couldn’t ask for a better team to coach.”

Jones is also thrilled to announce that Stéphano Orleus, Lindsey Sylva and Wilins Julien are representing their Everett teammates on the GBL all-star team this year.

Jones said of Stéphano: “He is an exceptional field hockey player, who has been a dedicated team member for three years. Since joining the team as a sophomore, his hard work and determination have [produced] remarkable skill development. More than just his impressive talent on the field, Stéphano’s commitment and positive attitude also inspire his teammates, making him a natural leader. His continuous effort and growth make him an invaluable asset to the team, and is truly deserving of this all-star recognition.”

The coach had this to say on Lindsey Sylva’s all-star season: “Lindsey is a five-year veteran who has been a consistent, reliable member of our field hockey team. Her strong skills and leadership both on and off the field have been instrumental in guiding her teammates [through the good and bad times]. Over the past year, Lindsey has shown remarkable growth and maturity, further elevating her impact [on the team]. She is also truly deserving of all-star recognition.”

And finally, it was time for her to express the merits of junior goalie Wilins Julien: “Wilins is an exceptional goalie who has been a key member of the team since his freshman year. His natural talent and consistent dedication have been vital to the team’s impressive number of wins. As a leader on the field, Wilins brings energy and focus [to the team], while his good-natured sense of humor fosters a positive team environment off the field. He consistently recognizes the strengths of his teammates, and commits himself fully every time [during games]. We are so glad that we still have Wilins for another year, and look forward to seeing his incredible skills next fall [in what will be] his senior season.”

Volleyball coach praises the efforts of his seven seniors

  The Everett High girls’ volleyball team (3-17) was led by seven seniors this past season, starting with captain Nicole Damaceno, who finished her three-year varsity career with 500 serves, and this year alone she led the team in successfully making 97% of them. Assistant captain Juliette Romboli recently notched her 200^th career kill, while leading the team this year with 124 of them. She also led the team in aces with 47. Assistant captain Amanda Verteiro amassed over 250 career serves and nearly 60 aces. Lindsey Cherichel Paul and Shaeendra Hall played all four years in the program, and Lindsey led the team with 18 blocks. She also connected on 86% of her 140 serves over two varsity seasons, while tallying 45 kills during that same time period. Leliani Ros Morales was with the program for three years, and had 67 serves this season. Aya Selimovic finished her second varsity season with 12 blocks, second most on the squad.

“This special group of players helped contribute to 20 wins and a tournament appearance over the last three years,” said coach Mike Fineran. “They also raised more than $1,500 to support breast cancer research.”

The veteran coach went on to say that the team fell short of its goal to make the state tournament this fall but still stayed positive while battling through the whole season. “We played some of our best volleyball throughout the last week of this season, when we took on three tournament teams – Revere, Malden and Lowell – in a row [and competed with them to the end],” he added.

Tide girls’ soccer ends season on an upbeat note

  The Everett High girls’ soccer team (6-9-2) ended the year on a high note with a 3-1 victory over non-league Lowell on the Rivergreen pitch on Senior Night (Oct. 28). Lowell led at halftime, 1-0, but with the home fans behind them, the Everett girls came together in the second half to secure the win.

Casey Martinez recorded her second career high school free kick varsity goal to get the Tide moving in the right direction. Kathleen DeSouza was responsible for the eventual game-winner, when she setup Bella Mitrano with her first goal of the year. Liv Simon, one of the team’s two free kick specialists, then sent the ball into the box a short time later, where Kayla Andrade, who, according to coach Dom Persuitte, is one of the scrappiest players on the team, was able to get her foot on it to slot it past the Lowell goalie to account for the all-important insurance tally.

“This was a much-needed win, even though it was our last game of the season,” said Persuitte. “The girls worked incredibly hard, and it showed. This season has been more meaningful than past years, as this group of seniors has been with me and the program since I took it over four years ago. They trusted me and also my assistant coach Bridget Cifuni with everything, and did not complain. We didn’t have to sell them on the sport, because they just wanted to play, have fun and learn the game. We are going to truly miss them, but they have shown the underclassmen that anything is possible, as long as they work hard and keep their minds clear. They have instilled in the program a new standard that effort is needed all the time to win on the high school level, and I’m beyond grateful. This group of seniors will always have a special place in my heart. They are the new foundation of this program.”