Football Pats beat Everett again, 21–14, for back-to-back wins over longtime rival

By Dom Nicastro

Revere football’s win Friday night wasn’t just another victory — it was a slice of program history. The Patriots held off Everett, 21-14, at Harry Della Russo Stadium, marking the first time in recent memory that Revere has beaten the Crimson Tide in consecutive years. Last year, it was the first win over Everett since 1991. This time, it was a solid victory by a football team that is getting stronger as the year goes on.

“Good teams find a way to win,” said Head Coach Lou Cicatelli. “We played four quarters, which is what I preach all the time. Came back when they went ahead, showed some grit on our two long drives. That last [winning] drive was something else.”

Revere (3-5) has now won two straight and finished 3-3 in the Greater Boston League. They travel to Newburyport Friday night in a consolation round. The Patriots fell shy of the Division 3 playoffs but will play two consolation-round games before finishing up on Thanksgiving Day.

The Patriots’ defense set the tone early. After Everett converted a fourth down to reach first-and-goal from the Revere 1, Everett’s quarterback dropped the snap — and Revere’s Reda Atoui pounced on it at the 4. That takeaway swung momentum squarely toward the home team.

Two plays later, Cicatelli reached into his Wing-T bag of tricks. On 3rd-and-16 from the Revere 9, Atoui took a reverse counter — a staple Cicatelli calls “Sally” — and sprinted 63 yards to the Everett 28. “It’s a Cicatelli staple,” the coach said with a grin. “It looks like a pass, then it’s a timing play — tough to stop.”

Quarterback Sergio Peguero kept the drive alive with a 12-yard run, and on 3rd-and-1 from the 7, Mario Ramirez powered in for a 7-0 lead. Minutes later, Jose Fuentes intercepted a pass and returned it 25 yards to the Everett 35. Atoui finished that series with an 11-yard touchdown on the same “Sally” call to put Revere ahead 13-0 just before halftime.

Everett regrouped, controlling the third quarter and scoring twice in the fourth to take a 14-13 lead. But Revere responded with its best drive of the season. Starting at its own 25, Peguero burst 24 yards to the Everett 41, and Fuentes followed with another first down run to the 27. On 3rd-and-7 from the 12, Cicatelli went back to “Sally” — and Atoui delivered again, slipping through with 1:30 left. Fuentes then hit Atoui for the two-point conversion to make it 21-14.

Everett threatened late, driving inside the Revere 30, but Atoui sealed it with an interception in the final seconds — his second turnover recovery of the game. “He was the MVP,” Cicatelli said. “He’s a football player — he’s got that sense. He was everywhere. We gave the game ball to him and Sergio.”

Revere’s defense bent but didn’t break all night. Filipe DeMelo had an interception, Walter Franklin had one of his best games of the season, and Atoui and Fuentes were active in the run game. “Our defense bent and bent and bent but didn’t break,” Cicatelli said. “That’s kind of the philosophy — it worked.”

The coach also credited offensive coordinator Jose Escobar for adapting to Everett’s scheme. “They took our inside game away, they took our power away, and they took our belly away,” he said. “We had to figure it out, and we did. We ran toss, we ran Sally, and we won the football game. Coach Escobar did a great job adjusting.”

For Cicatelli, the back-to-back wins over Everett carry special weight. “It’s tough to beat them two years in a row,” he said. “I don’t think many teams have done it. Maybe none. It gives you an extra kick in your step. It’s pretty special.”