Tide boys’ basketball preps for host Revere Tuesday night

Everett plans to rely on its quickness to secure another winning record

By Joe McConnell

Coach Stanley Chamblain’s Everett High School boys’ basketball team was 19-3 overall during the regular season last year, but two of those wins were forfeits, because of scheduling conflicts, decreasing its record to 17-5.  They then went on to lose to Worcester North to begin the postseason.

But the Crimson Tide has turned the page to a new season, where expectations remain high for a winning campaign. It all begins for real on Tuesday night, Dec. 13, against host Revere. They will warm up for the opening night showdown against the Patriots with a scrimmage on Saturday, Dec. 10 versus host Pembroke at noon.

Steven Cordero and David De Souza are this year’s varsity captains. There were no shortage of players trying out for the varsity the last two weeks, with 27 suiting up for that opportunity, which includes five returnees.

Chamblain plans to keep 16 on the big club divided evenly between the senior and junior classes at eight apiece. They will rely on their quickness to take down opponents on a regular basis.

“We will have a small team in terms of height, but a team that will still work hard on the defensive end,” Chamblain said. “Our expectations for the season are to take each day and game one at a time, and to get better.”

The veteran Everett coach likes what he sees so far in practice. “The whole team has surprised me,” he said. “The commitment they are making early on has thoroughly impressed me. They have that team above me mentality. They are making sacrifices for each other, and the whole team is dedicating themselves to be better in all aspects of the game.”

Captains Cordero and De Souza will lead the team on the court as two of the five varsity returnees. Kevin Ruiz, Anderson Joseph and Allsin Desruisseaux round out the veteran presence on the squad that should help propel the Tide to another winning campaign.

After the season opener at Revere, the Tide will remain on the road with games against Medford (Dec. 15, 6 p.m.) and Malden (Dec. 20, 6 p.m.). They will then go on a holiday break to get ready for the home opener against Chelsea on Tuesday, Jan.3, starting at 7 p.m.

After a quick trip to Lynn to play the Rams on Jan. 5 (7 p.m.), they will return home to host the Lynn English Bulldogs on Jan. 10 again at 7 p.m.

The rest of the Everett regular season schedule lines up this way: Somerville (Jan. 12, 7 p.m.), at St. Mary’s of Lynn (               Sunday, Jan. 15, 4:15 p.m.), at Snowden International of Boston (Jan. 18, 6 p.m.), Medford (Jan. 19, 7 p.m.), at Beverly (Jan. 21, 1:30 p.m.), Malden (Jan. 24, 7 p.m.), at Chelsea (Jan. 26, 7 p.m.), Lynn Classical (Jan. 31, 7 p.m.), at Lynn English (Feb. 2, 7 p.m.), at Somerville (Feb. 7, 7 p.m.), Cambridge (Feb. 10, 7 p.m.), Revere (Feb. 15, 7 p.m.), at Central Catholic of Lawrence (Sunday, Feb. 19, 5 p.m.) and at Newton North.