Football Pats earn 5th win but playoffs not assured

  In previous seasons, having five wins at this point in the campaign would have meant you were basically a shoo-in for a spot in the postseason tournament. Not this year.

  The Revere Patriots easily rolled to a 44-6 Greater Boston League triumph over winless Somerville last Friday night at Harry Della Russo Stadium to improve to 5-2 overall. But entering week eight action, Revere was still on the outside looking in when it comes to this year’s Div. 3 tournament. The new statewide power rankings instituted by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) before this season evaluates a team’s margin of victory and strength of schedule. The top 16 teams in the rankings make the playoffs. Despite their five victories, the Patriots rank 20th among teams in Div. 3. They need to climb four positions after tonight’s game at Lynn Classical in order to earn a berth. Some of the teams ahead of Revere have less wins, including No. 18 Silver Lake, which sports a 2-5 record.

  “We have a chance to go 6-2 and I’m looking at teams [ahead of Revere] that have three wins. That’s tough to swallow,” Patriots Head Coach Lou Cicatelli told the press this week. “Say what you will about power rankings, to win five or six games, I don’t care who you’re playing, that’s not easy.”

  Still, Cicatelli said he understands what the MIAA is trying to accomplish. The new system may need some minor adjustments in the future but doesn’t need to be overhauled. “I commend [the MIAA] for everything they try to do to find true champions and make the numbers work,” he said.

  Against Somerville last Friday, the Patriots took care of business almost immediately. Just over a minute into the game, Mark Marchese raced in from 13 yards out for the first TD. Marchese helped set up the score when he hauled in a 25-yard pass from quarterback Anwar Marbouh to get to the Somerville 33. Davi Barreto took in the two-point conversion, and it was quickly 8-0.

  Barreto scored from one yard away and added a two-point run minutes later; and then Marbouh connected with receiver Sami El Asri on a 52-yard touchdown pass to make it a 22-0 contest after one period. Barreto’s 24-yard scoring run and an interception-return touchdown by Dom Boudreau increased the margin to an overwhelming 38-0 at halftime. Barreto added two more conversions to account for the total. Revere managed one more score in the second half to close out the victory.

  The Patriots face a must-win situation tonight if they hope to make the postseason. They travel to Manning Field in Lynn for the second time this season to take on the Lynn Classical Rams (scheduled 5 p.m. kickoff). The Rams are 4-3 entering the contest.