Ariana Rivera ushers in new era for Revere High girls basketball with clear vision and leadership

By Dom Nicastro

Ariana Rivera steps onto the court with a clear vision for the Revere High School Patriots girls’ basketball team this winter. In her inaugural season as the varsity head coach, Rivera’s history with the team as an assistant coach for two years is a foundation she intends to build upon.

The Patriots, who faced challenges last season due to a lack of seniors, are experiencing a turn in their fortunes this season. They have six seniors, four of whom serve as captains, so leadership isn’t an issue.

“We didn’t have any seniors last season,” said Rivera, whose team has begun the young season at 2-2 overall, 2-1 in the Greater Boston League after a sweep of the Lynn teams, “so it was definitely tough for us as far as leadership and stuff like that goes.”

However, this year’s roster boasts a full boat of seniors – senior point guard Haley Belloise, senior forward Alisha Jean, senior center Belma Velic and senior guard Bella Stamatopoulos serve as captains, and Guard Rocio Gonzalez and forward Julianna Bolton round out the senior class. They bring a newfound leadership presence to the court.

Rivera expressed her enthusiasm about the change in leadership. “We’ve definitely had a lot more leadership on the court our first few games, which is nice,” the coach said.

They’ve certainly played a role in the Patriots’ strong start. Led by twin 13-point scorers – Belloise (picked up some steals also) and Jean (nine rebounds) – Revere came back from 14-4 deficit after one quarter to beat Lynn English, 44-25, in Revere.

In a 49-34 loss to Medford, Revere saw some promise in sophomore Shayna Smith, who led the team with 12 points while Velic tossed in 10. The Patriots were missing a few starters due to illness. “We struggled offensively, especially with bringing the ball up the court,” Rivera said.

Belloise stands out so far as a seasoned player with a natural aptitude for the game. “Haley’s been a varsity player, I believe, since her freshman year,” Rivera said. “She’s a very natural hooper. She handles the ball very well, and she’s not afraid to tell people to be in the right place.”

Stamatopoulos is a veteran who also brings a lot of good basketball IQ like a lot of the team’s experienced players who gained skills playing AAU basketball. “They’re able to play during the offseason and kind of amp up their game,” Rivera said.

Velic is pretty vocal with the team. “Not that the other captains aren’t but we kind of look toward her to be that vocal position and kind of rally everybody together and make sure everyone’s in the game mindset,” Rivera said.

Jean, a transfer from Lynn Classical, has a similar layer to her game, the coach said. She’s not afraid to get in there and be physical with people. “And she’s not afraid to kind of reiterate that message to the team and make sure everyone’s working on hustle plays and diving on the ground for the ball,” Rivera said. “So, she kind of brings that spark to our team.”

The Patriots’ resilience was tested early in the season during the game against Lynn English, where they found themselves trailing by 10 points after the first quarter. Rivera recalled the turning point in that game. “We started the game off with a lot of nerves,” she said. “We went down in the first quarter 14-4 and then we only let up 11 points the rest of the game. So we kind of rallied at the beginning of the second quarter. I had to be a little hard on them in that moment and kind of wake them up a bit. And they came out stronger in the second, third, and fourth quarter.”

Despite a strong defensive game, Rivera recognizes areas for growth. “I think we are a very strong defensive team, with our press and our half-court defense, but we really struggle to find natural playmakers and point scorers,” she admitted.

The coach is candid about the team’s struggles and the steps they are taking to improve. “Our turnovers were our biggest battles in the Marblehead game, even in the Lynn Classical and Lynn English games, too, even though we came out on top. Our turnover averages are not where we want them to be, but it’s definitely going in the right direction.”

Rivera’s own experience as a player and coach informs her strategy and empathy for her athletes, especially when discussing her personal setbacks and triumphs. She played at Burlington High School and UMass Boston as a shooting guard and then racked up some coaching experience at King Phillip before coming to Revere.

“I unfortunately had a season-ending injury,” the health teacher at Revere High School said. “So, I took a little bit of a break after my sophomore year of college basketball and I decided to help out with coaching.”