Geo’s breakout: Woodard explodes for four TDs in Revere’s victory

By Dom Nicastro

Geovani Woodard has done his fair share of work for the Revere High School football team. With several players going down with injuries early in the season, the junior running back received a boatload of carries out of the backfield. Woodard and the Patriots faced many challenges shorthanded and started 0-5.

Woodard showed exactly what he’s capable of against Beverly at Hurd Stadium last week, and the Patriots benefited in a 42-21 win over the Northeastern Conference Panthers in a consolation round game. Woodward scored four touchdowns and absolutely sliced and diced the Beverly defense.

It was almost like the perfect reward for Woodard for grinding it out for Revere those first five games. With most of those injured players back, the Patriots have won three out of four games, two in a row, and improved to 3-6 overall as they host Gloucester in the final consolation round game Thursday night, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.

“First off it felt amazing to have a breakout game like that especially when I’ve been trying my best to perfect my craft during practice and the offseason,” Woodard said. “I feel like the work I put in throughout practice and the offseason is really paying off. Although there have been some injuries, we have teammates ready to step up and go do their part on the field. Them doing their jobs is what led us to these past two wins. This is a game of 11-on-11 and having players ready to step up helped accomplish that win on Saturday.”

Revere scored on its first drive to take a 7-0 lead when Woodard found the end zone from 15 yards out. The Patriots doubled their lead when defensive whiz Ahmed Bellemsieh recovered a fumble from 41 yards out and scored. Woodard then scored from 20 yards out for Revere for a 21-0 lead. His third touchdown of the day gave Revere a 28-7 edge. Danny Hou got into the end zone for the Patriots later for a 77-yard touchdown run, and Woodard finished things off with his fourth touchdown of the day and a final score of 42-21.

“It’s hard to say who paved the way; there aren’t any individual players I could call out,” Woodard said. “In my eyes everyone on the offensive line [Ethan Romagos, Nico Aguirre, Bryan Maia, Rafael Teixeira, Carlos Jimenez, Walter Rodriguez] played an outstanding game leading to that victory Saturday morning. I wouldn’t have played such an amazing game without my offensive line leading the way for me.”

The Patriots – red-hot – now face a Gloucester team that drew the No. 16 seed in the Division 5 playoffs and lost to No. 1 Hanover, 42-16. The Fishermen are 5-4 and have lost two out of three, falling to Peabody, 28-7, and beating Beverly, 42-21.

What has been the key for Revere in the last three victories?

“I feel as a whole we started sticking together more towards the second half of the season,” Woodard said. “The chemistry we’ve created is starting to mesh well especially with the coaches and captains being there and pushing us through every given circumstance. We have just been getting better and better throughout the season. My message to my team is to just to give it your all and to play your best Thursday night. If we play how we played against Beverly I’m positive we’ll walk out that game with a three-game win streak.”

Senior captain Abbas Atoui said a big difference between now and the beginning of the season is how much the team wants it. “We got a huge win against Somerville and ever since, we have kept our foot on the gas getting better and better every week,” Atoui said. “We are more aggressive on defense with everyone flying to the ball and carrying out the offensive schemes perfectly.”

What will be the keys to finishing up strong in the last two games of the season starting with Gloucester and ending on Thanksgiving Day against Winthrop (at home, 10 a.m.)?

“We know Gloucester is a really good team, but so are we, and I believe if we shut down the QB we will have a good game,” Atoui said. “We have a couple players injured including myself so it will be tough but I believe we’ll get the job done. As a captain, I just want us to play as best we can. After this week’s game I want us to lock in on the Thanksgiving game. I want us to leave everything out there on the field Thanksgiving morning and end the season on a good note with no regrets. I believe if we show up and play our best, we will win, and that’s exactly what I’m expecting us to do.”