Revere football team’s struggles continue in 22-6 loss to Lynn English

By Dom Nicastro

The Revere Patriots fell to 0-4 after a 22-6 loss to the Lynn English Bulldogs on Thursday night, Oct. 3, at Harry Della Russo Stadium. Despite a stronger overall performance, the Patriots couldn’t capitalize on key opportunities, leaving Head Coach Lou Cicatelli frustrated but optimistic about improvements heading into more Greater Boston League (GBL) play.

“It was a tough loss, although the boys did play better, and the game was a lot closer than 22-6,” Cicatelli said. “We basically gave away 14 points. We had a touchdown called back and made some bad plays, like not punching it in after a great defensive stop. That was the story of the night – missed opportunities.”

The Patriots showed flashes of promise, particularly on defense. Revere’s defense limited a strong Lynn English team, which is now 4-1, to just two offensive touchdowns. However, a crucial 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Lynn English’s Shane Knowlton-Simard widened the gap and shifted momentum in favor of the Bulldogs.

“They’re a good football team, probably the best team we’ve seen,” said Cicatelli. “Our defense played well again, but you can’t win games if you don’t put points on the board. The magic number I always tell the kids is 21. If you score 21, you can beat anybody. But when you’re scoring six to 12 points a game, it’s just not going to cut it.”

Revere’s lone touchdown came in the first half when quarterback Danny Hou connected with Yousef Benhamou for a 39-yard score. The Patriots failed to convert the two-point attempt, leaving the score at 8-6 in favor of Lynn English. A subsequent holding penalty negated another potential touchdown for Revere, adding to the night’s frustrations.

Geovani Woodard had a great night for Revere with more than 100 yards rushing, mostly on runs right up the middle.

Hou, in his first year as the starting quarterback, continues to grow into the role, but Cicatelli knows there is still work to be done. “We’ve got to make his life easier,” Cicatelli said of his quarterback. “He’s a good athlete.”

Looking ahead, the Patriots will face a 3-2 Somerville team on Friday, October 11, back at home at 5:30 p.m. Despite the challenges, Cicatelli believes his team is on the verge of turning things around. “Somerville’s a good team with a good quarterback and real good skill players, kind of like us,” Cicatelli said. “But I think we can run the ball on them. Geo had a great game on offense, over 100 yards rushing. If we keep running power plays up the middle and off-tackle, I think we can move the ball better.”

Cicatelli remains hopeful that Revere can start piecing things together, much like they did at this time last season. “We played some good teams, but we match up well with Somerville,” Cicatelli said. “Hopefully, we can get it together and get that first win.”