The Fuentes factor: Sophomore sparkplug does it all for Revere football

By Dom Nicastro

Revere High School’s football season has swung between breakthrough moments and growing pains, but one constant has emerged with one game to go: Sophomore Jose Fuentes is becoming the player the Patriots can build around. Just a sophomore, Fuentes has taken on one of the most demanding roles in high school football — rotating between quarterback, tailback and safety — all while producing like a seasoned veteran. In a year defined by lineup shuffling, injuries and inconsistency, he has become one of Revere’s most reliable sparks. Fuentes joins Bryan Fuentes (no relation) and Reda Atoui as Revere’s representatives on the Greater Boston League all-star team.

Fuentes’ football journey began long before he took varsity snaps. And it wasn’t so long ago in reality. “I’ve been playing football since I was in sixth grade,” he said. “I started off playing Revere Junior Patriots with my friends. It was fun — we won a championship our eighth-grade year.”

That was only two years ago. The jump to high school hit him fast. “My first year playing high school football — it was hard when you’re playing against people older than you,” Fuentes said. “I played running back on offense, and I played safety on defense. I had no top moments my first year.”

Or so he says. Revere coach Lou Cicatelli saw potential in freshman Fuentes as a tailback and safety. Last year, he told The Advocate he had never had a freshman class like the one in 2024, and Fuentes was a part of it, alongside key youngsters like Anthony Pelatere and Atoui.

Coach Cicatelli named Fuentes his starting quarterback this season. Revere’s offensive identity this fall has revolved around its ground game, and Fuentes has been right in the center of it — sometimes literally, depending on where he’s lined up.

“The strength of our team this year is our run game,” he said. “We have smart and fast running backs and also our O-line.”

He’s rushed for tough yards, broken big plays, thrown when needed and stepped into the lead role when injuries hit Revere’s backfield. Heading into Thanksgiving Day against Winthrop, Fuentes has 557 rushing yards and three touchdowns, 285 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air and two interceptions on defense. And when Cicatelli needed a second quarterback, a change-of-pace runner or a dependable safety, Fuentes never questioned the assignment. He just prepared for it.

Ask Cicatelli why Fuentes has risen so quickly, and the answer starts with work ethic. “Great kid, great athlete, wants to learn,” said Cicatelli, whose team is 4-6 heading into Turkey Day. “He’s one of those kids — they tell you they watch film, but this kid watches film. And he’s a young kid. He puts the extra time in.”

The coach said Fuentes spent the summer preparing for the possibility of taking on quarterback duties. “We told him we’re going to use him at quarterback,” Cicatelli said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s actually a role model for some of the older kids, because he does put a lot of hard work into it.”

That combination — humility, attention to detail and steady improvement — has locked in the coaching staff’s confidence in him. “He’s definitely different, and he loves football,” Cicatelli added. “He loves practice. He’s very humble at the same time. Gets along with everybody on the team. Kids have a lot of respect for him.”

Fuentes’ drive doesn’t come only from coaches. He credits his older brother Anthony for much of his discipline. “He always pushes me, makes me work harder,” Fuentes said. “He pushes me to get better. He makes me stay after practice to get more time throwing with him.”

Fuentes also credits his teammates for a strong work ethic in the offseason; they push one another to be better. “During the summer something that keeps me busy is going to the field with my friends and practicing on things we need to do better,” he said.

And inside the school building, he gravitates toward connection and community — something coaches say helps him lead on the field. “Something I like to do in school out of sports is making good connections with people in the building,” Fuentes said.

While Fuentes has contributed everywhere, Cicatelli is clear about what comes next. “He’s going to be our quarterback,” the coach said. “He’s a great tailback — either way he’s a great runner. Throwing the ball, he’s only going to get better.”

Cicatelli isn’t speaking in hypotheticals, either. “Jose is doing everything we have asked of him,” he said. “He’s the kid next year that’ll definitely be a quarterback. That won’t change.”