Everett advances to North semifinals
EHS beats Malden High 42-21,
faces former GBL foe Peabody next
By Cary Shuman
Who is writing the script for the Everett High football season?
Back in August you would have expected coach John DiBiaso and the Crimson Tide to be preparing for a second playoff game in November. But Peabody, one of Everett’s fiercest and greatest rivals before the Tanners left the GBL and headed to the Northeastern Conference? They are the surprise team still standing in Division 1 North and they are coming here Friday night to test the Tide.
Former greats like Dr. Omar Easy and Diamond Ferry can enlighten the current Tide players on how rich and special a rivalry it was. Peabody was a certified Division 1 powerhouse under former coach Ed Nizwantowski.
Steve Lomasney and Frank Candela (after playing for Revere High) are but two of the Peabody greats who challenged Everett’s league supremacy in the 1990s and the 2000s.
Senior Lukas Denis had two touchdown runs in the second half as Everett raced away from Malden, 42-21, in a Division 1 North quarterfinal Friday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Dominique Brown, Luis Cardona, and impressive freshman Dexter Cumberlander also rushed for scores while Jordan McAfee connected on a splendid 18-yard touchdown pass to the ever dependable receiver, Gary Clark.
“I thought Dexter really stepped up big for a ninth grader,” said DiBiaso, lauding the freshman’s varsity debut. “Luis Cardona, Jackinson Joacine and Dexter did a good job filling in for Nick Orekoya (hamstring injury).”
Meanwhile, Peabody won a 42-38 thriller over Lexington, with running back Doug Santos rushing for 270 yards and six touchdowns. Santos is the leading scorer in eastern Massachusetts with 25 touchdowns.
John DiBiaso talked about the second win in two weeks over a good Malden team and then turned his attention to Peabody, with whom the Tide also had a very exciting boys basketball rivalry.
“We played well in the second half. Hopefully we can put together a complete game against Peabody. “It should be fun playing Peabody,” said DiBiaso, who is expecting a huge crowd for the showdown. “It’s exciting to be playing a former GBL rival but at this point in the season you’re just happy to be playing.”
EHS Roundup
Boys soccer team
falls in tourney opener
The Everett High boys soccer team, making its first appearance in the post-season state tourney in four years, ran into a powerful Peabody squad Monday evening and dropped a 7-1 decision in a first round contest.
Everett entered the tourney as the 14th seed in the Division 1 North and had been on a roll, having won its last four matches of the regular season to finish with an 11-7 record. However, Peabody, the Northeastern Conference champion featuring the NEC Player of the Year, was rated third in the D-3 North and was ranked in the top 20 in the state with a 15-1-2 mark.
“Peabody was the fastest team we’ve seen all year, especially on top,” said EHS head coach Oswaldo Constanza, who is in his second season at the helm of the Crimson Tide boys soccer program.
Peabody jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first 30 minutes of the contest before Everett’s Lens-Fedo Francois headed a crossing pass from Kevin Mendes into the back of the Peabody net. However, that would prove to be the only goal of the game, and last of the season, for the Crimson Tide.
“This was the first appearance for all of our boys in a state tourney, so we did not have the kind of experience that prepares you for the pressure of a tourney game,” noted Constanza. “Peabody came at us quickly and we took awhile to adjust.”
The coach praised the play of his four graduating seniors, Edgar Escobar, Albert Insixiengmay, Jonathan Chavez, and Mendes, for their efforts both in the game and throughout the season. “They gave it their all against Peabody,” said Constanza. “They were great leaders for our team both on and off the field and set a fine example for our younger players all year. They will be missed.”
Constanza got a chance to use some of his younger players in the game and praised their performance, especially sophomore Caio Morari.
“We have a lot of boys coming back and we’ll be looking forward to next season,” added Constanza.