Everett rallies for win over BC High, 34-10
By Cary Shuman
Everett found itself in an unfamiliar situation in the first quarter of its game against Boston College High School Friday night: it was facing a 10-point deficit and the large delegation of BC High fans were no doubt thinking this could be the end of the Tide’s 24-game streak.
But sophomore quarterback Duke Doherty, sensational senior Mike Sainristil and the rest of the Crimson Tide went on a 26-point scoring spree in the second quarter and ultimately left James Cotter Field with a decisive 34-10 victory.
Doherty launched the comeback with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Sainristil, who caught the football after it was tipped by a BC High defensive back. Sainristil then raced to the end zone to close the gap to 10-6.
Sainristil made another big play just seconds later when he intercepted a BC High pass. Doherty’s 30-yard pass to sophomore Tyrese Baptiste set up junior running back Jaden Mahabir’s 4-yard touchdown run, giving Everett a 12-10 lead.
Declan Smith made a huge defensive play, sacking the BC High quarterback on third down. Jasheem Rivera blocked a punt and Diamani Williams pounced on the football at the Eagles’ 19-yard line.
Doherty and the EHS offense capitalized immediately with a 19-yard strike to Eli Auguste in the end zone for an 18-10 lead. Doherty and Sainristil then combined for a touchdown as Everett carried a 26-10 lead in to the break.
Mahabir, who had an outstanding game in the Everett backfield, scored on a 19-yard TD run for the final score.
Everett High head coach Theluxon Pierre, whose team is 5-0 and atop the Division 1 North point ratings, was pleased with his team responded to the 10-0 deficit and the way his defense kept the Eagles off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
“That (10-0) deficit was on us, the defensive coaches – we were calling some stuff that we didn’t need to call,” said Pierre. “We went back to our regular game and we settled down and we were alright. The whole defense played well. Mike [Sainristil] had a big interception and he’s doing his usual thing. This was a great team effort. We’re happy to be 5-0 but there’s a lot of work to be done.”
BC High head coach Jonathan Brillo was pleased with the fast start but felt Everett’s first touchdown was a momentum turner.
“We came out firing and we had them on their heels and our guys were flying around doing their job and we had a couple of bad breaks – we went for a pick and the ball got bobbled and [Sainristil] went for that touchdown,” said Brillo. “Everett made some big plays. Other than that, I thought our guys fought real hard against a very good team and I told them in the long run this game is going to make us better down the line for our conference.”
Duke Doherty named Boston Herald
High School Football Star of the Week
By Cary Shuman
His Everett High teammates know him as Duke Doherty. Public address announcers in away stadiums have been calling him Dillon Doherty.
The Boston Herald honored “Dillon” Doherty as one of Danny V’s High School Football Stars of the Week for his excellent performance in a 34-10 victory over Boston College High School.
Doherty was 14-of-21 for 222 yards while throwing three touchdown passes. His 19-yard missile to a streaking Eli Auguste between two BC high defenders in the end zone was of the spectacular variety.
“It was a post pattern,” said Doherty. “We saw the opening and I had to get the football to him. It was a great win and a really good comeback. “It’s a great feeling to bounce back like that. Mike [Sainristil] made a great catch and showed a lot of poise in that moment on that first touchdown. He’s a great athlete.”
Doherty said the team never stopped working hard while facing a 10-0 deficit.
“It’s like boxing – if you get punched, you’re not going to stand there and keep getting punched, you’re going to want to punch back and it’s who wants to work the hardest,” said Doherty.
Sainristil strikes again on offense and defense
Halfway through the 2018 regular season, has there been a better football player in Massachusetts than Everett High School senior Mike Sainristil?
The 5-11-inch, 180-pound senior has provided major-league highlights each week and the 34-10 victory over Boston College High School was more of the same exploits.
Sainristil’s touchdown catch on a pass that was tipped by a BC High defense showed his concentration and speed on the same play. Just one play later, Sainristil, the cornerback, intercepted a pass that soon resulted in a Jaden Mahabir TD and a 12-10 lead.
Sainristil was asked about his two comeback-igniting plays that occurred within a matter of seconds on the clock.
“The safety tipped the football and it looked like it was going down but it was still in the air, so I caught it,” said Sainristil. “What I was thinking was, find the safety on the opposite hash [mark] to make sure I could protect myself from taking a big hit. I saw he wasn’t there and I went up the seam and broke to the left. It’s one of those plays where your focus is what helps you.
“On the interception, I pressed the receiver on the line and messed up his whole route concept. It was supposed to be an out with a fade and I messed the whole thing up,” said Sainristil. “The quarterback rolled out and had pressure on him and he threw it and I picked it off.”
Sainristil said “it feels good” that the team has a 5-0 record and holds the No. 1 ranking.
“Usually when you’re at the top, you have to know if you can maintain being at the top or if you’re just going to let the season fall down, and right now as a leader of the team, I’m just trying to work on my best getting the guys to keep their heads – we haven’t won anything special yet, so we have to keep going and practicing hard and don’t take any teams lightly whether it’s a lower ranked or higher-ranked team.”
Sainristil said he has not made his official visit to Virginia Tech University yet, though he has given his commitment to attend the Division 1 school that plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
TIDE NOTEBOOK
Declan Smith, a 6-foot-1-inch, 210 pound senior, made a crunching tackle of the BC High quarterback. Gilbert Kabamba, Giovanni Raduazzo, Josaiah Stewart, Nathaniel Mehu, and Samy Lamothe also had key roles in the Everett defense that held BC High scoreless over the final two-and-half quarters.
Jaden Mahabir has been busy out of the Everett backfield and his breakaway speed is noteworthy.
St. John’s Prep (4-1) defeated Catholic Memorial, 27-20, while Acton-Boxboro (5-0) rolled past Dracut, 35-7.
Everett hosts Medford Friday (7 p.m.). The Mustangs (1-4) lost to Revere, 27-21, in overtime last Friday. Their only win is a 19-13 decision over Somerville in overtime.
EHS Roundup
EHS boys soccer defeats Winthrop, 6-2
Dieu-son Fleuradin notched a hat trick and Andydavens Elysee scored a goal and earned four assists to pace the Everett High boys soccer team to a 6-2 victory over Winthrop last Tuesday evening under the lights at Everett Stadium.
“We made the most of our opportunities,” said EHS head coach Oswaldo Constanza. “We made nice crossing passes when we brought the ball deep and then finished well.”
Bryan Matal-Huiza also reached the back of the Winthrop net.
Two days later the Crimson Tide dropped a 3-1 decision to Charlestown. Elysee gave Everett an early 1-0 lead, but Charlestown brought the contest back to level before the intermission. The teams battled evenly for most of the second half until Charlestown broke the deadlock with 15 minutes to play.
Charlestown added an insurance goal in the waning minutes when the Crimson Tide pressed forward in search of the tying goal.
Two nights later Everett traveled to Acton-Boxboro and fell short by a 2-0 decision.
“Despite the loss, we played well against a very strong team,” noted Constanza. “We had more opportunities than they did throughout the game, but we just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
Constanza and his crew now stand at 4-4-3 overall on the season, but are 4-1-2 in the Northeastern Conference South Division and still are in the running for the division title.
They have key games this week against division rivals, starting at Lynn English today (Wednesday) and then hosting Malden Friday afternoon at 3:30. They travel to non-league foe St. John’s Prep on Monday and then make the long ride to Gloucester on Tuesday.
EHS volleyball team
gets back on track
The Everett High volleyball team earned another victory last week, bringing a halt to a three-game skid with a 3-0 win over Lynn English at home on Thursday.
“It definitely feels good to be on the winning side again,” said EHS head coach Mike Fineran, whose team had put together a three-game winning streak before hitting a rough patch in the Northeastern Conference. “There are a lot of good teams in the league, and it’s very competitive. If we don’t play like we can, then we’re in trouble.
The trouble started early for Everett last Tuesday at Lynn Classical. The Lady Crimson Tide found themselves in a 7-2 hole, but junior setter Saunti Burton served six in a row to give Everett the lead, which Laryssa Souza helped extend to 15-12.
Senior Kayla Gomes had three kills and senior Janeka Vilmont had a pair of aces and a pair of kills, but the Lady Crimson Tide came up short, dropping the first set, 25-22.
Poor passing led to another early deficit for Everett in set two. Senior Eloiza Goncalves served four in a row to cut the deficit to 13-8 and Burton served four of her own to make it 19-14, but Everett could inch no closer, falling, 25-15, and then succumbing in the third set, 25-13.
“We were disappointed in the outcome, certainly,” said Fineran. “But we’ll learn from it and get better.”
Everett had a chance two days later to turn the tide when Lynn English traveled to Everett. This time it was the Lady Crimson Tide establishing the early lead, as Vilmont powered the Tide to a 7-0 lead. Vilmont added a block, a kill, and a dig in the frame; Gomes added three more kills; and senior Daiehney Vaz had two blocks and four kills in the set, which Everett won 25-19.
Senior captain Anna Thomaz had four service points, including the last two points in the game, and junior Bianca May added two kills and three aces in six serves in the win.
That duo would do it again in the second set, as Thomaz’s serving turned a 5-4 deficit into an 11-5 advantage and May had four kills. Burton and Goncalves combined for four aces and eight points, while Shakira Fedna and Lorena Corbelli played stellar defense in the back row as Everett cruised, 25-13.
The third set opened with Vilmont and Thomaz each landing three aces en route to an 8-2 Everett lead. Fedna and Corbelli were again solid on the back line, but the set belonged to May, who notched another four kills and six service points, including three aces, the last of which sealed the win for the Lady Crimson Tide, 25-20.
“Bianca was the star of the game, no question,” said Fineran, “but that was a total team win. She doesn’t get those kills if we don’t pass to our setters first. Our setters, Saunti Burton and captain Ava Labella, are the unsung heroes of our team. They are in charge out there and it’s their job to keep everybody alert, engaged, and involved. They played great, as did everyone.”
Fineran and his crew have a busy week. They were set to play Lawrence this past Monday and will travel to Medford tomorrow (Thursday). They will make the short trek across town to Pope John XXIII on Friday and then host Malden on Monday and Beverly on Tuesday.