EHS Volleyball Opens 2023 Season Today
The Everett High girls volleyball team, under the direction of long-time coach Michael Fineran, is set to open its season today (Wednesday) when the Lady Crimson Tide travel to Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Revere.
The 2023 edition of the EHS volleyball squad will be led by senior captain Nicole Brandao, who was a GBL All Star last season, and senior co-captain Yasmine Labaadia. “Nicole is a dedicated athlete and a natural leader,” said Fineran. “She sets the tone for us on offense and defense. Yasmine is another great role model. She is one of the top students in the school and she does so much for the team on and off the court.”
They will be joined by fellow seniors Darrynn Desrameaux and Kaesta Sandy. “Darrynn and Kaesta should add a dynamic presence for us in the front row,” noted Fineran. “Both are powerful hitters, and Kaesta is tenacious on defense as well.”
The Tide’s primary setter will be junior Victoria Rodrigues, who is on varsity for the third year in a row.
“We are a deep team, with 15 players worthy of playing time,” said Fineran. “We have a number of solid passers to choose from, including libero Sonia Flores, Emilly Nogueira, Kayleigh McMahon, Murielle Campo, and Trinh Dang. Rochelle Castor can play front and back row. Two sophomores, Nicole Damaceno and Amanda Verteiro, give us flexibility in setting and hitting.”
Rounding out the varsity roster are juniors Clarice Alexis and Tanessa Duvilaire.
“We need nine wins to make the tournament,” said Fineran. “None of the games on our schedule are going to be easy wins. We will have to battle for everything, but we have the depth, the height, and the talent to achieve our goal of playing in November.”
The girls program is booming and had a tremendous turnout for tryouts.
“We had nearly 80 girls sign up to try out and there are 23 sophomores and freshmen on our JV and JVB teams,” said Fineran. “Andrea Kendrick is joining the staff as the JV coach. She brings enthusiasm and energy to the position. Charlotte Mezoff returns for her second year as the JVB coach. She works very well with her players, most of whom are playing organized volleyball for the first time. Both coaches have made my life so much easier. “Every season brings its own set of challenges, and it remains to be seen how we deal with adversity, but I feel good about our teams,” concluded Fineran, whose squad will face a schedule of 14 matches against their seven GBL opponents (two each against Somerville, Malden, Medford, Chelsea, Revere, Lynn Classical, and Lynn English) and four non-league contests with two each against Saugus and New Mission.
After today’s match at Revere, the Tide will play at New Mission on Friday, at Malden on Monday, and then will host Chelsea next Wednesday.
EHS Boys Soccer Shooting for Second Straight GBL Crown
The Everett High boys soccer team opened the defense of its Greater Boston League (GBL) title yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon against GBL rival Somerville.
Coach Pedro Blas and his crew will entertain Medford tomorrow (Thursday) and will host Malden next Tuesday. Both matches are at 4:15 at 7-Acres Park.
The 2023 edition of the Crimson Tide will be led by senior captain Wilbur Romero. He will be joined by fellow seniors Bryan Martinez-Portillo, Erick Posadas, Bonhomme Dieff, Ednilson Lerois, Calos Coelho, Emerson Hercules, and Kaic Coutinho Da Silva; juniors Bryan Ribeiro, Timothy Villanueva Figueroa, and Anthonny Fontes; and sophomores Gabriel Garcia and Armando Majano.
“Our preseason has been up and down but we are heading in the right direction,” said Blas. “We started our first preseason game against Danvers and won 4-1. We lost a lot of key players, so it looked like it was going to be a rebuilding year, but we are looking strong. So we are ready to compete this year.
“The guys are hungry for a second GBL championship,” Blas added. “We have a lot of tough teams this year, so we’ll see how it goes.”
The boys will play an 18-game schedule consisting of 14 matches against their seven GBL rivals (Somerville, Malden, Medford, Chelsea, Revere, Lynn Classical, and Lynn English) and four non-league tilts vs. Greater Lowell Tech (twice), Belmont, and B.C. High.
High Hopes for EHS Girls Soccer
The Everett High girls soccer team kicked off its 2023 season yesterday (Tuesday), traveling to Greater Boston League rival Somerville. Coach Dom Persuitte and his crew will stay on the road tomorrow (Thursday) at Medford and will make the short trek to Malden next Tuesday.
The 2023n edition of the Lady Crimson Tide will be led by senior captains Layla Cardona and Shyann Ambersley and junior captain Yelsa Garcia.
They will be joined on the varsity squad by Laura Sanchez, Alondra Flores, Emilia Maria-Babcock, Luna Sepulveda Maselli, Casey Martinez, Gabriela Lones, Kathleen De Souza, Victoria Macao, Adalmita Silva, Maria Silvestri, Sofia Arana-Quintanilla, Layla Leles, Khadijia Moutaouakki, Kaylee Velasques, and Glediy Tejada.
“Our preseason scrimmage was a great way to see what the girls could do,” said Persuitte. “The jamboree is not about winning or losing, it is just a showcase for the coaching staff to see what the athletes can do.
“Many players were put into positions that they were not accustomed to and that was deliberate,” Persuitte continued. “However, the girls overcame this uncomfortable situation and rose to the occasion. We did lose both games, but the effort put out was great.
“Layla scored in the first game against Waltham 5-1, while Yelsa scored in the second game against Mystic Valley, 3-1, both of which the coaching staff was incredibly proud of,” Persuitte added.
Joining the coaching staff this season is former EHS boys star Rodney Landaverde, whom Persuitte coached when he was with the boys’ team. Landaverde will serve as the JV coach and the team’s strength coach.
“Rodney is an excellent addition to the staff,” said Persuitte, who added that Bridget Cifuni is back for her second season. “Bridget brings energy every day as a coach and she is an intricate part of the success of this team
“We are all very excited,” Persuitte concluded. “The goal for the team this year is to build camaraderie and make it to the state tournament. We still have a lot of work to do this year and I am looking forward to having a great season.”
The girls have a 17-game schedule. In addition to the 14 contests with their GBL foes (Somerville, Malden, Medford, Chelsea, Revere, Lynn Classical, and Lynn English), the Lady Crimson Tide will meet non-league opponents Cambridge Rindge & Latin, Lowell High, and Stoneham.
EHS Girls Hockey Open Season Today
The Everett High field hockey team, under the direction of new head coach Sabrina Wright, will open its 2023 season today (Wednesday) with a contest against Waltham at 7-Acres Park.
Wright and her crew will host Haverhill on Friday and Northeast Regional next Wednesday.
Nicola Jones and Taylor Woodbury will assist Wright with the coaching duties.
Members of the 2023 varsity roster are: seniors Taisha Alexandre, Stephany Desouza, Isabella Barbosa, and Malaica Guilaume; juniors Jasmine Salvador, Ricardo Contreras Chacon, Caden Sylva, Meghan Currie, Luiza Velev, Jonathan Scioletti; sophomores Jasmin Thrower and Lindsey Sylva; and freshmen Justin Contreras Chacon and Wilins Julien.
“We have a very small team, so we are actively looking for new players,” Wright added. With only two other Greater Boston League (GBL) schools (Revere and Malden) fielding a field hockey program, Wright and her crew will face a challenging schedule comprised of 13 non-GBL rivals. In addition to two contests each against Malden and Revere twice each, the remainder of their 17-game schedule includes matches with Waltham, Haverhill, Northeast Regional, Wakefield, Greater Lowell, Melrose, and Peabody.