By Cary Shuman
Everett High School head football coach Justin Flores knew what the expectations were for a program that has been the state’s best for more than three decades.
It’s victories over the top-ranked teams and state titles.
Last season, Flores guided the Crimson Tide to an undefeated GBL title, only to have their playoff berth sidetracked by the MIAA ratings system. This season, Flores bolstered the team’s regular-season schedule, and the plan has worked. Everett is 2-4 with two regular-season games to play, but importantly the Crimson Tide are currently ranked within the Division 1 playoff qualifiers.
What Flores has also learned is that opponents double-circle “Everett” on their schedule.
Case in point came last Saturday, when Brockton, a former Division 1 powerhouse, hosted the Crimson Tide at Rocky Marciano Stadium, a facility named for the former undefeated heavyweight boxing champion and Brockton native.
Everett bolted to a 14-point lead (21-7) in the first half, but Brockton stormed back with four unanswered touchdowns to take a 35-21 victory.
Brockton’s post-game celebration caught the eye of coach Flores.
“Everyone treats a win versus Everett like it’s the Super Bowl,” said Flores. “I commented to our players how much these games mean for people to beat Everett, and we need to understand that and make sure we have that same energy.”
Shane McKenzie and Emmanuel Santiago each had touchdown runs, while Carlos Rodriguez found his favorite receiver, Yariel Ortiz for a touchdown pass. Luca Da Silva’s three PATS helped give Everett a 21-7 advantage.
“We came out hot in the first half, but they returned a punt for a touchdown right before halftime, and it changed the game a little bit, and we didn’t do a good job responding,” said Flores.
There’s no denying that Flores has unleashed one of the state’s best passing/receiving combinations in quarterback Carlos Rodriguez and receiver Yariel Ortiz.
Ortiz had nine receptions for 147 yards and one touchdown.
“Yariel Ortiz had another huge game for us,” said Flores. “He played very well. I thought our offensive line, especially Chris Ruiz, had an excellent game. He’s a great leader who’s helping out the young guys and making sure they’re in the right spots.”
Everett plays Lynn Classical Friday. The Crimson Tide will host a red-hot Revere team in the regular season finale Nov. 1. It would appear the Tide would have to win both games to qualify for the Division 1 playoffs, which would be a step forward for the Tide, who are playing one of the state’s most difficult schedules. “We’re going to have a battle on our hands these last two games,” said Flores. “I had the chance to watch the Revere-Lynn Classical game Friday night, and these teams have very good players. You can’t look past anybody.”