The Everett High football team wrapped up an undefeated season with a 42-12 victory over Lynn Classical Friday night at Manning Field in Lynn.
It was another powerful exhibition of football by Coach Rob DiLoreto’s Crimson Tide, who scored 20 first-quarter points on the way to its third consecutive victory. The team’s original 2020 season was moved from the fall to the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quarterback Samy Lamothe threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Tyrese Baptiste on the opening possession and rushed for touchdowns of 33 and 11 yards. If there is a GBL Player of the Year Award to be selected this season, the leading contender is Lamothe, who will be taking his talents to Princeton University and the Ivy League this fall.
Brian Gibbs scored on a 27-yard run in the first quarter. Marcus Scott made the defensive play of the game when he returned a fumble for a touchdown. Ismael Zamor rushed for a TD on a 2-yard jet sweep.
“We use Ish as a running back and a wide receiver – he’s such a talented player who can make plays at any spot on the field,” DiLoreto said of Zamor, a junior who has committed to Boston College in Chestnut Hill.
Cam Mohammed rushed for a pair of two-point conversions while Kevin Ruiz booted two PATs.
Defensive lineman Jayden Biggi and defensive back Brandon Gibbs concluded outstanding seasons. “They played really well [against Classical],” said DiLoreto. “Our whole defense really stepped up and made a good account of themselves.”
EHS standouts Josaiah Stewart (Coastal Carolina) and Tyrese Baptiste (Maine) will begin their college football careers in August. Junior running back JC Clerveaux emerged as offensive force with his power, speed, and finesse.
The Crimson Tide team stormed out of the starting blocks against Lynn Classical.
“We got off to a really fast start,” said Coach DiLoreto, whose team built a 35-0 lead by the second quarter. “Things went our way early. It was a nice night and everybody got a chance to play.”
So just how good were the Crimson Tide in this unprecedented season?
After allowing a touchdown in the first quarter of the first game, Everett’s first offensive and defensive units basically accounted for 114 unanswered points in wins over Lynn English, Revere, and Lynn Classical. Everett averaged 42.3 points per game.
The three opponents wanted to test Everett in their first seasons in the newly expanded Greater Boston League. Revere (3-1) had Curry College-bound quarterback (Calvin Boudreau) and its best-ever senior class that was 27-6 the past four years after enjoying tremendous success at the Pop Warner level. English (2-2) won its final two games of the season and likely would have been a playoff team. Classical (1-3), led by former Everett assistant coach and Northeastern star Brian Vaughan, was a young team with a very bright future ahead. The City of Lynn has four youth football organizations (East Lynn Pop Warner, West Lynn Pop Warner, the Lynn Chargers, and the Lynn Silverbacks in the New England Youth Tackle (Spring Football League), so football still matters a lot in Lynn, the eighth-largest city in Massachusetts with more than 90,000 residents.
But Everett proved to be in a class by itself among North Shore programs. Had this been a normal season with playoffs, the Boston Globe projected an Everett-Central Catholic matchup in the North sectional final with the winner facing John DiBiaso’s Catholic Memorial team in the Division 1 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.
DiLoreto Praises Team for its Sacrifices this Season
Rob DiLoreto and his staff did a phenomenal job keeping their players focused and motivated during times when it looked like there might not even be a football season.
“I’m so proud how this team came together and bonded so closely and really bought into the family of Everett football,” said DiLoreto. “With all those challenges they had to overcome, I think they’ll remember and appreciate everything they accomplished this season. It’s a credit to our players and our coaches and the commitment that everybody made to each other. Everyone had to make sacrifices both on and off the field for each other and for our own health and safety and well-being. We were in unchartered waters this Fall-2 season. I’m just very proud of the coaches and the players. It was quite a memorable and fun first season as the Everett football coach.”