Revere finally breaks through against Swampscott

SWAMPSCOTT – Lou Cicatelli stood before his kneeling players Saturday afternoon, his Revere Patriots excited and pumped after their 21-6 win over Swampscott, and told them that he loved them. Based on the way Revere played at Blocksidge Field, it was clear they have the same sentiments about their coach.”We’ve been in some barnburners with them over the last few years,” said Cicatelli. “(Swampscott) has gotten the better of us in the past, but not today. Today was our day.”The Patriots are now 3-0 thus far, and are playing like a team that, instead of hoping to come out on top, expects to win.Senior quarterback and captain Joe Ritchie led the Patriots up and down the field against an inexperienced Swampscott squad. Ritchie completed eight-of-13 for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Ritchie also scored another touchdown midway through the fourth quarter on a four-yard quarterback dive.”Ritchie is a great leader for this team,” said Cicatelli. “I thought he was super effective, made a lot of adjustments at the line of scrimmage on his own, and played well.”At halftime, Revere led Swampscott 7-6. The Big Blue (1-2) had jumped out to a 6-0 lead when captain Brian Santry capped an 80-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge. Later in the half Ritchie found Tom Portrait on a seam pattern for a 30-yard touchdown. Portrait proved all game to be an offensive force, leading the Patriots in rushing with 59 yards on 10 carries.In the second half, Ritchie connected with tight end Ozman Manzo on an 11-yard touchdown pass in the flat, giving the Patriots a 14-6 lead. Ritchie’s rushing touchdown proved to be an unnecessary cushion against the quick strike capabilities of the Big Blue.All afternoon Swampscott was able to effectively move the ball in the middle of the field. It was in the red zone that the Big Blue ran into problems. Of the six Swampscott possessions, two culminated in Revere stopping the Big Blue in the red zone on fourth down. Additionally, the Revere defense held strong on a fourth-and-one late in the third quarter.”We are lacking consistency and it has been a problem for us,” said Swampscott coach Steve Dembowski. “Athletically we have been right there and competitive with all of our opponents this season. We just have teams going on 80-yard drives against us and we’re only able to put together 60-yard drives against them.”For the Patriots, Comlan Ajindah had a big game, recording nine tackles. Additionally, he helped close the game with bruising running, finishing with 31 yards on the afternoon.The win for Cicatelli was his first over Swampscott since taking over as head coach at Revere.”I am fortunate enough to have some of my former players, who went on to play in college, come back and help me coach. All of my assistants are great and we are improving because of it,” said Cicatelli. “Any head coach will tell you that they are only as good as their assistant coaches.”