REVERE — The Revere football team has been clicking on all cylinders for the entire season, as evidenced by its unbeaten 9-0 record. But over the two games they’ve played in the Division 4 North tournament, the Patriots are might be playing their best football yet.
“Things have really been clicking for us lately, which is great to see,” said Revere coach Lou Cicatelli. “We’re spreading the ball to a lot of different guys on offense and our defense is executing at a very high level. We have a lot of speed on this team, and we’ve really been able to use that to our advantage.”
Over the two tournament games Revere has played, the Patriots have outscored their opponents 84-41, scoring more than double the points they’ve allowed. For Cicatelli, that winning formula comes down to execution.
“We are who we are, and we don’t really change for anyone,” Cicatelli said. “Offensively, we use our speed and we spread the ball to a lot of different guys. Obviously everyone knows Joe (Llanos), who is our No. 1 back. But guys like Lucas Barbosa, Jonathan Murphy and Zach Furlong play a huge role as well. (Quarterback) Calvin (Boudreau) has been throwing the ball well for us all year, which adds a dimension that we haven’t had in previous years.
“Defensively, we’re going to try to control the line of scrimmage and blow plays up before they get going,” Cicatelli continued. “Our speed extends to the defense, so we have the ability to match up with the spread teams as well as battle with the run-heavy teams.”
That winning formula will be put to the test Friday night, as the No. 2 Patriots will go up against another undefeated team — No. 1 Melrose — in the Division 4 North final. Like Revere, Melrose has a high-powered offense and a lot of athletes on defense, led by the likes of quarterback Brendan Fennell.
“(Melrose) is solid across the board,” said Cicatelli. “They can put up a lot of points and they can make plays on defense. They play against great competition and they’ve come out undefeated so far, so they’re obviously playing at a very high level.”
But Revere is also a battle-tested squad. With wins over teams like Classical, English and a then-undefeated Marblehead team, the Patriots know what it takes to win a tough game.
“Playing in those tough games has helped us a lot,” Cicatelli said. “Going up against the Lynn teams this year, plus Marblehead and then a really tough game (in the Division 4 North semifinal) against Wayland has been good for us. I’m hoping it’s one of the things that makes a difference for us in this game.”
In the end, Friday’s game will come down to execution for the Patriots.
“We’re going to stick to our gameplan,” Cicatelli said. “We’re not going to panic and lose our heads. We’re going to play our base, play to our strengths and go out there and make plays. If we can execute the way I know we can, we can take home the win.”
Revere and Melrose will kick off the Division 4 North final Friday night (7) at Melrose High.