Classy Lady Pats Make History with a Tie Against Winthrop
November 21, 2016
There was 18 seconds remaining when the Lady Pats spiked the ball and the game ended in a tie score of 20-20. Winthrop began to cheer as Revere ran back to the sideline hoping for overtime. When the Lady Pats learned that they would not be playing overtime, they lined up and shook hands with the Winthrop players. Revere Coach Bob Lospennato, a Revere alum and former athletic director, gave Winthrop the trophy as a sign of respect at the end of the game due to the tie.
The preparation for last Saturday’s game began in late October when sixty girls entered Ms. Erin Cronin’s room early one morning for sign ups. Her doors were open for anyone willing to commit to the demanding experience of powderpuff preparation. The rigor of playing this sport didn’t start when the girls had their first practice; it began right in that classroom when Coach Bob Lospennato demanded that each girl drop and do push-ups. With the class of 2016 winning 40-0, the pressure was on.
On Saturday, November 19, the girls took the field for an epic battle against their rivals, the Vikings. Revere started out slow and was unable to connect defensively to stop Winthrop’s offense and connect offensively to score. The half ended 20-6 Winthrop. In the second half, the Lady Pats made an astonishing comeback tying Winthrop 20-20 at the conclusion of the game. This historic tie will go down in the books for generations to come and will be another example of Revere playing with heart and class.
Despite the tie, the girls still feel close as a team and are very proud of how they played. Captain Elizabeth Lake, a quarterback, says “Our biggest success was staying strong the entire game and not giving up.” Her words are a true testament to how much heart Revere has to come back from a lead of 14 and tie the game. Rhea Colecchia, a safety, says “no words can describe how proud I am to be apart of this team.” These are memories that will live on for the rest of these girls lives, and as a city, Revere should be proud of the resilience of these powderpuff girls for giving it their all.
David Eatough • Nov 22, 2016 at 4:55 pm
The RHS girls played their hearts out. They did so with character and respect for how the game was intended to played. They always do. The competition could learn a lot from how Revere conducted themselves but since they haven’t in all the years the game has been played I do not have high expectations for a change any time soon. A tie without integrity is not worth much and Wintrop’s celebration with a trophy that was not earned or deserved but given as an act of charity was embarrassing and pathetic. Maintaining your integrity is priceless. Our girls are priceless. The students at RHS and specifically the Powderpuff team make me proud to be a member of this community. This article could not be better written.