by Lorenzo Recupero
The Everett High School graduating class of 2019 brought a close to their careers last week and with it the official end of the HS sports season.
It’s always a bit bitter sweet this time of year, though.
Summer is always welcomed, of course, but sports in Everett is a nearly year-round phenomenon affording every resident the chance to catch a game of their choosing that will most certainly include a local star athlete ready to show his/her talents.
In Everett – and in the surrounding area, really – everyone knows the accolades of the mighty Crimson Tide sports program.
The saying goes something like ‘Everett Sports is Everett Pride’. And the programs never disappoint, really.
Across the board, sports teams at EHS tend to excel, especially around playoff time.
This year, the football, basketball, baseball, and softball teams all made the playoffs.
The football and basketball teams, both under new coaching staff for the first time in over two decades, continued their streak of playoff appearances this past year, and showed improvement and promise for the future. Both head coaches, basketball’s Stanley Chamblain and football’s Theluxeon Pierre, are EHS alumni and have bled Crimson since their teenage days in the neighborhood. It helps that both were students, as players and assistant coaches, of John DiBiaso, one of the greatest HS coaches of all-time. That means they are not only equipped to lead the team with their X’s and O’s, but they also have the local pride to really stay driven and possibly bring a state title back to Everett.
The softball team, led by head coach and EHS alum Stacy Schiavo, made it back to the postseason for the 20th time in 21 years (how’s that for a string of success?) and finished the year with a 12-9 overall record. The team was downed in the opening round of the postseason, but the future is looking might bright for the Lady Tide. They improved their overall record, lowered their error totals by double digits, lost just one starter to graduation, and have a stable of workhorse type pitchers that will undoubtedly push the team back into the postseason and maybe more next year.
Baseball also seen a resurgence this past year. The father-son duo of Joe Lento Jr. and Joe Lento Sr. pushed the team to be better and more consistent and they answered. After starting the season with a slew of losses, they boys ended the regular season 3-1 (10-10 overall), good enough to make it to their first postseason in three years. The team will lose several starters to graduation, but those who did move on got to feel what’s like to be a playoff contender for the first time and left the younger guys with a taste for postseason baseball. That boost in team confidence should make next season less of a learning experience and add some more Ws to the win column.
But unlike recent seasons, none of the aforementioned made it deep enough in the tournament to compete for a sectional or state championship.
For Everett, this might seem like doing less, but that’s only because the sports program holds itself to such a high standard.
It’s a mind-set that’s akin to that of the current Golden State Warriors dynasty that has played in the last five NBA Finals: It’s win it all, or back to unfinished business.
That doesn’t mean Everett didn’t just have one of the better overall sports seasons in school history, either. It just means Everett sports are THAT good and winning it all is the standard.