Winthrop High School head coach Jon Cadigan has noticed a different level of preparedness this week in practice.
“I think our kids are excited to finally be in a game week,” said Cadigan, whose Vikings play their 2026 season opener Friday (6:30 p.m.) at Essex Tech following two pre-season scrimmages. “The captains relayed to me that the team is excited to get going and that they realize games count from here on out.”
Winthrop has a tough test on the road, meaning a mid-afternoon bus departure from the high school and the usual traffic on Route 1 through Saugus, Lynnfield, and Peabody heading to the game. Like Winthrop, the Hawks’ student body turns out in droves for home games. And as Shawsheen Tech has proven the past few years, regional vocational schools play tough, hard-nosed football. Essex Tech draws students from 17 communities while residents from any community (including Lynn, for example) wishing to study agriculture can apply for admission. The official name of the school is: Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School and it is located in Hathorne (an historic village and neighborhood in Danvers).
The Hawks were 8-4 and a playoff team a year ago and have several players returning from their 2025 contingent.
“We have a strong challenge in the opener,” said Cadigan. “Any time you play a tech school, they have tough kids. That’s what we’re preparing for, meeting that challenge. I was encouraged by how well we played from the second quarter on against Manchester-Essex (a 27-13 win for the Vikings). We dominated the scrimmage and did what we wanted to do. You could tell we’re getting better.”
Charlie Ferrara set to lead offense
Charlie Ferrara returns as a senior captain and quarterback of the Winthrop offense. Ferrara closed out a solid pre-season with a 79-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Cassidy in the scrimmage versus Manchester-Essex (a play that was preceded by a big interception by John Ferrara).
Dom Spinale will start at fullback alongside a rotation of four running backs, Nathan Previte, captain Desmond Cassidy, Dom Farrell, and John Ferrara. Michael D’Ambrosio is the No. 1 target at starting wide receiver.
The offense line consists of tight ends, captain Michael Ferrara and Stephen Barron, left tackle Jeremy Pena, left guard and captain Riley Moccio, center Evan Demayo, right guard Eddie Leal, and right tackles Michael Harrison, David Hickey, and Chase Hester.
On defense, the line will feature Moccio (defensive end), Leal (defensive end), Pena (nose tackle), Harrison, Teddy McEvoy, and Thomas D’Amico.
The linebackers are Dom Spinale, Michael Ferrara, Stephen Barron, and Michael Barron.
D’Ambrosio will start at free safety. The strong safeties are Cassidy and Previte. John Ferrara and Dom Farrell will be cornerbacks.
Spinale will handle the placekicking duties for his third season with Charlie Ferrara as the holder. Farrell will return for Year 2 as the Vikings’ punter. Michael Ferrara will be the long snapper (punts) while Tyler Smith will be the short snapper (PATs and field goals).
Cicatelli begins his
final season
The Sun-Transcript (Revere Journal) spoke on Monday with Revere High School head football coach Lou Cicatelli, who is beginning his 25th and final season at the helm of the program.
Revere will play Winthrop in the annual Thanksgiving game at Miller Field, and the Patriots will no doubt be very determined to deliver Cicatelli a victory over the Vikings in what could be the final game of Cicatelli’s coaching career. Cicatelli will also retire from teaching at RHS in June, 2027.
But Cicatelli said his only focus right now is his team’s opening game Friday night versus Quincy.
A 1982 RHS graduate, Cicatelli recalled his own Thanksgiving games against Winthrop when he was a defensive lineman for the Patriots.
“Winthrop was very, very good [in 1981],” said Cicatelli. “I remember that team well with John Tiano, Chucky Sullivan, and Joe Guaquinto. I had to go up against their huge lineman, Mike Brenner, and he just pushed me and our line around the whole game.”
For the record, Winthrop demolished Revere, 49-13, in the 1981 Thanksgiving game and Coach Bob DeFelice’s Vikings went on to defeat Tewskbury, 14-0, in the Division 2 Super Bowl, the first of three consecutive unbeaten seasons.