By Cary Shuman
Play of the Year: Winthrop High senior Sean Dolen is pictured at Miller Field at Coach Bob DeFelice Stadium
after the Vikings’ 7-6 victory over Gloucester in which he returned a kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown. Dolen and
the Vikings travel to Revere Thursday morning for the
annual Thanksgiving game.
The Winthrop High School football travels to Harry Della Russo Stadium Thursday for a renewal of the Thanksgiving series with Revere High that dates to 1913. Kickoff is at 10 a.m.
The Vikings will be taking the field against a Revere team that has played its best football in the second half of the 2025 season with wins over Malden and longtime Division 1 power Everett (for the second year in a row).
“Any time you can beat Everett two years in a row, it’s a good thing,” said Revere head coach Lou Cicatelli.
The Seth Sacco Sub-Plot
Cicatelli said that he and his players are aware of Winthrop running back Seth Sacco’s 881 yards of rushing this season and his quest for the 1,000-yard milestone.
In fact, Cicatelli said he and other coaches scouted Winthrop in its impressive 34-14 victory over Wilmington.
“Winthrop is very good, and we’re going to have to play our best game to beat them this year,” said Cicatelli.
Winthrop coach Jon Cadigan spoke about the Vikings’ outstanding running game, which has powered the offense all season.
“Our three backs – Sean (Dolen), Nicky (Romano) and Seth (Sacco) – I think, are ready to go,” said Cadigan. “They’ve all played well in the big games we’ve had this year. They just have to do it one more time. I know that Sean and Nicky really want to get it [1,000-yard milestone] for Seth.”
Coach Cadigan’s
Comments on
Revere-Winthrop 2025
“I think it’s a lot like any other year in terms of preparation,” said Jon Cadigan. “You have pretty much all the game film on Revere. Our kids are working hard, but you don’t know how they’re going to handle the game. You’d like to think they’re going to handle the moments – it’s the seniors’ last time taking the field and there’s all the emotion that goes into it. But if we play the way we’re capable of playing, we’ll be fine.”
Cadigan said Revere’s 2025 season has mirrored its 2024 campaign. “They started off the year struggling a little bit, and they get hot toward the end of the year, and it’s going to be interesting because they haven’t played in three weeks because Belmont canceled on them and that’s
a long layoff. But I think they’re hitting their stride, and this is the best that they’re going to be at any point of the season.”
Ferrara is ready to lead at QB
Coach Cadigan has been pleased with the season-long development by junior quarterback Charlie Ferrara.
“I think Charlie has gotten better as the season has gone on,” said Cadigan. “I think he’s really starting to turn the corner and understand what we’re looking for in our passing game. I’ve been happy this week with the way he’s throwing the football. He’s looked like a guy that is ascending.”
Winthrop’s non-
conference schedule
It is believed that Winthrop is the only team in Massachusetts that played two teams during the regular season that remain undefeated – Tewksbury (11-0) and Shawsheen (11-0). Tewksbury (Division 4) and Shawsheen (Division 5) are both heading to Super Bowls at Gillette Stadium next week.
“I was joking around saying it, but if you want to go to a Super Bowl, you should probably schedule Winthrop in your first four games,” said Cadigan. “We’re certainly not cutting corners with our schedule.”
NEC All-Star Selection Meeting
Coach Cadigan will attend a Dec. 1 meeting where the NEC coaches will select the All-Conference and All-Star teams for the 2025 season. It is expected that Winthrop will be well represented on the teams.