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Pamela Gonzalez is a key returner for the Patriots this season.
By KATIE MORRISON
After falling in the Division 1 North final to Woburn last year, the Revere High girls basketball team is back with a new look and a new face at the helm of the Patriots.
Lianne O’Hara, who took over the head coaching position after Diana Finn stepped aside, is no stranger to winning, coming off a Division 3 state championship with Bishop Fenwick as an assistant coach last season. And she has the players to make another run in 2016-17, this time in Revere.
“So far, so good,” said O’Hara, who taught many of her Revere players at Rumney Marsh Middle School, where she teaches eighth-grade science. “It’s been easy to come in because a lot of them know my expectations.”
The Patriots lost some big pieces to graduation after last year’s tournament run, including Maritza Scott, Ally Hinojosa, Adanna Hector and Natasha Iacoviello. But for the most part, the squad, which went 17-5 in the regular season, stayed intact.
Captains Meagan Gotham and Samantha Woodman have stepped up and taken on leadership roles in their senior seasons, and O’Hara expects big things from them.
“They’re acting as leaders, communicating my philosophies to the team and leading all kinds of workouts,” O’Hara said.
Pamela Gonzalez was another key piece of the puzzle in the 2015-16 season, and will be again this year.
“She’s incredibly talented,” O’Hara said. “Moving with and without the ball, scoring, rebounding…she does a lot of great stuff on offense and defense.”
Valentina Pepic, who stands over six feet tall, is also returning. O’Hara calls Pepic a “very talented post player” who can grab rebounds and score points.
The Patriots have some promising young players as well. Junior Tatiana Iacoviello has been contributing since her freshman season, and will be running the offense as the point guard.
“She’s stepped up to the challenge,” O’Hara said.
Also in the mix is Emily DiGiulio, a sophomore guard who “takes good care of the ball” and has “a lot of potential.”
While the Patriots have plenty of talent, perhaps their biggest asset is the hunger to get back to where they were last year, and claim a third-straight NEC title.
“They don’t take anything lightly,” said O’Hara. “I think their tenacity and drive towards a goal is a big strength.”
Coming from the Catholic Central League and a team that plays in Division 3 in the tournament, O’Hara said she still has a lot of learning to do about the NEC and how her team stacks up.
“I’m sort of at a disadvantage,” she said.
O’Hara will also get to see how her new team stacks up against teams that she’s more familiar with. The Patriots scrimmaged the defending D3 champs this week, and will take on another CCL power, St. Mary’s, in their first game, this Friday in Lynn.
“They’re totally motivated,” O’Hara said of her team in regards to the upcoming opener. “I think it’s a very good matchup. St. Mary’s has good post players and great guards who can drive to the net.”
For the first-year head coach, the first weeks of the season have been a learning experience.
“I think I took for granted how much the head coach had to do when I was an assistant and JV coach,” O’Hara said. “There are so many things to manage and remember, calls and emails, it’s overwhelming.”
Fortunately, the Revere basketball community has given her plenty of help.
“I’ve got tons of support,” she added. “I’ve been able to email (former Patriots coach) Diana (Finn) with questions, and the parents help…they want to provide support in any way possible.”
Katie Morrison can be reached at [email protected].