Accepting the award, pictured below, are next possession and scored in 50 seconds to close out the first half leading, 17-0. association president Al Ricci. We into the second half. The sudden passing of two girls soccer players just five weeks apart this fall affected the entire Rhode Island athletic community. For the high school soccer officials, the loss was felt just as profoundly. We ran one run play. and Stephanie Potts. sponsored by The Hearst Foundations. The Warwick Police and Fire Departments have organized a benefit flag football game to support a Pilgrim football player who has fallen seriously ill from an unknown infection during a family vacation.https://www.instagram.com/p/CgPof6qp8Ve/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=. dedication to her school, teammates and community were legendary. Warwick, who are set to face off tomorrow night at 6 oclock. Jerez receives a phone call from his cousin, Frankie, following his momentous win. Both the fans and the players seem to appreciate the added significance that the carnations bring to the game, said RIGSO President Al Ricci, who refereed the Pink Carnation contests withOmar Roa and Kathy Souza. The way that these three high schools have shown their fortitude East Greenwich right) and Woonsocket High Athletic Director Nancy Giordano. in Woonsockets favor at the end of the first half after not allowing a point The Skippers are sitting in first place in I-South with a 10-1 record. Thats what I want
The referee group brought new blue and purple soccer balls to the game, as purple was Giannas favorite color and Maddies was blue. The 8-1 Tigers are set to play East Greenwich today at 4 p.m. at Slater Park in Pawtucket. a law school program - or maybe going somewhere in Boston. D1 fought until the end and we almost had it..
If you could do it again, would you? Maddies parents, Stephanie and Dan Potts, were on hand for this years presentation, and Stephanie gave a very moving speech during the award ceremony. Cirella, Giannas mom. Hope. Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials (RIGSO) prides itself on being an active member of the High School Soccer community, both on and off the field. national government operates and learned about various careers in public We (coaches) focus on the sport. earned a spot in the other semifinal matchup with last nights 17-6 win over The Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials was represented by The loss of Maddie Potts and Gianna Cirella shook all of us, primarily the Girls High School Soccer community. Did you end up meeting the president? for on that final possession would put his team in good position with momentum heading side. It was huge. To determine the sportsmanship score that a team receives, we ask the referee crew to rate each team in a 4 point system. Taras presentation touched many in the Woonsocket High Netherlands. said. said. exemplifies the passion for the sport, the dedication to their peers and the outstanding Both of them [Westerly PHOTO COURTESY/GERMANI JARRIE, NOVAN NEWSPAPER. Maddies positive attitude, her
soccer officials are asked to rate the sportsmanship shown by each school. A pleased coach Yeah, (being) with the same people (for a week), we The Rams will then host I-North leader Tolman, Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. Julian Jerez with his mother Nydia following his 100th career win. Are you going reach out to those people even after? Gianna exemplified the true aspects of sportsmanship and In Division One, The Maddie Potts memorial sportsmanship award was presented. High School. President, Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials. Girls Soccer season. All teams at Rogers are in a challenge to do well in sport, Kelly told Papadopoulos. Representing Chariho High School were: Assistant coach Jessica Sexton, team captains, Lindsay Shields, Tia Sardelli, and Rebekah Sullivan. Hope HS and Grace Abrams, East Providence HSWest Jared Shibley, West Warwick HS and Dianna Jimenez, Central Falls HSCentral Kyle Johnson, Classical HS and Jillian Higgins, Toll Gate HS. In Division Three/Four, the Jack Breetveld memorial public service, whether its elected office or not. The R.I. they had us line up and the president came Every day it was just constantly being with everybody. Keith: They brought us in the East Wing which is the The award was presented to Narragansett High School by Rhode The team may be selected from any division. We got the ball back with I want to say 58 seconds. includes the players, coaches and spectators. The Novans senior at the line of scrimmage all game. multitude of players, coaches and officials throughout Rhode Island, the United
What sport is all about.. and fight. days you were there? Middletown made a late comeback with two long drives and had an opportunity it. fellow senior Elyse Moretti to post an 11-7 victory over the Knotty Oakers. The Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials (RIGSO) is proud to Just come out They had worked with both girls and watched them grow in the sport and in the community. award was presented. Jack Breetvelds dedication to the sport and the community still serve as an lot of hugs and tears followed. that Woonsocket wouldnt have wanted it any other way. selected from around the country to participate in the week-long program, Our officials chosen for the game - Ray Meunier, Mahfoud Boudjlida and Gordon Preiss - each had special involvement with both girls, since their days in youth soccer, as coaches and mentors. The winner is determined by votes cast by soccer officials after their games. Maddie was a mentor to many of the young soccer players, as was Gianna, who was also a referee. Representing Central Falls High School were: Assistant coach Kirk Hamel and Team Captain Edna Hernandes. being involved in working for the government and perhaps pursuing a career in In Division Two, the Gianna Cirella memorial sportsmanship During the month of October, the girls division of the Rhode Island High School Soccer referees actively support breast cancer awareness. In speaking to the referees after the game, they told me that it was probably the most memorable game that they had ever done. state, wouldnt want anyone else to block for me.. Therefore, two awards were given out at the RIGSOs annual end-of-year dinner, held Dec. 14 at Twelve Acres in Smithfield. Island Girls Soccer Officials past president, Joe DiLorenzo. Keith: Jerez surpassed the century mark this week when he recorded two more victories in Woonsockets dual-meet wins over Mount Pleasant and Ponaganset. Although away also in 2017. This year there was a numerical tie: Both Chariho High School and Central Falls High School received the highest ratings. Keith Jillette, left, of Woonsocket and Zach Johnson of East Greenwich were selected to attend the week-long U.S. Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C. Woonsocket senior Julian Jerez became the first Novan wrestler to reach 100 career wins, when he pinned his opponent at the 145-pound weight class in a 48-36 victory over East Greenwich on Jan. 13. service. Literally every hour we were doing have sponsored the Girls High School Soccer Sportsmanship award for over 20 And after college, I definitely plan on
And if youve ever seen when they announced Bin Laden had been killed - Both girls were extremely active, not only in the high school programs where they played, but also in the local recreational and instructional soccer programs in the Chariho/Westerly and Warwick areas. The Maddie Potts Sportsmanship Award is one of those programs. Tolman handed them their only loss, a 5-4 decision on April 22. Her bright smile and uplifting personality endures to this day Keith Jillette, a senior at Woonsocket High School Thats the game plan, said Gomes This O-line is one of the best in the Villa Novan newspaper, sat down with Jillette to find out more about his experience RIGSO President Al Ricci presented the award to DiMeglio, fellow senior Zoe Clougher and head coach Jim Kelly at the organizations annual banquet, held at Twelve Acres in Smithfield. who passed away in 2018. Islanders in the RIIL Division II Football quarterfinals, Saturday at Barry Field. He, It was interesting to hear his Pictured, from left to right, Stephanie Potts, RIGSO president Al Ricci, Chariho assistant coach Jessica Sexton and team captains Lindsay Shields, Tia Sardelli, and Rebekah Sullivan. Rebounding from a 7-0 loss to Smithfield with back-to-back wins As a group we made a special point to do whatever we could to remember both girls. down the hallway, and it was pretty crazy because they have the columns on the quarterfinal between Rogers and Burrillville, next Saturday at noon at East
A The Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials decided that DiMeglio and her teammates exemplified just that this season and presented the Vikings with their2016 RIGSO Team Sportsmanship Award. It was a great experience. At the end of the season all of In 2019, RIGSO will be awarding 3 sportsmanship awards, one for each division in Girls High School Varsity Soccer: The Maddie Potts Sportsmanship Award, The Gianna Cirella Sportsmanship Award (named for the Toll Gate Soccer player who was also lost in 2017) and the Jack Breetveld Sportsmanship Award (named for one of the founding members and officials of High School Soccer). School community and emphasized true sportsmanship and dedication to school, So you guys pretty much stayed on the go all the tied for second behind La Salle in that division with 5-6 records.). packed schedule. kept this game on the ground for most of the contest, but it was clear by the end The Avengers will face the winner of Sunday nights (6 oclock) The tragedy that our small state and our entire soccer community faced this year was unprecedented. Here are some excerpts from their interview: Breanna: Tell us about the visit to the White House. The stormy day their hold on the top spot in I-Central. Jack was a soccer official for over 50 years University beginning this fall. going to the Anderson House and meeting the different officials there, Back to the grind on Monday, watch our film, prepare the hardest, great discussion and a great bonding experience, especially since we mostly
Gopalakrishnan, Gracie Kauffman, and Siena Potorski. Stephanies presentation was moving and heartwarming.
at Toll Gate High School and the local community. Breanna: They Mt. had a great punt that put them on the 1; they had a real physical drive, Bilbeault That being said, it allows the girls to direct all their energy in becoming better soccer players. Rhode Island at the U.S. Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C. perspective as a foreign government official being in America working to get Immediately I plan to keep working on what I do - Im a page at the State I-South at 5-6. still a long road ahead no matter which team they face. public area, where they do tours, but they brought us up to the more private when he walks down the hallway to the podium - we were basically where the where he competes for the cross country and indoor track teams, recently represented Yes, we definitely had a tight schedule. podium was in the back and he comes around and down the hallway. Pictured, from left to right, Stephanie Potts, RIGSO president Al Ricci, Central Falls assistant coach Kirk Hamel and team captain Edna Hernandes. is respect, sticking with it with your head held high and dedication to the team, not allowing external factors you cannot control influence you.. Accepting the award, pictured below, left to right: Coach Mark Lubic, Captains Emma Landy and Ally Seaver, Coach Kathryn Mahoney , RIGSO past president Joe DiLorenzo and Principal Dan Warner. They received a first-hand look at how The Maddie Potts Sportsmanship Award is presented to the Girls Varsity Soccer Team that most exemplifies true sportsmanship during the regular season. (It) definitely kind of including the ambassador from Germany. States and parts of Europe. It was a
and then we figured, hey, lets go two-minute drill.. The emotions, the camaraderie and the love was incredible. La Salle will face another stiff challenge on Thursday when it hosts defending state champion North Kingstown in a 4 oclock matchup. his team came up short, Islanders coach Arthur Bell admired his teams tenacity The awards were given to schools in three divisions. Many of our officials are youth coaches and youth referees. over Cumberland (5-0) and then Coventry, the Rams improved to 7-2, strengthening Head coach Karen Lockhart He has helped the Novans take the lead in Division II-B with a 9-0-1 mark. Gianna was a Toll Gate High School soccer player who passed The regular-season game between the girls varsity soccer teams of Toll Gate High School and Chariho High School, played on Saturday, October 20, proved to be more a celebration of life than a regular game. Keith: We hit Rain, sleet, (Cranston West and East Providence are and West Warwick] are strong teams, both strong physical teams up front, he in Washington and his plans to study political science at Roger Williams to do. Girls Soccer Officials are no exception, prompting them to honor the memories of the two young women during the semifinal and championship games of this years R.I. Interscholastic League Girls Soccer Tournament. Woonsocket classmate Breanna St. Jean, a staff writer and photographer for The They touched many young boys and girls as well as their families and coaches. today. At RIGSO, we have always had a strong bond with the teams we officiate, going beyond making the calls and officiating the game.
snow, we have a style we can figure out, Bilbeault said. another Division I crossover against the Chargers, currently in third place in Taking part in the Pink Out program for the last four years, the referees wear pink uniforms, along with pink arm bands, and use pink whistles. Accepting the award, pictured below, are players from the standout running back Emmanuel Gomes was the engine that made Woonsocket go During the girls soccer regular season games, the girls R.I. Everyones In 2017, the awards name was changed to the Maddie Potts Sportsmanship Award, named after Maddie Potts, the Chariho High School Soccer standout who was tragically lost during the 2017 season. after the game, Woonsockets Charlie Bilbeault reflected and knew capitalizing and respect for the community should be highly regarded. Girls Soccer Officials recognize East Greenwich, Woonsocket and Narragansett with Sportsmanship Awards, Chariho, Central Falls girls soccer teams honored with RIGSOs Maddie Potts Sportsmanship Awards, Chariho-Toll Gate girls soccer game transformed into a Celebration of Life, Vikings girls soccer wins RIGSO Sportsmanship Award, Skippers Iden, Chargers Potts named SeptemberShowcase Student-Athletes of the Month, Girls soccer refs blow the (pink) whistle on breast cancer, On 11/12, soccer refs honor memories of #11 & #12, Woonsockets Jillette gets birds-eye view of East Wing, careers in public service at U.S. Senate Youth Program, Jerez enjoying record-setting wrestling season with Novans, Novans advance to DII football semis with win over Islanders, https://www.instagram.com/p/CgPof6qp8Ve/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=, Division I fast-pitch leaders set to clash this week. 2021 Woonsocket Girls Soccer team. and majoring in political science and minoring in history, (then) definitely last Saturdays Division I crossover at Coventry. Emmanuel was able to break it outside We were thinking Breanna: Each award is named after a former player or official whom the ratings are tabulated and the winners are chosen. different issues and a lot of different people. Im real proud of our kids, he said. and play hard, thats all. forged such a close bond Everyone was running on like four hours of sleep East Greenwich High School, D2 Woonsocket High School, D3/D4 Narragansett going to a law school after, either staying there at Roger Williams - they have knew each other already because we reached out through social media and we had The tide turned a group chat. To help remember Maddie and Gianna, our referees are wearing arm bands and ribbons at the 2017 girls soccer semis and finals.. Click here to read Branden Mellos coverage of Jerez record-setting meet, which appeared in The Call. The Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials have been giving out the sportsmanship award each year for the past 20 seasons. The Novans took advantage of their years. Also pictured are Tara Cirella ( on the Run the ball down their throats and just keep doing every night, and then we would get up early in the morning because we had a His passion for fair play and outstanding sportsmanship touched a Well, Im going to be going to Roger Williams University She passed away unexpectedly in 2017. American help We went to the NASA Space Park where theyre building a new because both of those teams are no pushovers.. Some of the referees for the Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials had very close ties to both of the girls, and our group wanted to do something special to remember them. at 3:30 p.m. at East Greenwich. Joe touched on how service.. Everyone is so intellectual and so dedicated to what they believe in. House of Rhode Island - so I am kind of an assistant to the state senators. Yeah, the group chat is still rocking right now. Keith: along with Zach Johnson of East Greenwich, was among 104 student delegates Congratulations to SHOWCASE CINEMAS STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE MONTH winners for SEPTEMBER : Noah Iden, North Kingstown High SchoolMaddie Potts, Chariho High SchoolREGIONAL SELECTIONS: North Matt Jarret, Woonsocket HS and Quyen Truong, Woonsocket HSSouth Noah Iden, North Kingstown HS and Maddie Potts, Chariho HSEast Max Mascala, Mt. The association actively promotes programs during the year that not only improve the level of officiating, but also recognizes the strong bond between the association, the schools and the community. qualities of sportsmanship and leadership. Gomes found space running down the sidelines and breaking first contact The righthander combined with He was a true
sportsmanship award was presented. The balls were signed by each team and the referees, then given to Maddies and Giannas parents, along with flowers provided by the referees. player. Greenwich. Keith: Yes. Both teams had suffered a tragedy last year when they each lost a dynamic player, Maddie Potts from Chariho and Gianna Cirella from Toll Gate. determination. part of the East Wing, the part that connects to the rest of the White House. PHOTO COURTESY/TAMMY BENJAMIN, NOVAN NEWSPAPER. The school that accumulates the highest number of sportsmanship votes by the end of the year is declared the most sporting team in womens soccer in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League. to Middletown on a 10-minute, 90-yard drive. The Cirella and Potts families pose for a photo with Toll Gate coach Lonna Razza and Chariho coach Brittney Godbout. The Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials was represented by association executive board member Freddy Silva. Woonsocket The RIGSO also designates two contests as Pink Carnation games. At these games - this year they chose East Providence at Ponaganset and Mount St Charles at North Smithfield - the referees gave pink carnations to all of the starters of each girls varsity soccer team. withstood a late Middletown surge and went on to post a 24-14 victory over the We have a mandate to coach, and the officials have a mandate to enforce the rules of the game. pioneer in the sport, bringing his love for the game to the US from his native players (in no particular order): Sofia Barnes, Eva Dufresne, Riley La Salles Brianna Swanholm, below, prepares to deliver a pitch in
This talking about the great time everyone had. Breanna: La Salle travels to Chariho this afternoon at 4:30 pm. The Novans running game powered them into next Saturdays semifinals, to be played
Potts, Maddies mom. The award was presented to East Greenwich High School by Stephanie Sportsmanship is one of the true measures of maturity in sports and in presented their annual awards for outstanding sportsmanship during the 2021 life itself. They will face the winner of Westerly and West telescope to kind of replace the Hubble Telescope We heard about a lot of
One year later, referees join the Chargers and Titans in honoring memories of fallen teammates. down 10 points with 5 minutes left after recovering a Woonsocket fumble. Keith: The award was presented to Woonsocket High School by Tara Moving forward, Coach Bilbeault knows there is everything on it. Breanna: In March 2022, the Rhode Island Girls Soccer Officials However, about clocking it. inspiration to players, coaches and officials to this day. expanded my idea of what you could definitely do (with a career in) public Maddie was a Chariho high school soccer and lacrosse home and community. something, whether it was touring the Jefferson Memorial or whether it was That has never been as evident as on this memorable game. According to Rogers goalkeeper Juliana DiMeglio, sportsmanship Ill probably volunteer for campaigns. The RIGSO Sportsmanship award is an award given annually to the team which best exemplifies the attributes of character, integrity, and sportsmanship towards officials and opposing teams as voted upon by the referees, said Nick Papadopoulos, an official and RIGSO media liaison.