Throughout the years, Revere High School (RHS) students and staff have come and gone, leaving a lasting impact on the school and its community. Eight alumni and the 2013 Boys Soccer Team had the opportunity to come back to the high school to receive awards for their contributions to Revere’s athletic department and community. On August 23 during the Varsity football team’s season opener, all recognized alumni walked across the field and accepted their induction awards.
In 2014, the Revere Alumni Association (RAA) created the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame to honor RHS graduates, athletic contributors and coaches who “distinguished themselves athletically at Revere and beyond” according to the RAA and the Revere All-Sports Booster Club.
During this year’s season-opening football game, the RAA and the Revere community inducted eight athletic alumni and the 2013 Boys Soccer Team for their contributions to the district’s athletic programs. These alumni include Jack Greynolds for coaching boys basketball, Eric Moats for his work as an athletic trainer, Brian Gabel for football and wrestling, Pat Kirkland for football and wrestling, Amy (Kloner) Kaplan for tennis, basketball and track and field, Ben Deighton for soccer and football, Camryn Brown for basketball and Caitlin Vari for basketball.
Coaching Revere students from 1957 to 1969, Coach Jack Greynolds solidified his place at Revere after he won eight league championships and aided in the boy’s basketball program’s 206-60 wins. After leaving Revere, Greynolds coached at Barberton for eighteen years, won a State Championship with the Magics and was named State Coach of the Year in both 1976 and 1977 before being inducted into six halls of fame, including Revere’s. The Summit County Sports Hall of Fame named Greynolds the Greatest High School Coach in Summit County in the last fifty years. He passed away on January 14, 2005 and his son received his induction award on his behalf.
Eric Moats graduated from Revere in 1980, leaving for Ohio State University and the United States Sports Academy to obtain his Exercise Physiology degree and master’s in Sports Science. Moats’ induction concerns his work as Revere’s athletic trainer from 1990 to 2013. Moats worked with all Revere sports, caring for students’ injuries and ensuring they returned to their activities in a healthy manner.
“[I helped out with] all sports, boys and girls. . . . [I was] just taking care of a lot of injuries. . . . At one point I [was] thinking, ‘Well, how many kids am I taking care of?’ And in one fall, I was responsible for 300. I didn’t see everybody for the injuries, but that’s what I was responsible for. . . . What [I did] is [I] kind of evaluate[d] kids injuries and how to treat them to get them back on the field. And then [I] monitor[ed] their progress [and kept] the coaches informed as well as the parents,” Moats said.
Without medical professionals, ensuring student athletes receive the attention and care needed after injuries and knowing when they are ready to return to their sports can be challenging. To Moats, the Revere medical staff consisted of great people who did good work despite caring for children.
“The athletes had pretty much the best medical staff a high school could have. . . . Not many high schools had that kind of medical coverage,” Moats said.
Though Moats played sports in high school, making athletics his career had not been his initial plan. After his father suggested he become an athletic trainer, Moats obtained his degree before returning to Richfield to work in the district. For Moats, coming back to Revere was a way to encourage others to help out at the school.
“I didn’t know what an athletic trainer was until I got into college, and then my daddy suggested that I look into athletic training. . . . [And high school], that’s where you graduate from. It’s your home. When you come back and help out [at school], you try and see if you can get somebody else to be interested in helping out,” Moats said.
Another inductee, Brian Gabel, graduated in 1983 and excelled in football and wrestling. He was a four-year letter winner and three-time district qualifier in wrestling and a three-time 1st Team All-Suburban selection in football. In his senior year, Gabel was football team captain, 1st Team All-Summit County, 1st Team All-District, 2nd-Team All State and he was picked to play in a North-South All-Star game. For him, the induction is an honor attributed to his family as his siblings and mother were involved in sports.
“I did pretty well in sports but it’s more of an honor to my family than it is to me, because I had two older brothers that also played football and wrestled and they [were] both team captains, and my sister was also involved in the football program. My mom [was], too. So it was kind of like a family affair more than just for me,” Gabel said.
Though Gabel does not enjoy the spotlight, his induction has humbled him and allowed his family to witness an award he feels was given to them all.
“It was just nice for my parents because they’re 87 and 89 years old, so they got to witness it. So that was nice. I think it was better for them than it was for me. . . . I’ve never been the limelight guy or anything like that. . . . It was a humbling experience, and it was nice to hear the cheers and all that,” Gabel said.
For athletes today, it is important to remember to have fun while playing. Gabel advises students to have fun and enjoy the journey.
“Play hard and work hard. That’s it. . . . Make sure you have fun with what you’re doing. If you don’t have fun, then it’s hard. I tell whoever gets an athletic scholarship: make sure you love the game that you play when you get to the next level,” Gabel said.
In 1993, Pat Kirkland graduated from RHS. He excelled in football and wrestling and went on to work as an assistant football coach at Jacksonville State University, a job he holds today. Though he was not present during the induction ceremony due to a game, his feelings surrounding his inability to come to the ceremony hold true.
“It’s very tough. My job responsibilities are pretty tough to miss. . . . [It would] have been great just to see some classmates and teammates and all the great coaches that helped me throughout school. That was the toughest thing to miss,” Kirkland said.
Kirkland’s work in football and wrestling led him to be a three-year letterman in both sports, a state qualifier in wrestling his senior year and a two-time 1st team All-Suburban League selection in football. Obtaining these individual titles and being around hard-working players and coaches led him to work with sports in his professional life.
“[In football] we won the conference at times and had a lot of success. . . . [In] wrestling, we were a very good wrestling team and [I] had the chance to compete in the state tournament individually. . . . It’s great to win because everybody works hard, but I was just surrounded by so many good people and coaches. I learned a great deal moving forward to help me with my professional endeavors,” Kirkland said.
Kirkland’s focus in high school was football and, now that he works professionally with the sport, he acknowledges that his time playing at Revere influenced his career.
“The biggest thing that you look at is time management. . . . I don’t care if you’re a student athlete or a coach; . . . time management plays a big role in your life. But also, just the importance of teamwork and work ethic in life [and] competition. Regardless of [your] career choice, you’re gonna have to compete for a job or sale or whatever it is,” Kirkland said.
For Kirkland, being an athlete teaches lessons. From a high school student athlete to an adult with a family and other responsibilities, having a community that shares similar goals can play a large role in professional success, just as it did for Kirkland. He emphasized the importance of living in the moment and appreciating the work that both the players and the coaches put into their crafts while remembering that these sports will prepare students for their futures.
“Appreciate your coaches because they sacrifice a lot of time to help you pursue your goals. . . . But also, just live in the moment. You know tomorrow will be there soon enough; appreciate and take a step back and appreciate the hard work that you put in now. . . . Once you get older and you’re supporting a family and you’ve got other responsibilities, the work ethic that you learned being a student athlete in high school . . . plays a big part,” Kirkland said.
In 1995, Amy (Kloner) Kaplan graduated from Revere. She received her induction for her achievements on the tennis, basketball and track teams. Kaplan excelled particularly in track and tennis at Revere. She went on to compete in cross country at the Division I level while she attended Arizona State University, eventually focusing on duathlons and triathlons. Focusing on sports and taking on challenges was a large part of her academic experiences, and the lessons that came alongside these challenges became some of the most important to her.
“While at Revere, I did pretty well as an athlete. And then afterwards, I ran in college and raced as a professional triathlete for a bunch of years. And it was always something that I just did for fun, because I could. I feel like if you can do something you should challenge yourself. . . . I knew I didn’t know what I was going to end up doing, but I always knew that if I challenged myself, I could do okay. It’s weird, the lessons you learn as you’re running around a track,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan achieved lots during her time at Revere. She worked as a waitress, played three sports and maintained her grades. Keeping herself busy encouraged her to manage her time while focusing on positive outlets and the important and high-achieving people in her life.
“I worked maybe twenty hours a week as a waitress and I was a great student. I graduated with very good grades and I can tell you that the busier you are, the more you get done. And for me, it really [kept me] focused on positive things like healthy outlets. . . . It’s important to [have] people you surround yourself with. I was really lucky in all three sports to have really great teammates, and I can name them off today. . . . Surrounding myself with high-achievers was one of the best things,” Kaplan said.
Today, Kaplan is a mother to two children and is married to Paul Kaplan. Receiving her induction with her kids and her husband was meaningful and an opportunity to bring her family to the place she grew up. The Kaplan family lives in a larger city so returning to her hometown and being surrounded by a community such as Revere’s makes Kaplan homesick.
“It was so special and meaningful to have my kids with me. . . . They got to walk across the field with my two coaches, my husband, and it was just really special. . . . I don’t necessarily have the same opportunity for my kids to grow up where we’re at. . . . It definitely has positive aspects to it, but the community at Revere is very unique and very special. . . . It was just such a wonderful feeling being back. . . . It made me a little homesick, to be honest; it’s been so many years since I’ve been back there,” Kaplan said.
In her senior year at RHS, Kaplan tore her ACL while playing basketball. Her inability to participate in her sports during her last year of high school took a toll on her but in her freshman year of college, Kaplan joined her school’s cross country team. The difficulties she faced, though challenging, led her to new sports where she further excelled.
“My senior year playing basketball, I tore my ACL and had to have a reconstruction. I wasn’t even able to run track my senior year, and that was the most painful. Man, talk about a disappointment. I remember sitting on the sidelines with a stopwatch, helping my coaches and teammates and I would just cry because I was looking forward to having my best year yet in track, [but] I couldn’t go run. . . . I spent my [college] freshman year rehabbing my knee, and then I walked on the cross country team because I missed competing, and I figured I could do it. . . . And turns out, I could. . . . Things work out when you sometimes suffer disappointments,” Kaplan said.
Ben Deighton, a 2011 graduate, played soccer and football during his time at Revere. Despite his several athletic accomplishments over the years, Deighton’s first choice if he could relive any sport-related moment in his life would be his time playing for Revere.
“I’ve played club soccer, NCAA D3 Soccer, NCAA D1 Football in [many] stadiums and even had the chance to represent Cleveland at the Semi-Pro level. If I was able to relive one of my athletic experiences, I would put the Revere jersey back on ten out of ten times. The pride and enjoyment of representing the Richfield-Revere community with my best friends on the soccer/football field was simply unmatched,” Deighton said.
Many dedicate themselves to their sports, but being the best takes work. For the 2013 Boys Soccer Team, the players’ commitment and abilities led them to winning the school’s first-ever Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) state team tournament title. They were ranked first in the Ohio Division II State Soccer poll throughout that season and earned a national ranking of eighteen while finishing the year 21-0-2. Head Varsity coach at the time Sandor Jakab detailed the team’s accomplishments and the reasons for their win.
“We won the OHSAA state championship in Divison II, and we had been close [years prior]. That was our fourth trip to the state finals, . . . first ever championship. . . . [The players] were very committed. They were exceptionally talented. There was a majority of them that played not only community soccer growing up, but premier club soccer [too]. And the leadership, camaraderie and trust was tremendous,” Jakab said.
Now, eleven years after the team’s win, the Revere community inducted the 2013 Boys Soccer Team into the district’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction serves as recognition for the team’s efforts and success and to witness the payoff’s impact on the surrounding community is a memory Jakab holds close.
“[The induction] is an incredible accomplishment. When you look at any school district anywhere and you’re saying that, in fifty-plus years of existence, that we are one of the most special, unique athletic programs and teams to have ever been there is a tremendous honor. Personally, [my] satisfaction . . . is really in the success of the team. For me, to see those players have that success [and] those families in this school district to be able to celebrate a championship like that is one of the top memories ever for being here,” Jakab said.
2013 graduate Brian Gillette, a player on Revere’s 2013 Boys Soccer Team at the time, went to the state finals with the team three times in his high school career. To him, the state championship title represented the effort the team and the Revere community put into the sport and, though winning the championship felt unreal to Gillette, it was a payoff to the culmination of the team and coaches’ work.
“Not only was [the championship] a win for us as a team, but it was [a win] for the community. The Revere community, soccer community; [it] really was a combination of effort from a lot of people. Not only our players but obviously the coaches, the players, parents and all the other students and adults within the Revere community. . . . It was a huge win for us all having been to the state finals three of the four years that I was in high school so to finally get that win? It was . . . unbelievable but also, at the same time, [it] felt deserved,” Gillette said.
In 2013, the same year the soccer team won the state championship, Gillette and many of his teammates were seniors. Knowing that it was their last opportunity to win before graduating, they—along with the rest of their team—pushed to make 2013 their year.
“[Our win was] a combination of just passion. Every single year we are working extremely hard in the off season . . . so all of the seniors, honestly, were extremely skilled, and we obviously really wanted [it]. . . . We knew there was no fifth season to try, so I think we really gave everything we had. And at that point, our team had been so bonded together, not only our senior class but the three classes below us [and] . . . we worked really, really well together,” Gillette said.
Eleven years after his graduation, Gillette returned to Revere to walk across the football field and receive the team’s induction alongside his coaches and former teammates. The experience was an exciting opportunity for Gillette and allowed him to recall the memories he made at Revere.
“It was exciting. It was definitely a very happy experience. Not only walking across the field in front of a bunch of Revere fans present and past, but it was nice walking with my teammates and the coaches. It was a very nice, nostalgic feeling; it brought up a lot of very, very nice memories,” Gillette said.
‘
In 2016, Caitlin Vari graduated from RHS. She played basketball for Revere and was a two-year captain, a four-year Varsity Letterman, 1st Team All-Suburban League for three years and received All-Ohio honors her sophomore and junior years. The Tri-County Basketball Coaches Association awarded her 1st Team and 2nd Team All-District for Division II. She was Cleveland Plain Dealer Player of the Week before going on to play at the University of Akron. Vari’s induction into Revere’s Athletic Hall of Fame is both an honor and a representation of the support she had from the Revere community.
“[My induction] is something really special. It’s definitely a huge, huge honor. . . . But also, I feel like this is also an honor that is because of my teammates, because of my family, [and] because of my friends throughout high school. Without thier support, without their sacrifices that they made for me, this wouldn’t have been possible. So yes, it’s a personal accomplishment, but I feel like it’s also everyone else that’s been involved in my life to help me get to that point,” Vari said.
Attending school takes up a large part of students’ lives. The opportunities school and school sports can give one and the community surrounding them both can be impactful. Now, eight years after her high school graduation, Vari can reflect on the aspects of Revere she misses, including the community, friendships and the time she spent on the court.
“The first thing I really miss is just the support of the Revere community. I feel like it’s a pretty tight-knit community and there’s a lot of support there. You have a lot of friendships, you build a lot of relationships, and I feel like you can always go back on those. . . . The other thing that I kind of just miss about Revere is just being on the court with your teammates and with your best friends. Those memories really hold a special place in my heart,” Vari said.
Relationships are important aspects of students’ school lives. Spending hours with classmates and teammates create bonds that can extend beyond school. Whether on the court, in class, or on field trips, the relationships Vari built and the memories paired with those friendships are her most notable moments.
“The relationships I built [are] bigger than basketball; it [was] bigger than school. . . . I’m still friends with a lot of my teammates and a lot of friends that I grew up with. . . . It’s everything, . . . those relationships that you build. I think just those memories and holding onto those and building on those throughout your life is the biggest thing for me,” Vari said.
In 2016, Camryn Brown graduated from Revere and stood out for her basketball performances on the court. She received the 1st Team All-league during her four years in high school and helped lead Revere to a Suburban League Championship in her senior year, the school’s first since 1978. She received All-Ohio honors in her junior and senior years, graduating as the program’s second all-time leading scorer. She played basketball during both the regular high school season and the travel basketball season, aiming to continue the sport during her college years. For Brown, her induction is a honor that demonstrates the support and love Revere has for her.
“I played [basketball] during the regular high school season, and then I played . . . travel basketball, in the spring because I knew I always had the goal of playing college basketball. I was able to do that. . . . [It] is really special to be honored in the Athletic Hall of Fame this year. I know a lot of people don’t get inducted at all, and especially getting inducted so soon after I graduated is a real honor. . . . I had a ton of my family and friends there to support me. . . . Just having people that I love and care about there to support me . . . was really, really special,” Brown said.
Today, though she does not play the sport anymore, Brown works as a Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Florida Gulf Coast University, a Division I top 25 program. Coming to Revere in fifth grade, Brown became part of the district’s basketball community and its encouragement allowed her to excel at the sport at Revere, play it in college and later make it her career.
“Playing basketball at Revere specifically was really special to me just because, when I got to Revere in fifth grade, I really felt like the basketball community, specifically for girl’s basketball, really made it a priority to make sure that we had good opportunities. They really embraced me when I got there . . . and it’s hard to transition into things when you’re little sometimes. . . . Betsy Brock was really the person that brought me in and just made me feel like I was a part of the Revere family. . . . It was really special being a part of the Revere girls basketball community growing up, and I really think just how [it] embraced me and continued to encourage me throughout the course of my career really helped me grow and accomplish this goal of being able to play in college,” Brown said.
Brown and Vari played basketball together and were in the same graduating class at Revere. For Brown, seeing and accepting an induction alongside a former teammate was special and a reminder of the support the two have.
“One of my fellow teammates got inducted as well, Caitlin Vari. It was really special to see her and I know her family from our years playing together. . . . Just to be supported by the Revere community, [since] we got honored and walked across the field, was a really, really cool moment,” Brown said.
Having family, friends and others celebrating their accomplishments was special and meaningful to Vari and it allowed her to catch up with Brown and others she knew in high school. Whether it was Brown or the 2013 Boys Soccer Team members, Vari enjoyed the induction ceremony and the opportunities it gave her to talk with former peers.
“My good friend and teammate . . . [was] inducted with me: Camryn Brown. I haven’t seen her in a while . . . so it was really just awesome to see a lot of familiar faces . . . [and it was] great to catch up with people. There was also the soccer team; some of those people I went to high school with. . . . It was just really special and meaningful to bring all these aspects of my life [together]. . . . It was a great night, a great evening,” Vari said.
The Revere Athletic Hall of Fame serves to demonstrate the outstanding individuals and teams that represent the school and become role models for current and future Revere members. All eight alumni and the soccer team proved and distinguished themselves as excellent contributors and athletes for the district and they will continue to motivate oncoming generations.
