CHS football plays at Waltham Saturday
The Chelsea High football team, which came up short in its season-opener last Friday at Lowell Catholic, 26-3, will trek to Waltham this Saturday afternoon. The opening kickoff is set for 2:00.
“We are a young team, so with that comes a lot of inexperience.,” said CHS head coach David Roque ahead of last week’s opener. “We have cleaned up most of the small details that needed attention. It’s now up to the boys to come together on game day to make it happen.”
The 2026 edition of the Red Devils will be led by captains David Ponce (junior starting running back) and Camilo Zelaya (senior starting outside linebacker).
Chelsea’s home opener is slated for next Friday evening (September 25) with Hamilton-Wenham.
CHS boys cross
country wins opener
The Chelsea High boys cross country team started its 2026 season on the right foot with an 18-37 victory over Malden last Wednesday on the Red Devils’ home course at Admiral’s Hill.
Chelsea captured the top three spots, with Xavier Guzman finishing first overall in 18:54, followed by Carlos Perez (19:03) and Zakaria Moubtassim (19:33). Jeffriso Mercado finished in fifth followed by Sebastian Molina-Regil in seventh to round out the scoring.
On the girls’ side, Chelsea’s lone runner, Hazel Hatleberg, finished first overall in a time of 24:58.
Coach Cesar Hernandez and his crew were scheduled to travel to Somerville yesterday (Wednesday) and will make the short trek to Revere’s Belle Isle Marsh course next Wednesday.
CHS boys soccer
ties Eastie, 1-1.
The Chelsea High boys soccer team opened its season with two contests last week, coming up short to Greater Boston League (GBL) rival Revere by a score of 2-1 last Tuesday and battling to a 1-1 draw with non-league opponent East Boston last Friday.
In the Revere match, the Red Devils and Patriots battled to a nil-nil draw through the first half. Revere broke the deadlock shortly after the intermission, and then made it 2-0 on a penalty kick when a mistimed tackle by a Chelsea defender clipped a Patriot’s ankle.
Chelsea battled back furiously with an all-out offensive assault, finally breaking through in the final minute when Joao “Johnny” DePina delivered a beautiful ball into the top right corner of the Revere net. However, Revere held on for the 2-1 win.
“The game was a hard-fought match,” said CHS assistant coach William Estrada. “Despite having solid possession throughout the game, they would always catch us on a counter attack, eventually breaking the tie early in the second half. After they scored on the PK, we sent our players forward with only a few minutes left in the game, hoping for a last minute draw, and Johnny scored our only goal of the match.”
In the contest at Eastie, the Red Devils and Jets fought to a nil-nil standoff through the first 40 minutes. In the second half, Chelsea center back Akanni Hernandez sent a long ball from his own half all the way to freshman striker Donovan Ramirez, who snuck the ball in the bottom right of the Jet net to record his first varsity goal.
However, with less than 10 minutes to go, an Eastie player delivered a free kick from the sideline into the box, where an Eastie player got a head on it to notch the equalizer.
“We came in with a similar energy in this game as well, holding possession well throughout various parts of the game,” noted Estrada.
Head coach Mick Milutinovic and his crew were scheduled to make the short trek across the Parkway to GBL foe Everett this past Tuesday and will entertain non-league opponent Excel Academy today (Thursday). They will host GBL rival Lynn English next Tuesday and travel to GBL adversary Malden next Thursday.
CHS girls soccer
knots Revere in opener
The Chelsea High girls soccer team battled Greater Boston League rival Revere to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in their 2026 season opener last Tuesday.
Sophomore Edlyn Hernandez Enriquez had the honor of scoring the first Lady Red Devil of the season in the first half after receiving a well-placed assist from junior Katherine Benitez.
Revere responded before the half ended to leave matters at 1-1 at the intermission, and scored again shortly into the second half to take a 2-1 lead.
However, Chelsea continued to battle and create opportunities. The Lady Red Devils’ hard work paid off when senior Yahira Jovel Rivas found the back of the Lady Patriot net to bring Chelsea level at 2–2.
One of the biggest highlights of the game for the Lady Red Devils came from freshman goalkeeper Aria Green. After Revere was awarded a penalty kick, Aria made an outstanding save, diving to her right to deny the shot and keep Chelsea in the game.
“The team battled throughout the match and showed plenty of promise in our first game of the season,” said CHS head coach Randy Grajal. “They worked extremely hard from the opening whistle and created several additional scoring opportunities that they were unable to finish. Despite those missed chances, the team came away with a positive result to begin the season. We will look to build on this performance, continue developing as a team, and carry that energy into the games ahead.”
Grajal and his crew have a busy stretch ahead with five contests in 10 days. They were scheduled to play at GBL rival Everett this past Tuesday and will travel to non-league opponent Excel Academy today (Thursday). They will entertain non-league foe Northeast Regional tomorrow (Friday), trek to GBL rival Lynn English next Tuesday and return home to meet GBL adversary Malden next Thursday.