By BRENDAN McGAIR

Sports writer

LINCOLN – Friday’s non-league matchup at Ferguson Field served as a mid-season checkup for Division II playoff hopefuls Woonsocket and Lincoln.
The contest, a turnover-prone one won by the Villa Novans by a 13-6 count, also allowed both combatants to see what areas need tinkering for the stretch run that lies ahead.
“That’s the nice thing about (this A-B crossover), you see where you’re at,” offered Lincoln head coach Dave Waycott. “That [referencing Woonsocket] is a top tier II-A team right there, and for us to play a good game with them and come out healthy, that’s key. It’s a nice tune-up to see how we compete against teams in the other division.”
Woonsocket accumulated all the points it would need in the opening 12 minutes, a three-yard fade pass from quarterback Dominic Hernandez to a wide-open Geovanni Heredia in the right corner serving as the game’s first points at 6:19. Both sides traded turnovers on their initial snaps from scrimmage within the opening 90 seconds, both of them fumbles that wouldn’t come back to haunt either side.
The Villa Novans took a 13-point cushion into the second quarter when senior Travis Gagne sprinted 48 yards untouched on the final snap of the opening 12 minutes. Woonsocket’s ground game, a source of concern just a few weeks back, has now rounded into form just as the temperatures begin to drop a few degrees.
“The ground game has definitely gotten better, but that comes with repetition. It’s been a combination (of blocking and the backs seeing the holes and exploding through them),” said Woonsocket head coach Carnell Henderson, whose crew churned out 148 yards on 27 carries. “Guys know where the lanes are going to come from and guys are trusting that the blocks are going to happen.
“I believe the running game is our strength and we’re just trying to get better with reps week-in and week-out,” added Henderson.
Lincoln’s bruising tailback, Brandon Jutras, capped off an 11-play, 60-yard drive with a one-yard plunge, putting the home team on the scoreboard with 6:25 to go before halftime. The Lions certainly flashed many different tailbacks at the Villa Novans with five players on Waycott’s roster registering a carry.
To the Lincoln coach, the ability to feature multiple backs is another luxury of non-leaguers. “We have our bull guys and our speed guys. Everything depends on what the situation calls for.”
Neither side blinked much in the second half, which was scoreless. Opportunity arose for the Lions early in the fourth quarter when senior captain Scott Leech recovered a fumble after the ball inadvertently touched a Woonsocket player on a punt attempt. Lincoln, which set up shop near midfield, pushed the ball inside the Woonsocket 10 before running out of steam. The final straw of the series featured Jutras getting bottled up on a fourth-and-three at the 9.
The Lions got the ball back with exactly two minutes remaining, looking at 60 yards for a potential tying score. Needing yards in a hurry, quarterback Ryan O’Dell dropped back in search of his favorite target, Kyle Jackson. What O’Dell didn’t see was Woonsocket’s Oswald Torres racing in front of Jackson, the Villa Novan senior coming up with an interception that essentially put the finishing touches on this one.
Now it’s back to divisional play. Woonsocket (5-2 overall) welcomes Burrillville to Barry Field next Saturday as part of the homecoming celebration. Lincoln (3-4) seeks to remain in the playoff chance when it heads to Pilgrim next Friday.  
“It’s always a good thing when you walk out of a game and have work to do,” said Henderson. “We’re in a good situation (as far as playoffs), but we need to continue to build.”
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WOONSOCKET, 13-6
Woonsocket    13 0 0 0 –13
Lincoln    0 6 0 0 – 6
W – Geovanni Heredia 3 pass from Dominic Hernandez (Luis Heredia kick)
W – Travis Gagne 48 run (kick failed)
L – Brandon Jutras 1 run (kick failed)

W            L
First downs           7    9
Rushes-yards      27-148   41-131
Passing             4-11-0   3-11-1
Sacks by                0-0    2-13
Net passing          33          26
Punts-avg.            4-32.2    3-24.0       
Fumbles-lost       3-2    1-1        
Pen.-yards           9-60    3-25
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Individual leaders
Rushing: W – Travis Gagne 15-94, Jordan Barr 9-53, Jose Merced 1-14, Dominic Hernandez 2-(-13); L – Brandon Jutras 12-30, Anthony Saracina 3-12, Alex Tedesco 5-21, Ryan Brochu 10-58, Aaron Roseman 6-19, Ryan O’Dell 5-(-9).
Passing: W – Dominic Hernandez 4-11-0-46; L – Ryan O’Dell 3-11-1-26
Receiving: W – Jose Merced 3-43, Geovanni Heredia 1-3; L – Kyle Jackson 3-15.