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Shea-Cumberland duel tops Week 7 grid schedule |
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Friday, 23 October 2009 |
By ERIC BENEVIDES
Sports writer
Three weekends ago, Cumberland High and Shea High stunned the Division II-B ranks by hitting the road and producing shocking victories over the two “teams to beat” in the division, South Kingstown and Cranston East.
But over their next two games, heartbreak and disappointment has followed each team.
The Clippers, who defeated the Rebels in double overtime, came home the following week to fall to Toll Gate in double OT. And on their Homecoming Night last Friday, Cumberland gave a lackluster performance in a 21-7 loss to Mount Hope.
And the Raiders, who scored a 14-0 victory over the Thunderbolts, couldn’t sustain their momentum from that win on their three-game road trip. They proceeded to lose to Coventry by two points and undefeated non-league foe West Warwick by four.
Tonight, both teams hope to get back on track and make a strong push over the final three weekends of the Division II-B season when they collide in a 7 p.m. showdown at Max Read Field.
The Clippers are 2-2 and in a three-way tie for fourth place in the standings with Lincoln and Toll Gate. They control their own destiny and can return to the postseason by defeating the Raiders, Thunderbolts, and Lions, and even if they lose once, they could still receive outside help to get in.
“As far as I’m concerned, the next three games are must-win games for us,” Cumberland head coach Chris Skurka said after the setback to Mount Hope. “We have three very good opponents, and we’ll take them one game a time.”
The Raiders are 1-3, and in frustrating fashion, have lost their three contests by an average of six points. Every contest is a playoff test for Shea, starting with tonight’s clash against the Clippers and continuing with battles against S.K. and Pilgrim.
One loss puts a serious crimp in their playoff hopes, and Shea would need a wealth of outside help like Cumberland received last season in clinching the division’s final playoff berth with a 3-4 record.
“We’re both in the same boat,” offered Shea head coach Dino Campopiano. “We both have to run the table, but right now, we’re not even worried about that. We just want to go out, try to stop Cumberland, and get a win.”
Unfortunately for Campopiano and the Raiders, they’re going to try to stop Cumberland minus the services of their top offensive player, senior tailback Malcum Moniz, who suffered a severe ankle sprain early in the second half of the loss to the Wizards and may be lost for the season.
“It’s very swollen, but it’s not broken,” Campopiano said of Moniz’s ankle, which was accidentally rolled on by a West Warwick player during a tackle. “The swelling went down a lot. It looks much better than it did on Monday, but right now, I would have to say that he probably won’t be back.
“Losing Malcum hurts us a lot, and I feel bad for him because he’s a senior and he’s a great kid, but well see what happens.”
The Raiders will also be without another running back, sophomore Freddy Gobewole, who was ejected in the second half of last weekend’s game and will serve a one-game suspension.
Shea did get a lift in that game from senior tailback Fidel Wright, who in his first varsity game, ran for 90 yards and scored a touchdown. He could see an increase in his workload tonight, as could quarterback Josh Burgo.
The Clippers, meanwhile, have received some strong play from quarterback Dan Canavan and a ground game that’s been guided by David Elkas, Keith Gaumond, and Justin Gaudette, but they have also been plagued by mistakes and turnovers that may have cost them a close win or two.
“We’ve lost two games on the last play of the game,” said Skurka. “We just have to figure out a way to stop beating ourselves, and I just hope once we figure it out, we don’t run out of time.”
The Raiders have also been far from perfect, especially in the early going of the season. They coughed the ball over five times in each of their first three losses before turning in a phenomenal showing against the Thunderbolts.
“We’ve both lost close games and most of that has been our fault,” admitted Campopiano. “The key for each team tonight is to not make any mistakes. We have to try to go out and play as flawless as possible if we want to win.”
The Cumberland-Shea matchup isn’t the only one this weekend with playoff implications. There are eight other duels involving Blackstone Valley teams, and most of them are certainly worth the price of admission.
In Division I, East Providence continues its quest for a playoff spot when it entertains winless North Kingstown tonight at 7 p.m. at Pierce Field, and on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., St. Raphael Academy pays a visit to Portsmouth High in a must-win battle for the two postseason hopefuls.
A Division II-A contest fans should keep an eye on is tomorrow’s 1:30 p.m. game at Barry Field between Burrillville High and Woonsocket High. This battle, which will be on the Novans’ Homecoming Day, has the potential to turn into an offensive shootout.
There are two Division II contests in Warwick tonight at 7 p.m. that feature local teams taking on winless opponents. In Division II-A, Tolman takes on Warwick Vets, and down the road from that affair is the Division II-B game between Lincoln and Pilgrim.
In Division III, Ponaganset has a bye week, but Smithfield is in action and heads to Tiverton High for tomorrow night’s 7 p.m. battle with the Tigers.
Tonight’s Division IV matchups (both at 6 p.m.) feature Central Falls and Scituate at the Higginson Avenue Complex and North Smithfield hosting Classical on its campus.
Here’s a look at the other eight games:
Burrillville at Woonsocket
A big contest for both teams in terms of their postseason hopes. The Novans (3-1, 4-2 overall) will boost their already-strong bid for a playoff spot with a victory, while the Broncos (1-3, 1-4 overall) need to run their table over the next three weekends and do some scoreboard watching.
This contest will feature the run vs. the pass and each team’s attempt to shut down their opponent’s assault. The Novans have amassed over 1,200 yards on the ground behind the legs of Travis Gagne and Jordan Barr, and Bronco quarterback Roger Blanchard leads the state with 1,100 passing yards.
If the Villa Novans win this game and next weekend’s affair against winless Warwick Vets, then they will clinch the playoff spot they were denied a year ago. It was then when they went 5-2 and finished in an unusual five-way tie for first place, but ended up being the odd team out come playoff time.
A triumph by the Broncos will set up a showdown at home against Tolman, which like Burrillville, is looking to win its final three games in its bid for a playoff spot. Burrillville’s final league game is against Chariho (1-3).
North Kingstown at East Providence
The Townies received last weekend off when their non-league game against Tolman High at Pariseau Field was called off because of inclement weather. That being said, they should be hungry to hit their home field and continue their winning ways against a winless Skipper team.
The Skippers, who are having their worst season in six years, have struggled on both sides of the ball, especially defensively, where they have allowed an average of 33 points per night.
The Townies, who are 3-1 and coming off their 14-0 loss to Barrington High two weeks ago, have excelled offensively behind new quarterback Robbie Delgado and running back Emerson Perez and Ryan Bellamy, and that group should be able to pad their stats at the expense of their visitors.
A pair of wins tonight and next weekend against a six-loss Rogers High unit should give the Townies enough victories to climb back into the postseason after a two-year absence.
St. Raphael at Portsmouth
This is definitely a must-win game for both teams if they plan to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Saints are 1-2 (3-3 overall) with difficult matchups against Barrington and La Salle on deck, while the host Patriots are 1-3 and coming off defeats to those two powerhouses.
The Saints, who are coming off back-to-back wins over Smithfield and the Skippers, have been getting to job done defensively and relying heavily on their ground game behind Jean Roussel and Nael Pierre-Louis. Roussel has totaled 264 yards on the ground in SRA’s last two victories.
While the Patriots will certainly be looking to contain Roussel and Pierre-Louis, the Saints will look to do the same to tailback A.J. Pollock, who has scored six of the Patriots’ 11 touchdowns, and quarterback Patrick Fagan.
Lincoln at Pilgrim
Like Cumberland, the Lions (2-2, 3-3 overall) are looking at taking care of business in their next three contests in order to land their first playoff berth since they were a Division III squad in 2003. After the Patriots comes a road game at Coventry and a showdown at home with the Clippers.
This should be an easy game for the Lions, who are playing a winless team that has totaled just 20 points in its six losses and surrendered an average of 33 points in each of their four league defeats.
While the Lions have shined defensively (each victory was a shutout), they have endured their share of problems offensively, averaging just 10 points a game and finding ways to shoot themselves in the foot in the red zone. This should be the week they finally score more than 20 points in a game.
Tolman at Warwick Vets
Last season, the Tigers (1-3, 1-4 overall) ran off victories in their last three games to secure a playoff berth. Can Tolman repeat last year’s run, and if so, can they get some outside help or will a three-game win streak be too late?
The Tigers hit the road to battle the Hurricanes tonight and Burrillville next week and wrap up their league slate by hosting Mount Hope, and the easiest of the three games is this weekend when they tackle the winless Hurricanes.
Like the Lincoln-Pilgrim contest, this should be a bye with exercise for the Tigers, who actually received an unexpected bye when last weekend’s non-league game with the Townies was cancelled.
The Hurricanes have produced just one touchdown in their five defeats and allowed an average of 25 points in their four division game. This would be a great opportunity for the Tigers (who are averaging nine points a contest) to get their offense on track.
Scituate at Central Falls
Ever since Scituate returned to varsity play following its 20-year hiatus from 1986-2005, Central Falls has had its way with the Spartans, beating them by a combined margin of 114-34 over the last three seasons.
But this season, the Spartans have joined the Warriors and a handful of other teams in the hunt for a postseason spot, and while this contest may not be as lopsided as years past, the Warriors should have what it takes to come away with a hard-fought win.
Looks like the Warriors (2-2, 3-2 overall) may have found their quarterback of the future in sophomore Stephen Vazquez, who has produced 326 passing yards and four TD passes in wins over Providence Country Day and Hope.
If Vazquez, veteran wide receivers Robert Alers and Antonio Mena, and the ground game keep the chains moving and the clock ticking, C.F. should be in business, but the Warriors will also have to get the job done defensively and keep an eye on rifle-armed quarterback Jared Hanson.
The Spartans (2-1, 3-2 overall) are fresh off a bye week and should be well-rested for this game.
Classical at North Smithfield
The Northmen turned in a poor performance last weekend against arguably the worst team in the division in PCD and paid for it in a 41-28 setback that dropped them from the group of playoff hopefuls in the middle of the pack.
The Northmen (1-2, 1-3 overall) now face an uphill climb over the next two weekends that involve difficult games against two of the division’s premier teams in the Purple tonight and Middletown High next weekend.
Classical is 3-2 (4-2 overall), but have lost twice in the last three weeks to Hope and the Islanders and dearly need a victory to hang behind those two teams (who battle each other tonight) in the standings.
The Northmen’s defense will encounter one of their toughest challenges of the season in containing talented tailback Franklin Santos, who has rushed for 11 touchdowns and over 900 yards this season. They will need a strong showing on both sides of the ball if they plan to stun their visitors.
Smithfield at Tiverton
The Sentinels finally vaulted into the win column last weekend by defeating East Greenwich, and tomorrow night, they will try to break free from a last-place tie with the Avengers and Narragansett by defeating the Tigers on the road.
The Tigers, who were undefeated during the regular season before suffering an upset loss to Johnston in last year’s Super Bowl, are 2-2 and in dire need of victories in order to return to the playoffs.
Not many teams play as tough on their home field as the Tigers (10 wins in their last 12 home games), and that may not bode well for the Sentinels.
In the triumph over the Avengers, running backs Dan Kando and Christian Labossinierre teamed up to score three touchdowns and rush for more than 200 yards. If the Sentinels plan to bus home with an upset win, those two players are going to have to be on top of their games again.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 November 2009 )
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Best wishes to the Tigers tonight in the SuperBowl! - Celeste Swaim-Black
Good Luck to the Woodlawn basketball teams in their CYO
games this weekend!! - From all the coach's I wish the best to the Warriors on Saturday game keep up the
great work team. George Carle auntie Ne-Ne is proud Happy hoildays from The Carle &
Pettaway Family........
Good Luck Girls Basketball Tolman Tigers lets kick some
courts... YEA JENNA !!!!!Keep it going!! - Carols Ayala go sentinells THE CHAMPIONS ON ICE DIVISON 2 VINNIE (TEDDY
BEAR) TUDINO.LOVE POPA - Anthony Paolino
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