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Shea, Tolman await showdown |
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Tuesday, 24 November 2009 |
By ERIC BENEVIDES
Sports writer
PAWTUCKET --- When Wednesday night’s contest between Shea High and Tolman High is in the books, the players from both teams will return to their respective schools and hand in their uniforms and equipment.
That’s because for the first time in a decade, neither squad will be playing in the postseason. Both teams had their share of difficulties on their respective sides of the Division II ranks, but they will try to cap their seasons on a very positive note in their 7 p.m. showdown at McCoy Stadium.
“It’s always a very big game on Thanksgiving no matter what the situation is,” offered Shea coach Dino Campopiano. “You know both teams are going to come and play hard, so it should be a very good game.”
For the past three seasons in their seven-year holiday rivalry, it’s been a very good game for the Raiders, who won the last three games by lopsided scores of 39-12, 33-19, and 39-6.
Last year’s 33-point verdict raised a lot of eyebrows across the city, because while the Tigers were tied for first place in the Division II-A standings at 5-2 well on their way to the Division II semifinals, the Raiders were 2-5, had a five-game losing streak, and were merely playing for bragging rights.
“It’s all about heart and it’s all about pride in this game,” said Tolman coach Dave Caito, whose team won three of their first four Thanksgiving contests. “We always say that the records don’t matter, and obviously that was true last year. They beat us badly, and it wasn’t a good feeling for a year to sit on that. It hurts to lose to your rival like that.”
It’s been a tough season for both the Raiders and Tigers. Shea finished at the bottom of their division with a 1-6 mark, with the first five losses coming by a total of 20 points, while Tolman endured its share of offensive struggles in slipping to a 2-5 record.
But both teams will enter this contest with impressive non-league victories under their belts, as the Raiders rode the running of senior Manny Baptista to a 38-8 victory over Warwick Vets, and quarterback Jordan Johnson had a big game as well in the Tigers’ 23-20 win over Cumberland.
“We played really well,” said Caito. “Our players showed a lot of heart and they wanted to win even though (the game) didn’t mean anything, and that’s a good sign going into this game.”
Both head coaches are longtime teachers at Shea who are familiar with each other’s team and have watched them in action on days their respective teams weren’t playing. And both have been impressed with what they saw.
“They always have the burners in the backfield,” offered Caito. “They have four kids that can break off a long run at any moment, and that’s the scary part, because we don’t have that kind of speed on our team. They can break an 80(-yard run), but we can break a 40.
“I also think they’re very physical and very aggressive defensively, and even though they lack size, they make up for it in those other aspects.”
“They play hard,” said Campopiano. “I saw them play Cumberland and they were very physical. Their quarterback can do a lot of things and they have a back (Ousmane Samb) that’s very good. They’re going to be tough to stop.”
One of the marquee players in this game, Shea tailback Malcum Moniz, will be missing from action due to a season-ending ankle injury midway through the year that should allow him to return to the basketball team next month.
But the Raiders, as well as their rivals, have had some players step up over the past few weeks and could make their presences felt in this game.
Baptista is fresh off a big game in which he ran for a career-high 135 yards and scored a pair of TDs, but so is sophomore wide receiver Jamal Tucker, who had a handful of receptions in the win over Warwick Vets, one of them a 31-yard touchdown grab, and sophomore tailback Freddy Gobewole.
“Freddy is starting to run the ball better, and Jamal Tucker has been out for most of the season, but he’s been back and he’s caught some passes,” noted Campopiano. “Those two and a few other players will be back next year, so hopefully this game will help get us ready for next year and make us better.”
The Tigers, meanwhile, will get a lift from their successful freshman squad, which earned a share of the Division II-East title and crushed Toll Gate, 50-13, in the frosh semifinals before dropping a 22-16 decision to Westerly on Nov. 15 in the title game.
“We will probably have three freshmen starting,” added Caito. “We brought about 13 of them up to the varsity and put them all on the scout team at the beginning, and you could just see them rising to the level of our varsity. It’s a good sign for our future.”
But before either coach can look toward the future, they have to worry about the present and what they need to do to win this holiday clash.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” said Campopiano. “but if we can go and do what we do and not hurt ourselves, minus the turnovers, that should help put us in a good opportunity to win.”
“We have to keep the ball out of their hands, that’s the bottom line,” offered Caito. “We have to keep our defense off the field, and hopefully we can put some points on the board.”
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 13 December 2009 )
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CUMBERLAND CLIPPERS WRESTLERS GOOD LUCK IN SANFORD MAIN THIS
WEEKEND AND MAKE RHODE ISLAND PROUD!!!!! - Mike Glad 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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