By ERIC BENEVIDES

Sports writer

While there's a Division I matchup that's sure to draw plenty of interest tonight, there's three Division II contests on Saturday that are going to be worth the price of admission.
The piece de resistance is tomorrow's 6 p.m. showdown at Pariseau Field between a pair of Division II-A rivals, Woonsocket High and Tolman High. This would be a battle of division unbeatens had the Tigers had a little bit of luck in their 21-20 defeat to West Warwick High two weekends ago, but this game should still be very competitive and come down to the wire.

In the Division II-B ranks, six teams are tied for second place with 1-1 marks. Four of them will face each other, as preseason favorite Toll Gate High visits Lincoln High in a 3 p.m. contest, and Cranston East High invades Max Read Field for a 6 p.m. showdown with Shea High.
But before fans flock to these Saturday showdowns, they can take in tonight's 7 p.m. duel at Pierce Field between defending Division I champion St. Raphael Academy and East Providence High. The Saints bring a 15-game win streak in the division into this always-entertaining meeting.
In Massachusetts, the best game out of the area's teams takes place tonight at Seekonk High, as the defending South Coast Conference champion Warriors entertain preseason favorite Apponequet Regional in a 7 p.m. clash.
Also tonight is a Division IV game between Exeter/West Greenwich High and Central Falls High at 6 p.m. at the Warriors' Higginson Avenue Complex and a Division III affair at Mount Pleasant High's City Stadium pitting Smithfield High and Central High.
On Saturday, Warwick Vets High hits the road to lock horns with Burrillville High in a 2 p.m. game in Division II-A action and Ponaganset High hosts East Greenwich High at 2:30 p.m. in a Division III encounter, and at night, South Kingstown High (the Division II-B's only 2-0 team) plays Cumberland High at 7 p.m. at Tucker Field.
A capsule look at the games:
     
Woonsocket at Tolman
Two teams looking to return to the postseason after a two-year absence can take a step toward that goal when the Novans visit the Tigers in this Saturday night special at Pariseau.
Both teams features plenty of playmakers that could determine the outcome. The Novans, who were impressive in their 19-6 victory over West Warwick High, feature quarterback Danny Gonzalez, who can burn opponents with his arm or his legs, and a solid backfield with tailback Tyrell Nealy and Jordan Barr leading the way.
Tolman has been sparked by the standout play of Jason Lafond, who has had some big games out of the backfield and also made some huge contributions defensively, and junior quarterback Jordan Johnson has also been a sparkplug.
While the Villa Novans' three games this year has been decided by an average of 26 points, the Tigers have been involved in three exciting games this season and could be staring at a fourth thriller tomorrow night. Three weekends ago, they battled the turnover bug, yet still lost by two points in their non-league opener to Cranston West High, and last week's 21-14 victory over Chariho High wasn't decided until the final minutes.
Both teams turned in tremendous efforts on defense in their victories last weekend, allowing less than 200 yards of real estate to their opponents, and they will surely need to step up again on 'D' this time around against these potent offenses. Another key to this game will be turnovers -- both can ill afford to cough up the ball if they plan to come out of this tussle with a triumph.
Another reason why this game is so significant for both teams is because of their matchups the following weekend. The Tigers will take their longest bus trip of the season next Friday night to Westerly High, which has been a house of horrors for them in recent years, and the Novans will host always-tough Mount Hope High the following afternoon.   

St. Raphael at East Providence
Two of the youngest teams in the division hook up in this clash of neighboring rivals, and while the Saints proved in last week's 22-6 win over Cranston West (their division opener) that they are getting better and better each week, the Townies (1-1) are looking to bounce back in a big way after absorbing a 24-14 loss to Portsmouth and the Pats' new-look double-wing attack.
Like the Novans-Tigers contest, the playmakers on both sides should take center stage in this encounter. Running back Ryan Bellamy (who has scored a touchdown in three straight games) and quarterback Aaron Spivey lead the way for the Townies, while the Saints have a pair of weapons in tailbacks Jean-Dean Roussel (six touchdowns this season) and Nael Pierre-Louis and quarterback Tyler Malo.
With two teams as young as the Saints and Townies, mistakes are expected to be made. Both teams kept their blunders to a minimum last weekend, and it will be interesting to see if they can repeat that performance again.
While the Saints have a bye week next week, the Townies will have a tough task awaiting them in a featured showdown at home against a big, talented Barrington High ballclub (2-0), making tonight's duel extra important for the Red & White.   

Toll Gate at Lincoln
There's good news for the Lions, who suffered a 21-0 defeat to Cranston East last weekend -- sophomore quarterback Ryan O'Dell, who was forced to leave that game after injuring his hip in the second quarter, is expected to line up behind center in tomorrow's duel with the Titans.
Toll Gate, which was hammered by Shea last weekend by a 42-20 score, will also have its star quarterback back in All-Stater Doug Johnson, who has rushed for 311 yards and four TDs in 1 1/2 games of division play before injuring his knee in the second quarter of last week's game.
Both teams were impressive in their division openers two weekends ago -- Lincoln edged Shea on the road and Toll Gate blasted Cranston East at home -- but took a step back last week and saw their mistakes come back to haunt them. Which teams will show up to play tomorrow?
A key to the game will be both teams' special teams play. While Toll Gate has the capability to bring a punt or a kickoff "back to the house", the Lions struggled on special teams in last week's loss and will surely need to turn things around in this area if they plan to topple the Titans.        

Cranston East at Shea
Last weekend's big triumph on the road over the Titans may have been a season-saver for the Raiders, who haven't started league play with an 0-2 mark in recent memory. Tomorrow's duel against the always-potent Thunderbolts will be huge for both teams, who lost a lot of players to graduation, yet still harbor playoff hopes.
The Raiders' ground game came alive in last week's victory and produced four touchdowns and more than 275 yards. Expect to see more of the Raiders' speed at work in tomorrow's duel, as well as some key passes from always-reliable quarterback Albert Amado.
While Thunderbolt tailback Albert Duran promises to be a going concern for the Raiders, they will also keep an eye on quarterback Rob Reardon, who made his first start in last week's game against the Lions, and do everything they can to make life miserable for him.    

East Greenwich at Ponaganset
The defending champion Chieftains continued their dominance in the division last weekend with their 35-0 conquest of Moses Brown in their rematch of last season's Division III Super Bowl.
This week, they get to face the squad they knocked off in the semifinals, East Greenwich High, which has sported a 28-6 record in its last four seasons, but has fallen on hard time this season, losing its first three games, including a 40-16 loss to league foe Johnston High. They have been overwhelmed in their games by a combined 115-28 score.  
That being said, this could be another blowout special for the Chieftains, who have roughed up their four opponents this season by a total score of 111-14. Junior tailback Nick Keeling is the top rusher in the division, and he should add to his lofty numbers at the Avengers' expense. 

Exeter/West Greenwich at Central Falls
The Warriors were involved in yet another shootout last weekend, but it was one they didn't win, as Middletown High rode five touchdowns from sophomore tailback Rico McCray to a 42-14 victory.
This weekend's matchup against the Scarlet Knights promises to be an equally-challenging test for the Warriors. EWG is 3-0 (2-0 in the division), have won its three games by an average of more than 17 points per game, and boast one of the division's most talented players in tailback Adam Sweeney, who had scored seven TDs and rushed for more than 400 yards.
The Warriors can't afford to come out flat for this game as they did in their loss to the Islanders, which also saw CF commit a handful of turnovers and display some poor tackling.
If they can get quarterback Cory Cassamas on track and hooking up early and often with wide receivers Robert Alers and Antonio Mena, and the running game can show signs of life, then the Warriors could pull off a high-scoring victory in the same manner they toppled defending champ Classical High two weekends ago.

South Kingstown at Cumberland
It's been a difficult beginning to the year for the young Clippers, who are the Division II-B's only winless team after losing to Pilgrim High and Coventry High by a total of three points.
And things don't get any easier tomorrow in their contest with the unbeaten Rebels, who raised eyebrows by beating Bishop Hendricken High, 12-0, in their non-league opener and have yet to take their foot off the pedal. 
The Rebels, who beat the Patriots and Oakers for their league victories, boast arguably the best tailback in the division in Tim Hazard, who has rushed for 249 yards and four TDs in those two wins. The Clippers' 'D' will need to contain him and the offense will need to continue its stellar play behind quarterback Dan Canavan (six TD passes this year) if they plan to pull off an upset.

Smithfield at Central
Both clubs will be looking for their first Division III victory of the season, and while the Sentinels enter this game with a pair of non-league wins over North Smithfield High and Burrillville High, the Knights are desperate for a victory about dropping non-league tests to Central Falls and St. Raphael.
The Sentinels were embarrassed in last weekend's 36-6 loss to Narragansett High and will head into the game looking to erase the sting from that defeat. Quarterback Tim Jamison, who threw a pair of interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, will look to feast on Central's young secondary. 

Warwick Vets at Burrillville
The winless Broncos hope a little homecoming can help them get on track and reward their fans with a victory over a Warwick Vets High team that's coming off a 34-19 loss to Westerly High.
Kyle Keagan and Brandon Darigan have been the Broncos' top offensive threats in the past two weekends, but the Broncos' defense has been a mess. Burrillville has allowed a state-worst 126 points in its three losses.

Apponequet at Seekonk
One game that's sure to draw plenty of interest across state lines is the Warriors' battle with the Lakers, who are undefeated at 3-0 and boast one of the SCC's top veteran players in tailback Ben Bullock and a young talent in quarterback Mike Wojtkonski.
The Warriors, who opened their season with wins over Bourne High and Case High, enter this clash with a 12-game win streak in the league and hope to keep it alive on its home turf behind the play of senior fullback Bob Jeannotte, who ran for 172 yards and three TDs in last week's win over the Cards, and fellow captains Matt Quinn, Alex Miller, and Lucas Thompson.