By ERIC RUEB

Contributing writer

NORTH KINGSTOWN – The numbers back it up as did the power of the offense throughout Friday night’s Division I football matchup between East Providence and North Kingstown.
With little defense being played on either side of the ball, whoever had the last possession was going to win – Friday, it was North Kingstown. After an East Providence touchdown tied the game with 2:26 left, North Kingstown 61 yards, leaving enough time for sophomore kicker Matt King to boot a 25-yard field goal with 20 seconds left, giving NK a 37-34 win and a huge advantage for the fourth spot in the D-I playoff race.
“It kills the tiebreaker. We have to rack the table, hope somebody beats somebody else,” EP coach Sandy Gorham said. “It was a huge game for us.”
The game was offense, both in yardage and in the way the defenses played. Both teams gained at least 300 yards of total offense and combined for 31first downs, taking turns grabbing momentum and scoring at will.
NK (5-2, 4-2 Division I) jumped out to a 21-7 lead after a 26-yard touchdown pass from All-State quarterback David D’Errico to Robbie Walker, but the Townies (5-2, 2-3 Division I) answered with an 83-yard kickoff return by Emerson Perez.

After being stopped by NK, EP punted and forced a fumble, recovered by Peter Martins and run back to the NK 25-yard line. Four plays later, Corey Blair ran it in from four yards out and an Aaron Spivey conversion tied it at the half.

East Providence gave up two touchdowns in the third and trailed with 34-27
with 9:47 left. Taking over at their own 32, the Townies went 68 yards on
15 plays, finishing with a 4-yard Spivey plunge.
With the game on the line  - and Spivey already in the books with two
missed kicks – Gorham called a timeout to talk about going for the win or
the kick.
He elected to kick and Spivey split the uprights.
“My goal at that point was kick it, keep it down on their territory and
make them throw the ball, which ended up being a real strong point for
them today,” Gorham said “…If we didn’t make it, we didn’t want to lose a
chance (at the game) there.”
North’s drive was sparked by a tough personal foul called on the Skippers’
first play from scrimmage, where EP was flagged for a late hit after a
D’Errico 6-yard gain.
It was one of a few calls Gorham wasn’t pleased with and the legendary
coach said he would take it up with the Interscholastic League on Monday.
“I know this sounds like sour grapes, but I’m going to protect my kids,”
Gorham said. “…They play hard too.”
East Providence returns home next Friday when it hosts Rogers.

East Providence        7        14        6        7        -        34
North Kingstown        14        7        13        3        -        37
First quarter
N-Cody Normand 22 pass from David D’Errico (kick failed), 6:11
E-Jonathan Woodley 38 pass from Aaron Spivey (Spivey kick), 3:52
N-D’Errico 6 run (D’Errico run), :44
Second quarter
N-Robbie Walker 26 pass from D’Errico (Matt King kick), 8:10
E-Emeron Perez 81 kickoff return (kick failed), 7:57
E-Corey Blair 7 run (Spivey run), 1:00.
Third quarter
N-D’Errico 2 run (kick failed), 8:28
E-Blair 4 run (kick failed), 4:28
N-Normand 40 pass from D’Errico (Dereck Harris kick), :55.
Fourth quarter
E-Spivey 4 run (Spivey kick), 2:26
N-King 26 field goal

RUSHING: East Providence – Spivey 14-91, Blair 12-62, Perez 13-62, Trey
Britto 1-1, Richard Haley 1-0. North Kingstown – D’Errico 30-110, Dan
Blais 10-35, Walker 3-19, Zach Wilmot 2-4, Alex Seidler 1-0.
PASSING: East Providence - Spivey 4-13-84. North Kingstown – D’Errico
9-13-144, Walker 1-1-7.
RECEIVING: Woodley 3-57, Perez 1-19, Haley 1-2. North Kingstown – Normand
3-73, Walker 2-32, Ryan Morris 2-29, D’Errico 1-6, Blais 1-(-1).