By JON BAKER

Staff writer

CUMBERLAND  ---  Courtesy of defensive coordinator Kevin Dunphy’s implementation of a couple of new special teams’ “wrinkles,” Cumberland High pulled off a thrilling 20-15 Division II-B victory over natural rival Lincoln High in the Tucker Field muck on Friday night.
Senior Barry Greaves returned a pair of punts for touchdowns -- and the defense stood “relatively” pat on two possible go-ahead possessions late in the fourth quarter -- allowing the Clippers to clinch a playoff berth.
With 8:06 remaining in the initial period, Greaves -- No. 21 in the program -- broke two tackles and hustled 47 yards down the right sideline to give Cumberland a 6-0 cushion. He also mustered a 60-yard paydirt in similar fashion with 6:30 left in the third, that jaunt providing the clinching points.
With the triumph, head coach Rick Reetz and Co. improved to 5-4 overall, but, more importantly, 3-4 in league action. Because Cumberland earlier had defeated both Shea and Lincoln, it gained the bid due to head-to-head-play.
Reetz expected to play its first tilt of a three-tiered playoff system this Friday night, though he has no idea as to whom and where. He suspected the foe to be Woonsocket, West Warwick or Westerly.

“Kevin decided to put in a return because we hadn’t broken one all year, so we worked on it all week, and did it ever pay dividends!” Reetz exulted after a short post-game speech to his players. “Those were huge, huge plays.”
For the Lions (4-4 overall, 3-4 Division II-B), it was a particularly hard defeat. Twice in the fourth quarter, it drove into Cumberland territory; in fact, behind sophomore signal caller Ryan O’Dell, the Lions moved to the Clippers’ 12. On a fourth-and-six from the 17, and only 1:45 remaining, O’Dell found senior receiver Antonio Palmer wide open in the left flat, a completion easily earning a first down, but the aerial fell to the turf.
That allowed Cumberland to run out the clock.
“Special teams just killed us, and so did our old friends, the penalties,” stated Lincoln mentor Dave Waycott. “Still, our kids worked hard and played well. I’m proud of them all. We had a couple of great drives in the end, but we just didn’t finish.”
Following Greaves’ first return, O’Dell and Gary Tingley took advantage of Josh Chevalier’s muffed snap in the end zone, tackling the punter for a safety with 11:18 left in the second quarter to slice it to 6-2. The Lions also took the resulting free kick to the Cumberland 14, but an O’Dell fourth-and-six incompletion to senior Daniel Reddington ended that threat.
After a quick Clipper “three-and-out,” and a seven-yard punt, Lincoln needed only a play for senior Dave Diciccio to ramble 29 yards off right tackle. When Adam Chapian contributed the PAT, the Lions held a 9-6 advantage with 4:06 left before the break.
It didn’t take long for Reetz’ bunch to regain the lead. Nine plays and 65 yards later, junior quarterback Daniel Canavan hit classmate Keith Gaumond with an 11-yard aerial with 42.3 seconds left, then found fellow junior Joe Vecchio in the same section of the end zone on the two-point conversion to make it 14-9.
Actually, for the second time in the contest, Cumberland recovered an onside kick, but could do nothing with it, and the half ended with the aforementioned tally.
Greaves broke his second TD return midway through the third, but Lincoln responded, maneuvering 67 yards on 10 snaps culminating on Tingley’s 10-yard burst off left guard at the 1:58 mark of the third. O’Dell attempted to slice the gap to three with a two-point conversion pass, but -- who else? -- Greaves intercepted.
With 11:11 remaining in the fourth, the Lions managed two first downs to move the pigskin to the Clipper 45, but that ended with a punt. When they got the ball back with 5:11 left, a 15-yard pass to Palmer helped move them to the 12. However, a five-yard procedure flag and two consecutive incompletions ended their quest for a much-desired playoff berth.
“We had a hard time stopping them,” Reetz said later. “We couldn’t handle them upfront. They had kids in position to make big plays, and they had opportunities to win. But when it came time to make big plays, we accomplished them.
“It could’ve gone either way,” he added. “I thought Lincoln came in with a great game plan, but we’ll take this. Our kids bent but didn’t break.”

CUMBERLAND, 20-15
Lincoln   2 7 6  0 --  15
Cumberland  6 8 6 0 --  20
CUMB  --  Barry Greaves 47 punt return (kick blocked)
LINC  --  Safety: Ryan O’Dell, Gary Tingley tackle Josh Chevelier in end zone
LINC  --  Dave Diciccio 29 run (Adam Chapian kick)
CUMB  --  Keith Gaumond 11 pass from Daniel Canavan (Joe Vecchio pass from Canavan)
LINC  --  Gary Tingley 10 run (pass failed)