’Canes surrender late TD to fall to Oakers

Ryan D. Murray
Posted 10/6/15

The Warwick Vets Hurricanes couldn’t shake the Coventry Oakers as they fell 26-20 at home on Saturday evening. The game was originally scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. but rescheduled due to …

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’Canes surrender late TD to fall to Oakers

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The Warwick Vets Hurricanes couldn’t shake the Coventry Oakers as they fell 26-20 at home on Saturday evening. The game was originally scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. but rescheduled due to weather.

Coventry had the first possession of the game and scored quickly. On third down, senior running back Kyle Willett rushed the ball 55 yards for the touchdown and gave the Oakers a 6-0 lead. Kicker Zachary Higham would miss the extra point.

The Hurricanes came up empty on their first drive of the game, after a bad snap set them up with a fourth-and-20. Vets would follow the three-and-out with a punt from kicker Jacob Isaac that would fall out of bounds at the Oakers’ 44-yard line.

Michael Abbruzzesse, the junior quarterback for Coventry, gave the rock to freshman back Julian Campbell, who plowed 12 yards for the first down. Soon after, Abbruzzesse bombed it left towards the end zone to Reuben Howard, who made a leaping catch and was taken down at the 4-yard line. Then, running back Nicholas D’Ambra rushed four yards into the pay dirt to give the Oakers a 12-0 edge. They would convert on the 2-point attempt when Abbruzzesse ran right and dove head first into the end zone, while hitting helmets with a Warwick defender, before landing for the score. The Oakers would lead 14-0 with 2:32 left in the first quarter.

Vets was fortunate to keep the ball on the next possession. On first down, senior quarterback Nick Beaufort and running back Owen Amirault mishandled the handoff and fumbled the ball, but luckily for Warwick, Amirault fell on it to retain possession.

Vets overcame the miscue when Beaufort snapped the ball, planted his feet, and passed it up the middle to his receiver Jacob Isaac, who ran 78 yards for the score. Beaufort also converted the 2-point conversion for Warwick when he completed a pass to Amirault. That would cut the Oakers’ lead to 14-8 with 1:15 left in the first quarter.

The second quarter began badly for Coventry. Abbruzzesse threw an interception to sophomore Eric Watts at Vets’ 31-yard line. But it wouldn’t matter because three plays later, Vets returned the favor and Beaufort threw an interception to freshman defensive back Alex Soito at Vets’ 29-yard line.

On the next drive, Coventry would take advantage.

Fullback Tyler Pelletier rushed 15 yards to give Coventry a first down. After a costly penalty on Vets gave the Oakers another first down, Pelletier rushed another 10 yards into Warwick territory before getting tackled at the 40-yard line. A holding penalty against Coventry a couple plays later wouldn’t discourage the Oakers. Abbruzzesse airmailed the ball 43 yards to Gian Avedisian in the end zone to give the Oakers a 20-8 lead with 5:34 left in the first half.

After a Vets three-and-out, Coventry misplayed the punt return and Warwick recovered it and had another chance on offense.

On fourth-and-8, Beaufort scrambled left and threw it 21 yards to Daniel Pratt, who made a leaping catch before landing and charging two yards in for the touchdown and pulling Warwick within six, 20-14.

The Oakers would take turns with their backs. First it was Willett, and then it was Pelletier. Both charged through the Warwick defense and moved the chains. Abbruzzesse had a 1-yard run to give his team a first down on the drive.

But then Abbruzzese fumbled the snap. Warwick recovered the ball again, this time at the Oakers’ 40-yard line. Next, Beaufort ran nine yards to set up a second-and-1. However, a costly penalty would set Warwick back and it would eventually turn the ball over on downs.

Again, Warwick forced the Oakers to fumble on first down and the Hurricanes took over at the Oakers’ 30-yard line. The Hurricanes would take advantage when Beaufort found fullback Logan Amirault in the pay dirt to tie the game at 20.

The hard-hitting Warwick defense would get its offense yet another chance.

On the Oakers’ next possession, Pelletier rushed forward before fumbling the ball and Warwick recovered it and took over at the Oakers’ 45-yard line.

The Hurricanes quarterback threw incomplete twice before rushing for 10 yards and a Warwick first down. Then on a fourth-and-2, Owen Amirault came up short while rushing.

The Oakers would take over on downs and break the tie.

On third down, Abbruzzesse bombed it to Reuben Howard in Warwick territory and he took it the rest of the way for what would be the winning touchdown. With just under four minutes to go in the game, Vets would block the extra point but Coventry would take a 26-20 lead.

Warwick had one last chance with 43.2 seconds left in the game. On second down, Beaufort passed the ball to Pratt for a 15-yard gain. On top of that, a roughing the passer penalty was called on the play, so that added 15 yards to the end of the run. Vets now had the ball at the Oakers’ 35-yard line. But, Warwick’s chances ended on that drive when Beaufort threw an interception to Soito, his second of the game.

Warwick head coach Rob Pacifico thought his team had its chances.

“The kids kept fighting,” Pacifico said. “We had a shot in the first quarter, but we couldn’t get points. And we had a shot right at the end, but the points count in the first quarter just as much as they do in the fourth.”

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