FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Titans, Pats aim to play spoiler; Hawks meet Rams

By Jacob Marrocco
Posted 11/3/16

Usually, the season finale is reserved for the episode with the most suspense. There will be no shortage of that across the state this weekend, as the regular season comes to a close. Toll Gate has the chance to

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FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Titans, Pats aim to play spoiler; Hawks meet Rams

Posted

Usually, the season finale is reserved for the episode with the most suspense. There will be no shortage of that across the state this weekend, as the regular season comes to a close. Toll Gate has the chance to end Smithfield’s season on a negative note. Pilgrim, while also mathematically eliminated, can play spoiler on the road at Middletown. Finally, Bishop Hendricken travels to Providence for the game of the year against also-undefeated La Salle.

Last week, The Titans put together one of the best drives I have seen all season. Pinned at their own 9 and needing a score to stay alive against Hope, Anthony Vann and offensive coordinator Jack Paliotte engineered an 18-play, 91-yard drive that spanned nine minutes and culminated in a score. The Titans are out of the playoff picture now, but they can still be dangerous against Smithfield. The Sentinels are 5-1 and have the No. 2 seed in Division III-A locked up, but the last thing they need is to end the season with a defeat. After being revealed as human in a loss to Juanita Sanchez/PCD/Wheeler two weeks ago, Smithfield played a closer game with Narragansett this past weekend. Don’t be fooled, though. The Sentinels are unquestionably a potent offensive force in Division III, and they will take advantage of any Toll Gate turnovers. If the Titans can avoid giving the ball away, they can keep it close. However, Smithfield may just be too overwhelming on both sides of the ball.

Prediction: Smithfield 27, Toll Gate 6

The Pilgrim football team has been shut out its past two weeks, but it will face off Friday with a team that has occasionally had that same struggle. The Islanders were blanked, 14-0, at the hands of North Kingstown and have not eclipsed 14 points since September despite going 2-2 over that stretch. Before two consecutive shutouts, Pilgrim lost a 52-36 shootout to Johnston. The Pats are capable of putting up points, especially if the other side can make some mistakes, and their defense has not played poorly against Moses Brown and West Warwick, two of the top teams in D-II. After the Pats got in some time against the best competition their division has to offer, they should be better prepared for this subdivision crossover. The Pats have 20 days off after this one to prepare for their Thanksgiving tilt with rival Toll Gate. I see the offense coming alive a bit and ending the regular season on a positive note.

Prediction: Pilgrim 22, Middletown 16

This is the one you’ve all been waiting for. Hendricken and La Salle have made mince meat of their competition to this point. The second-place teams in each subdivision were outscored by a combined 73 in their meetings with the private powers. South Kingstown dropped a 35-0 decision to the Hawks earlier this year, while Cranston East fell 56-18 on the road to the Rams weeks ago. This might as well be a preview for the state championship game in just over a month. While these are Division I’s only undefeated teams remaining, do not be deceived: Hendricken is superior. The Hawks have an edge rusher committed to No. 2 Michigan (Kwity Paye), a quarterback committed to Bryant (Chris Hindle) and a complete unit in all three phases that has shown almost no weaknesses. Hindle has an unrivaled arsenal at his disposal: 2015 Super Bowl MVP Matt DiTondo and Paye are forces out of the backfield; Andrew Hopgood is one of the top deep threats in the state; and Hindle himself can motor for a few yards if need be. The Rams have some lethal players in their own right: Running back Leroy Deoliveira made the East defense look like tissue paper with four touchdowns. Quarterback Rayven Deoliveira is one of the quickest signal-callers in Rhode Island, and he can throw an accurate deep ball. The Rams are undoubtedly the best competition Hendricken will face all season, but the Hawks have the edge almost everywhere on the field.

Prediction: Hendricken 42, La Salle 21

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