Pilgrim Patriots’ quarterback James McKay hit Vets transfer Steven Rosa with a late-game heave to shock the Mt. Pleasant Kilties, 28-22, on Friday night at Conley Stadium in Providence.

“It was amazing,” Rosa, the junior wide receiver, said. “It was a team effort. You have to know what you’re doing at any time. You have to go full speed all the time.”

Though Pilgrim squeaked out the win, Patriots head coach Rob Pacifico knows his team is capable of putting together a full 48 minutes.

“We’re happy with the win,” Pacifico said. “Especially in the closing minute, but we haven’t played our best game yet. We need to work to get to our best game. These kids know that.”

Pilgrim kicked off to Mt. Pleasant to start the game, and the Kilties took possession at their own 21-yard line. Senior quarterback Josh Palmer set up a reverse, which ended with sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah McNeil rushing for a gain of 20 yards to the Mt. Pleasant 40-yard line. Next, senior wide receiver Reuben Howard dashed 15 yards to the Pilgrim 45, but then fumbled the rock and Pilgrim recovered it.

The Pats wouldn’t get anything on that drive, but they would take advantage of a later turnover.

After a quick three-and-out, the Mt. Pleasant center botched the snap on fourth-and-short, leading to a turnover on downs, giving the ball back to Pilgrim at the Mt. Pleasant 40.

On first down, McKay handed off to Ferri, who charged 39 yards before getting taken down at the 1-yard line. Next, Cooney plowed up the middle for a touchdown to give Pilgrim a 6-0 lead. Ferri added the 2-point conversion to extend the Patriots’ lead to 8-0.

On first and second down of the ensuing Mt. Pleasant possession, Pilgrim senior defensive end Garet Sylvestre and Ryan Cote took turns sacking the Mt. Pleasant signal caller, before the buzzer sounded to end the first frame.

Palmer’s first throw of the second quarter was intercepted by Pilgrim sophomore Josh Moniz at the Mount Pleasant 20. After a Mt. Pleasant penalty put Pilgrim at the 15, the Pats eventually faced a fourth-and-3. This time, it was McKay’s throw that was picked off by Mt. Pleasant sophomore cornerback Rayshaun McLean. After a Mt. Pleasant first down at the 12-yard line, Palmer tossed to Damaree Wright, the junior wide receiver for a touchdown. Next, Mt. Pleasant converted on the 2-point conversion and the game was tied at 8.

The Pats started their next possession at their own 34-yard line. On third down, McKay’s pass completion to Ferri came up shy of the first down marker and Pilgrim was forced to punt.

After a 3-yard run from McNeil on first down, the Pilgrim blitz forced Palmer to throw it away. On third down, Palmer threw incomplete before McNeil botched the punt on fourth down, which sailed just two yards, giving Pilgrim the ball deep in Mt. Pleasant territory at the 35-yard line.

On first down, senior Ty Weldon-Martin sprinted six yards to the 29-yard line. Then, on third-and-5, Weldon-Martin dropped a long pass from McKay. Faced with a fourth-and-5, McKay ran a quarterback keeper, rushing just two yards before turning it over to Mt. Pleasant at its own 30 with 3:07 to play in the first half.

Mt. Pleasant senior Jaobel Celestin ran the ball 11 yards for a first down. On the next play, Celestin ran left for a pickup of five yards, bringing the ball out to the Mt. Pleasant 44. On second down, Palmer threw to a wide open Reuben Howard, who mishandled the pass. On third-and-6, Palmer’s throw was picked off by Pilgrim’s Ferri, who returned it to the Mt. Pleasant 31-yard line before getting tackled. After a 1-yard run by Ferri and a 6-yard reception from James Baldwin, the Pats faced a third-and-3 at the Mt. Pleasant 24-yard line. Once again, Pilgrim failed to capitalize. Ferri charged forward before fumbling and Mt. Pleasant pounced on it, taking over at its own 25-yard line with 53 seconds left in the half.

After a roughing the passer penalty against Pilgrim, Mt. Pleasant was awarded 15 yards and held possession at its own 40. However, a false start pushed it back five yards, and on second down, Palmer’s heave to a wide open Damaree Wright downfield was overthrown. On third-and-15, Palmer completed a pass to Howard for an 11-yard gain. With 21 seconds left in the first half, Mt. Pleasant faced a fourth-and-1 from the Pilgrim 41-yard line. That’s when Palmer’s next pass intended for Howard was picked off by Pilgrim’s Simon Davis, who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown, putting Pilgrim on top 14-8 heading into halftime.

Mt. Pleasant made a switch at signal caller in the second half, moving Jeremiah McNeil from running back to quarterback. After the Pilgrim defense sacked McNeil for a 3-yard loss on first down, McNeil got even, running a keeper to the Mt. Pleasant 46 for a first down. Next, McLean rushed to midfield for a 4-yard gain. After Celestin rushed for a gain of three, Mt. Pleasant faced a third-and-2 from the Pilgrim 46. Celestin was stopped for no gain, and on fourth down, Mt. Pleasant was penalized for a false start. Instead of crumbling, it rallied. McNeil took the direct snap and dodged defenders while rushing 27 yards to the Pilgrim 24-yard line for a Mt. Pleasant first down. On second down, Celestin rushed 14 yards to the 8. Next, Celestin ran left, this time for a touchdown to tie the game at 14. On the 2-point conversion attempt, Pilgrim defensive end Jamal Martey blocked a McNeil pass attempt to keep the score even.

After a poor kickoff by Mt. Pleasant, Pilgrim would start at its own 45. However, the Pats failed to move the chains during the drive and they punted it away to the Mt. Pleasant 44.

On first down, Celestin rushed for a big gain to the Pilgrim 39. Mt. Pleasant was flagged for a false start on the next play, setting them up with a second and 14. Celestin was stopped in his tracks on his next rush attempt for a five yard loss. On third and long, a McNeil keeper was sniffed out by the Pilgrim defense, leading to the Pats regaining possession at the Pilgrim 47-yard line with 27 seconds left in the third quarter.

On first down, McKay completed a 14-yard completion to Rosa, moving the ball to the Mt. Pleasant 43. However, an offsides penalty and a dropped pass would pin Pilgrim too deep in its own zone, and with 10:22 to play, the Pats were forced to punt. A good punt from Connors sailed deep into Mt. Pleasant territory before stopping at the 4-yard line.

On first down, Howard ran right for an 18-yard gain out to the Mt. Pleasant 22. Next, McNeil ran a keeper for a 5-yard gain. On second-and-5, McNeil rushed for six yards and another first down at the Mt. Pleasant 35-yard line. 

The offense would continue to move the chains starting with Celestin, who ran up the middle for a gain of six. On second down, Howard ran right for another first down to the Mt. Pleasant 48-yard line. Next, Howard caught a pass and used a block to escape to the Pilgrim 25 for another Mt. Pleasant first down with 6:19 to play. Then, Howard capped the drive when he rushed right for a touchdown, giving Mt. Pleasant a 20-14 lead with 5:52 to play. Mt. Pleasant tacked on two more points when McNeil ran in the 2-point conversion to increase the lead to 22-14.

The Pats started with the ball deep in Mt. Pleasant territory after a face mask penalty. Starting at the 35-yard line, Ferri rushed twice for a total of 10 yards for a first down at the Mt. Pleasant 21 with 3:42 left to play. Next, McKay ran a quarterback sneak to the 10 for an 11-yard gain.

Another facemask penalty on Mt. Pleasant on the next set of downs gave Pilgrim the ball at the Mt. Pleasant 2-yard line. Ferri plowed through for the touchdown with 2:33 left to pull Pilgrim within 22-20. However, a pass intended for the Pilgrim tight end was dropped on the 2-point conversion attempt, leaving Pilgrim still down by two.

Pilgrim decided to attempt an onside kick, but after the ball went through the hands of several players on both teams, Mt. Pleasant ended up with it.

Nevertheless, the Pilgrim defense was stout, stuffing the Mt. Pleasant rushing attack on the first two downs before sacking McNeil on third down. Mt. Pleasant elected to go for it on fourth-and-long, but the Pilgrim defense swarmed McNeil again, sacking him deep in Mt. Pleasant territory.

With under two minutes to play, Pilgrim took back possession at the Mt. Pleasant 30. McKay didn’t waste any time, launching a ball to a wide open Rosa, who escaped his defender and caught the ball just before the end zone before trotting in for the game-winner with 1:12 to play. Pilgrim added the 2-point conversion when Ferri passed to Coughlin, making it 28-22.