Titans fall just short in D-III debut

Posted 9/23/14

Because it’s been so long since it won a league game, coming so close on Saturday afternoon left the Toll Gate football team visibly disappointed.

But there was also solace to be taken in the …

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Titans fall just short in D-III debut

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Because it’s been so long since it won a league game, coming so close on Saturday afternoon left the Toll Gate football team visibly disappointed.

But there was also solace to be taken in the way the Titans played against a solid Division III opponent, falling just short in a 20-14 loss to Narragansett.

Toll Gate went toe-to-toe with the Mariners and had a drive stall late in the game deep in Narragansett territory that, had it ended up in a touchdown, could have won the game.

The difficulty of losing a division game in which they were close to winning was offset by the clear positives and the steps the Titans have taken already in the young season.

“We’re going in every week with a positive attitude,” said Toll Gate head coach Jim Stringfellow. “We’re going to have 40-plus kids at practice again. They’re coming out to win. That’s what they want. We were close. Six points.”

Narragansett out-gained Toll Gate 228 to 201, but the Titans held star running back Deontae Stanely, who had over 1,000 yards last year, to just 66 yards rushing.

Toll Gate also lost a pair of fumbles, one of which resulted in a Narragansett touchdown drive and another that killed a drive deep in Mariners’ territory in the second half.

“That’s something we’re going to have to work on in practice,” Stringfellow said. “Ball security drills, stuff like that.”

The Titans, who suffered their first loss of the season, are now 0-1 in Division III after opening the season with a win in their Injury Fund game and then a non-league win the following week.

Narragansett is 1-0 in the division.

The game was tied 14-14 at the half, as the Titans got rushing touchdowns from Jacob Moran and Sean Vann, plus a pair of conversion boots by Rory Dobbins, while Narragansett got a pair of 21-yard touchdown passes from quarterback Kyle Pereira, the first to Stanley and the second to Duke Sterling.

But the Mariners took the lead for good on the first drive of the second half, as Stanley capped off an eight-play march with a 3-yard score. The extra point was no good, making the score 20-14.

As it turned out, the Titans – seeking their first league win since 2010 – ended up with only two chances to tie the score in the second half, although both of them were good ones.

Right after the touchdown, they began a drive on Narragansett’s 41-yard line after a poor kickoff, and moved the wall well. Runs by Nick Lemoie, Vann, Alex Mowry and Dan Smith – the quarterback – helped Toll Gate move the ball down to the Mariners’ 19-yard line.

“The offensive line did a phenomenal job again this week,” Stringfellow said. “We practice it. We know we’re a pounding team. They had six, seven guys in the box and we’re coming at you.”

But on first-and-10, Lemoie burst through the line and lost the ball after a 4-yard gain, and it was picked up by Narragansett’s Sterling. He returned it all the way to Toll Gate’s 22-yard line.

“We gave the game away today,” Stringfellow said. “Mental mistakes, a couple of fumbles. It should have been a 14-0 game.”

Narragansett had a chance to take a two-score lead there, but the Toll Gate defense rose to the occasion, keeping its team in the game thanks to a big stop. The mariners drove the ball down to the 1-yard line, but Jimmy Marsella stuffed Austin Butler on a third down play, and Pereira fumbled the snap on fourth down and Marsella recovered, giving the ball back to the Titans.

“The defense played phenomenal today,” Stringfellow said.

The Titans took over at their own 8-yard line with 40 seconds left in the third quarter, and went on a drive that nearly proved to be the game-winner.

They ran 15 plays, chewing up yards and moving the ball systematically down the field on the ground. All the backs got in on the action, as the first eight plays were runs before Smith hit Mowry on a play-action pass over he middle for 26 yards. Three more runs from there had Toll Gate set up with second-and-7 on Narragansett’s 15-yard line and the clock inside of five minutes.

But on second down, Mowry was hit for a 4-yard loss, giving the Titans their first third-and-long of the drive. On the next play, Smith fired a pass too high for Vann in the end zone, and on fourth down Smith was sacked by Jonathan Whalen, giving the ball back to Narragansett on downs with 3:31 to play.

“Broken play, penalty, bad pass,” Stringfellow said. “If we completed that pass it was a touchdown and it’s 20-20. That’s football. Stuff happens.”

Toll Gate never got the ball back. It was whistled for a late hit on the second play of the Mariners’ drive, giving Narragansett a first down. Three plays later, the clock was at zero.

“They played until the final whistle,” Stringfellow said. “They didn’t quit. They didn’t roll over. I’m proud of them for it.”

Lemoie led Toll Gate with 65 yards on the ground, while Vann added 60. Mowry had 23.

The loss was disappointing, but the Titans will have many more chances at breaking through with a divisional win. Their next one is this weekend, as they play their only Friday night game of the year, at East Greenwich. That game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Avengers lost 24-7 last week to Middletown.

“We’re coming out next week to come out and win,” Stringfellow said.

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