The East Greenwich football team has separated itself from the rest of the pack as the best team in Division III.

The Avengers left no doubt after a 47-0 drubbing of Pilgrim (6-2) on Friday night. The Pats had scored at least 30 points in their last five games, all wins, before being shut out for the first time this season. East Greenwich star quarterback Nick Andreozzi fired five touchdowns against the Pilgrim defense, which hadn’t allowed a passing touchdown since Oct. 16.

“Today was real emotional for the kids,” Pilgrim head coach Tom O’Connor said. “They let their emotions get the best of them. East Greenwich is a great team. Big, strong, fast. They’ve got everything it takes. We haven’t seen the likes of them all year. They’re a step above the rest of us.”

Pilgrim forced a turnover-on-downs on the Avengers’ first drive, but was soon faced with a fourth-and-3 at its own 38-yard line. Instead of punting, the Pats went for it and quarterback David McMullen was stuffed on a keeper, giving it back to the Avengers.

Andreozzi connected across the middle with running back Andrew Licciardi on the first play from scrimmage to put the Avengers on top, after the extra point, 7-0.

The momentum started rolling for EG, and Pilgrim helped it continue. On the first play of the Pats’ next drive, which started in EG territory at the 46, McMullen fumbled a keeper to set up the Avengers with good field position.

Andreozzi drove EG down the field, eventually finding wide receiver Brian Gemma for a 16-yard touchdown. Before the first quarter was up, EG led 14-0.

“We gave them extra balls,” O’Connor said. “We gave them turnovers, penalties, silly mistakes, run-throughs. I haven’t seen that many run-throughs this year, if I counted them all up in the game. Part of it has to do with the kids on EG and their execution, they’re well coached. Part of it has to do with our kids, not playing our game.”

Again, ball security was an issue for the Pats. Anthony Russo was stripped returning the ensuing kickoff and the Avengers recovered at the Pilgrim 14. Three plays later, Donovan Carcieri-Cassidy punched it in from one yard out. The extra point was blocked, but EG led 20-0 early in the second quarter.

After another turnover-on-downs, the Avengers set up deep in Pats’ territory. Pilgrim’s defense showed some life, though, as an interception of Andreozzi and subsequent return set the offense up at its own 47. McMullen and running back Owen Kelly then led a 10-play drive into the Avengers’ red zone, but nothing came of it. McMullen was intercepted in the end zone by Brian Gemma on fourth-and-16.

Two plays later, Andreozzi found running back Mitchell Gemma on a short pass, and he went down the right sideline past the entire Pilgrim defense for a 71-yard touchdown. Mitchell Gemma would later break the 1,000-yard mark for his career.

The extra point brought EG out to a 27-0 lead, where it stood at the half.

The Avengers tacked on a few more scores in the second half as Pilgrim struggled to move the ball. Andreozzi found wide receiver Egan Reale after blown coverage in the middle for a 45-yard touchdown catch three minutes after the break.

“We were frazzled,” O’Connor said. “We were frazzled from the moment we stepped off that bus and we had been that way for this whole game. We’re capable of playing better than this.”

On the next drive, Andreozzi found Brian Gemma in the end zone from 22 yards out, with Gemma making an impressive diving play to secure the catch.

Things went from bad to worse for the Pats on their next drive, which ended in a punt. The ball was sent in the air to Reale, who dashed from the Pilgrim 40 down the left sideline for a return touchdown. The third quarter wasn’t up yet, but the Avengers had built a 47-0 lead.

The fourth quarter didn’t feature any scoring as most of Pilgrim’s starters were pulled.

Pilgrim will have to shake off the loss quickly, as it will travel to Classical this weekend for the D-III semifinals. The Pats’ only other defeat of the campaign came against Classical on Oct. 2 on a rainy night in Warwick, with the Purple coming out on top, 19-14. However, due to a suspension, O’Connor wasn’t on the sidelines for that game, and the Pats want another crack at Classical.

“Any time you lose to a team and it was close, and it was a misstep here or there that cost you the game, everyone wants revenge,” O’Connor said. “It’s just natural. We’re gonna go out there, we’re gonna execute and we’ll see where we go from there.”