Archive - 2012 - Sports Article
December 2nd
EAST GREENWICH â Erik Travers gulped down a pre-game meal of eggs, bacon and toast on Sunday morning, he knew from the feeling in his stomach that he was about to play the most important game of his life.
âMy nerves were going full blast,â said the Cumberland High senior running back. âI thought I was going to throw up. I still don't know how I kept it down.â
EAST GREENWICH â It was a great day for fathers and sons in general â but specifically for fathers who coach college football and sons who were instrumental in Cumberland High capturing the Division II Super Bowl in runaway fashion.
December 1st
EAST GREENWICH â Not quite 20 hours after Cumberland High had crushed West Warwick, 48-14, in a R.I. Division II grid semifinal, head coach Chris Skurka and his staff sat in a classroom far above the Wellness Center gym floor on Thursday afternoon planning for their next â and final â opponent of 2012.
That will be Woonsocket, which â with a 27-0 pasting of Central, also Wednesday night â earned the right to face the top-seeded Clippers in the D-II Super Bowl at East Greenwich Highâs Nick Carcieri Field at noon Sunday.
WOONSOCKET OFFENSE
TE â Kyle Lizotte, junior, No. 88
LG â Nick Fernandes, sophomore, No. 51
LT â Brian Cahill, senior, No. 50
C â Andrew Gaulin, junior, No. 74
RG â Shawn Ingram, sophomore, No. 75
RT â Levi Walker, senior, No. 79
WR â John Poirier, senior, No. 1
QB â Brett Bouchard, senior, No. 14
RB â Jalen Evans, senior, No. 28
RB â Will Andino, junior, No. 2
WR â Kyle Mulvey, senior, No. 21
WOONSOCKET DEFENSE
DE â Brian Cahill, senior No. 50.
DT â Shawn Ingram, sophomore, No. 75
DT â Ryan Lagasse, senior, No. 54
DE â Seydou Niang, senior, No. 55
PROVIDENCE â Deep down, Ed Cooley has to know that the basketball gods have not completely forsaken his Providence College Friars.
While injuries continue to decimate Cooleyâs already razor-thin core, PC somehow continues to avoid getting buried under an avalanche of excuses and naysayers proclaiming itâs impossible to play major college basketball with a depleted lineup. The fact that the Friars sport a 6-2 record following Saturdayâs too-close-for-comfort 73-63 win over SEC foe Mississippi State reiterates the adage âwhat doesnât kill you makes you stronger.â
November 30th
WOONSOCKET --- It must have been the beard. Or it must have been the bright blue camouflage shorts.
No, the real reason why Joe Gardner was impressive in winning his super middleweight bout with previously-unbeaten Alex Amparo on Thursday night was that he was a very busy fighter from start to finish and showed zero signs of slowing down.
November 29th
At first blush, the task of Cumberland and Woonsocket laying the groundwork for the seasonâs biggest game doesnât seem entirely daunting â especially since weâre referencing two squads that staged a gridiron tussle merely eight days ago.
With only three days between the semifinals and Sundayâs Division II Super Bowl, the art of familiarity helps to take a little strain off of the preparation process. Time has become a valuable commodity, and if youâre going to step into the ring of fire, what better opponent to have than someone where introductions are not required?
PROVIDENCE â To Ryan Kalish, the time and sweat heâs putting in this offseason has a rewarding vibe surrounding it â the kind that provides the 24-year-old Red Sox outfielder with the sort of reassurance that heâll be ready to answer the bell come spring training.
November 28th
WOONSOCKET --- For the third time in the last four years, Woonsocket is heading to the Division II Super Bowl. And the Villa Novans earned that right to advance thanks to two of the things that helped them win the championship in 2009 and â10 â a strong ground game and a stellar defensive effort.
Senior Jalen Evans and junior Will Andino teamed up to rush for 246 yards and three touchdowns, and the Novansâ âDâ limited the Knights to 167 total yards to help produce a 27-0 semifinal-round triumph on Wednesday night under the brightness of portable lights at Barry Field.
CUMBERLAND â Mercy!
It was yet another Big Blue blowout in a season that has pointed in one direction â the Division II Super Bowl. An appearance in the title game is officially in Cumberland Highâs line of sight after Wednesday nightâs 48-14 romp against West Warwick High in semifinal-round action at frigid Tucker Field.
