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Tiverton tops Ponaganset gridders |
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Saturday, 25 October 2008 |
TIVERTON – Considering everything that’s happened over the past week to Ponaganset High’s football team, Saturday’s 14-6 loss to unbeaten Tiverton gave coach Tom Marcello a glimpse into the Chieftains’ collective hearts.
“Our defense played its best game of the year,” Marcello said while discussing the game a few hours after it ended. The coach could see some positives in the way his team remained competitive after two turnovers in the first quarter helped Tiverton score a pair of touchdowns.
Ponaganset, which began the week unbeaten and then learned it had to forfeit two games due to the use of an ineligible player, shook off its poor start with a strong defensive effort against the best offense in the division.
The Chieftains came close to scoring late in the first half, only to see their chance thwarted by a Tiverton interception.
Nick Keeling capped a 65-yard drive for Ponaganset in the third quarter with a five-yard run. But the Chieftains missed the extra point and failed to mount another serious drive against the best team in the league.
“We had a couple breakdowns,” Marcello said. “We fumbled on our second play from scrimmage, giving Tiverton the ball on the 18-yard line. We pushed them back and made an interception that was called off because the referees called a roughing-the-passer penalty.”
Tiverton completed the drive when Mike Quito scored on a two-yard run.
“Tiverton’s other touchdown also came on a short field,” Marcello said. “We had a bad snap on a punt and they took over on our 24-yard line.”
Quito again finished off a short drive with a one-yard scoring run.
Down 14-0 on the road, Ponaganset could have packed it in. Instead, the Chieftains played their opponents to a standstill over the final three quarters.
“We have to build momentum based on our defensive effort,” Marcello said. “This week, we play Johnston and then we have Narragansett at home.”
The Chieftains, now 3-2 in Division III, should make the playoffs with a solid finish. The defending Division III Super Bowl champions showed Tiverton on Saturday that they will not roll over after getting hit with a big punch.
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Ponaganset 0 - 0 - 6 - 0 – 6
Tiverton 14 - 0 – 0 – 0 – 14
TIV – Mike Quito 2 run (Mark Brinkman kick)
TIV – Mike Quito 1 run (Mark Brinkman kick)
PONA – Nick Keeling 5 run (kick failed)
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 October 2008 )
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