By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

LINCOLN-  Woonsocket High coach George Briggs could sense right from the beginning that it would be tough to dethrone multiple-defending champion Cumberland in Saturday’s Northern Division Championship.
In just the fourth event of the afternoon, the Clippers collected 18 big points.
“Cumberland just has way too much depth,” said Briggs, shortly after junior John Morgan led a 2-4-5 finish for the Clippers. “That 3,000 was devastating.”
As it turned out on the CCRI oval, Cumberland’s performance in the 3,000 was a preview of a common occurrence. Once again, demonstrating its outstanding depth, Cumberland cruised to another league title, defeating runner-up Woonsocket, 131-92. Ponaganset placed third with 40 points..
Although head coach Tom Kenwood can’t recall the last time his team didn’t bring home the hardware in the divisional meet, this much is understood. Since the 2001-02 season, Cumberland has snared every league crown and compiled an astonishing 80-2 mark in dual-meet competition.
“I figured that we could score at least 130 points,” said Kenwood, whose Clippers were 8-0 during the league season. “It came out just what I figured.”
Cumberland scored in every event but the 1,500-meter run. But it was the final seven when it did the most damage. Ahead by nine points (55-46), the Clippers racked up 76 of its total to easily outdistance the Villa Novans, who Kenwood looked at as his toughest challenge.
“I pretty much knew right after the hurdles that we had the meet won. Woonsocket‘s a little weak in the rest of the events,” he said. “We had really good performances all along. Everyone did about what I expected them to do.”
Cumberland captured six events, including a sweep in all three relays (4x1 lap, 4x400 and 4x800. Garnering individual victories were Brandon Aikens in the 45 dash (5.6 seconds), Tim Ferry in the 45 hurdles (6.7) and Dave Linback in the 25-pound weight (54-9 ½).
Woonsocket, which finished second in the league at 7-1, had two first-place finishes. In the high jump, an event the Villa Novans amassed 20 points, Chris Penso continued his dominance by leaping a height of 6-4. Wesley DeChristafaro was second at 6-2 and teammate Sean Ceccofiglio was fifth at 5-6.
Penso, a runner-up in last year’s indoor state meet and the defending outdoor titlist, owns the best jump in the state at 6-5.
“He’s been very consistent at 6-4 this season,” Briggs said. “He’s raised the bar, to coin a phrase. I expect him to jump 6-6 pretty soon.”
The Villa Novans had their other victory from Geoff Phaneuf in the 300. Phaneuf won a tight race, beating Aikens by a tenth of a second with his time of 38.4. The Clippers’ Josh Robison was third in a personal best of 38.6.
Ponaganset  collected three wins in the meet. Matt Macedo broke the tape twice by copping the 1,500 (4:25.3) and the 1,000. Cole Maguire was the first across the line in the 3,000, running a season-best of 9:37.5. Morgan was second at 9:45.5.
After a back-and-forth race with Morgan, Maguire took control with about 600 meters to go.
“I tried to make my move a little earlier because he’s a 1,500 (meter) runner. He has a better kick than me,” said Maguire, about Morgan. “I had to make my move there. (Head coach Jim Caron) said I had a good enough lead that if I sprint with two laps to go, I could take it.”
St. Raphael, which placed seventh in the meet with 19 points, had an individual triumph from Richard Casiello in the shot put with a heave of 44-5.