'Canes and Titans seeking win in non-league matchup

Matt Metcalf, Assistant Sports Editor
Posted 11/20/14

By MATT METCALF

Assistant Sports Editor

After a pair of tough regular seasons, the Toll Gate and Warwick Vets football teams aren’t exactly oozing with confidence.

But the two teams will …

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'Canes and Titans seeking win in non-league matchup

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After a pair of tough regular seasons, the Toll Gate and Warwick Vets football teams aren’t exactly oozing with confidence.

But the two teams will face off in a non-league game tomorrow night, an opportunity for one team to gain some momentum heading into their Thanksgiving Day game.

Opportunities to win games have been few and far between this season for the ‘Canes and the Titans, so both teams are excited to potentially get in the win column.

“We’re feeling pretty good,” Toll Gate head coach Jim Stringfellow said. “We had a good, positive practice today. The team is excited to play a crosstown rival.”

The Titans picked up their first division win in 28 tries this year, topping Hope High School 23-6. Their last league win prior to that came on October 8, 2010, when they were in Division II. They now play in Division III

The Vann brothers were key in that game. Senior running back Sean Vann and freshman quarterback Anthony Vann combined for three touchdowns, two by Sean and one from Anthony.

The Vanns, along with seniors Nick Lemoie and Jacob Moran and junior Alex Mowry, have shouldered the load offensively for the Titans this year. Mowry had his best game of the season against Pilgrim three weeks ago, when he rushed for 113 yards and scored two first-quarter touchdowns.

However, both teams have a mix of younger and older guys. Stringfellow noted that he will play his older guys in the final two games, but will continue to play some of his younger players in key positions to gain some experience, notably Anthony Vann at quarterback and linebacker Sean Devlin.

For the ‘Canes, they’re just looking to get in the win column. Vets has fought through a plethora of injuries this season and have yet to win a game, going 0-7 in Division II-A, while scoring just 78 total points.

However, Bryan Nappa’s team is in good spirits with two intra-city games left on the schedule.

“We’ve been trying to focus on the good things we’ve been doing and we’re pretty confident,” Nappa said. “We feel like we match up pretty well against Toll Gate. Our seniors are looking to hang their hats on a win.”

Vets has had no choice but to play some of its young players this year. It doesn’t have many upperclassmen to start with, and only Mickenzey Pacheco and Connor Thompson are currently healthy.

“We don’t have too many guys with game experience,” Nappa said. “We’re looking to our younger guys to improve and mature quickly.”

The young ‘Canes have shown some signs of maturity this year.

There’s no question that Vets’ defense has had its struggles and it’s hard to win games when you can’t keep the opposing team off the scoreboard. Nevertheless, the ‘Canes’ offense has shown glimpses of potential, particularly with quarterback Nick Beaufort and running back Matt Kelly. Beaufort has taken some lumps this season, but has also had some bright spots, showing he can play well at this level. In a loss at Coventry earlier this season, Beaufort threw two second-half touchdown passes. Kelly, on the other hand, has been behind senior Pacheco for much of the season. But while Pacheco was hurt in the middle of the season, Kelly shined. The sophomore totaled 141 yards from scrimmage in the same game against Coventry, catching a touchdown pass and rushing for another.

The two teams met prior to the season in a shortened injury fund game and Toll Gate prevailed, 12-6. Although Toll Gate and Vets have some pieces still in place, many positions are filled with different players now, a testimony to how the seasons have gone and the amount of injuries, Vets in particular, has encountered.

“They’re a really well-coached team,” Stringfellow said. “We’re expecting a good test for our team.”

Although playoff contention is in the rearview, bragging rights around Warwick are still up for grabs, which both coaches echoed is extremely important to the players.

Following the game on Friday night, the two teams will just have their Thanksgiving games remaining on their schedules.

Pilgrim will host Vets on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m., while Toll Gate will travel to Hendricken on the night before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 26, for a 6 p.m. kickoff.

Before that, though, the two struggling Warwick teams will meet.

A win, along with bragging rights will be on the line when the two teams clash at 6 p.m. at Vets on Friday night.

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