Pats outlast Sentinels for overtime win

Posted 9/16/14

Throughout last season, the Pilgrim football team could point to an opening-game blowout of Smithfield as its high-water mark, a sign of what it was capable of.

The Patriots won’t be saying …

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Pats outlast Sentinels for overtime win

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Throughout last season, the Pilgrim football team could point to an opening-game blowout of Smithfield as its high-water mark, a sign of what it was capable of.

The Patriots won’t be saying that about this year’s season opener, except in one area.

They can grind one out.

Hosting an improved Smithfield team Friday night, Pilgrim lost starting quarterback Rob Quaine to an injury on its first possession, battled penalties and miscues, gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown, but ultimately won 12-6 in overtime.

Junior Owen Kelly rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Sophomore Sean Cooney added 41 yards on eight carries. Pilgrim’s defense limited Smithfield to 103 total yards and forced two turnovers, including an overtime fumble that sealed the victory.

Last year, Pilgrim’s hot start against the Sentinels didn’t yield much once league play began, as the Pats went winless in Division II. They’re a more experienced squad this year, and they’re now in Division III. As they prep for their league opener in two weeks – after a bye this week – Friday’s game gives them a blueprint for what needs to improve.

Winning it despite the struggles gives them something to build on.

“I take out of it that we’ve got some heart,” said Pilgrim head coach Tom O’Connor. “We’re not quitting. We’re going to fight to the end. We were throwing some licks late in the game. We’ve got some tough kids, and I’m happy with that. Now we just have to execute.”

The Pats carried a 6-0 lead into the fourth quarter but Smithfield’s Jordan Smith blocked a punt with 10:58 left. Riley White scooped up the ball and ran 39 yards for the game-tying touchdown. The Sentinels tried a two-point conversion, but Kelly and Roger Anyango tracked down Brendan Correia shy of the end zone on a run to the right side.

Pilgrim threatened to answer late in the fourth when it marched inside Smithfield’s 10, but the drive stalled there. Each team came up empty one more time before the end of regulation.

Smithfield won the overtime coin toss and elected to start on defense. On the first play of Pilgrim’s possession, Kelly took a toss to the right, hit traffic, cut back to the left and raced all the way to the far corner of the end zone for the score.

“Coach always has us practicing cutbacks in running back drills,” Kelly said. “I figured it would be there and it was.”

On Smithfield’s possession, quarterback Michael Cotoia tried a fade pass to the end zone on first down. Pilgrim was flagged for pass interference, putting the ball on the 5-yard line. But on the next play, Cotoia lost the ball amid a stiff Pilgrim rush. Kelly pounced on the ball and came out of the pile with it, touching off a Pilgrim celebration.

“We didn’t give up,” O’Connor said. “In years past, we’ve been known to curl back from the pressure. They wanted it. They were aggressive. They stuck with it.”

Kelly had his breakout game against Smithfield last year, when he rushed for 165 yards. With the Sentinels keying on him this year, it was much tougher sledding, but Kelly was a workhorse nonetheless. He carried the ball on 23 of Pilgrim’s 57 offensive plays and found a way to gain positive yardage even when the holes weren’t there.

“It was tough being up 6-0 and having that punt blocked then being on the 5-yard line and not scoring,” Kelly said. “But you’ve just got to never give up. Just play.”

Pilgrim opened the game with a drive that lasted more than seven minutes, but that ended with no points and with Quaine on the sideline. He injured his ankle on the 11th play of the game, when he was sacked for a 5-yard loss. Darren Grant took over at quarterback.

After forcing a punt, the Pats broke through on their next drive. It was a long, plodding drive kept alive twice by Smithfield penalties, but ultimately, the Pats capped it with a score. On third-and-7 from the 21, Kelly ripped through the middle, bounced off a tackle at the 8-yard line and rambled into the end zone. Grant was sacked on the two-point try.

Pilgrim wouldn’t score again until the overtime, but its defense was up to the task. Smithfield didn’t complete a pass and barely cracked 100 yards rushing. The special teams touchdown was Smithfield’s only score of the day, giving the Pilgrim defense a shutout.

The Sentinels’ best drive came just after halftime, when they marched into Pilgrim territory with steady production from their running backs. But Pilgrim stiffened and forced a punt thanks to a tackle for loss by Peter Johnston on second down and a running play that Joe Borges and Evan Broccoli stopped for just a yard on third down.

Grant, who continued playing linebacker even as he took over for Quaine on offense, delivered a key play in the fourth quarter. With the game tied – and the Sentinels sporting some momentum – he blew up a toss play and forced a fumble. Broccoli recovered.

“The defense was aggressive,” O’Connor said. “We adapted to some things. They came out after halftime and moved the ball a little bit. Coach tweaked one thing here, one thing there. We shut that down and we started hitting.”

And in the end, it was enough.

“Smithfield’s well-coached and they’ve got some players over there,” O’Connor said. “A win’s a win. We’ll take it.”

While most teams open league play this week, Pilgrim will have one extra week. With players like Quaine banged up, it actually comes at a good time.

Pilgrim will visit Lincoln on Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. The Lions lost a non-league game to D-II Shea last week after beating D-II Woonsocket in the Injury Fund,

“We’ll get healthy and we’ll get ready for Lincoln,” O’Connor said.

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