The Westerly football team handled Pilgrim, 42-6, on Friday night at Warwick Vets. The Bulldogs held a 21-0 lead at the half, after three rushing touchdowns from senior running back Ethan Holloway.

Pats’ head coach Rob Pacifico faulted the offensive line for the blowout loss. Pilgrim signal caller James McKay had a rough night, throwing four interceptions and fumbling once with one touchdown pass in the contest.

“That was more of an indication of what his line was doing for him as opposed to him as a quarterback,” Pacifico said.

“Our defense played well at least for a half, but our offense couldn’t stay on the field and the defense was just out there way too much,” Pacifico said. “You get tired when you’re playing that much defense. That’s what happened tonight.”

Westerly received the opening kickoff and sophomore running back Jonathan Brutcher returned it to midfield. Moments later, Westerly faced a third-and-1 after Holloway rushed nine yards. Quarterback Josh Gougan launched a deep pass to the tight end Cole Riley, but he dropped it. On fourth down, the Pilgrim defense stopped Gougon, who ran a keeper, forcing Westerly to turn it over on downs at the Pilgrim 28.

During the first play of Pilgrim’s opening drive, Westerly linebacker Junie Rios hit McKay, causing him to fumble and Westerly regained possession at the Pilgrim 25.

On second down, Holloway busted out a 17-yard scamper to the Pilgrim 6-yard line. However, a false start on the next play pushed Westerly back to the 11. After a three-yard run by Holloway on third down, he fumbled the ball on the next play and Pilgrim’s Josh Moniz pounced on it.

With 7:04 left to play in the first quarter, Pilgrim started again, this time from its own 8. On first down, fullback Sean Cooney charged six yards to the Pilgrim 14. After back-to-back penalties on Westerly, the ball was placed at the Pilgrim 35. After gaining only four yards on the first two downs, a bad snap to McKay set Pilgrim up with a fourth-and-long. So, Pilgrim’s punter Austin Connors kicked it away.

Westerly took over at the Pilgrim 49. On second down, sophomore running back Antwone Brown darted to the 40 before a Pilgrim player hit him with a hard blow, which led to an unnecessary roughness penalty, putting the ball at the Pilgrim 15. The Pats’ defense seemed to halt the Westerly offense, but on fourth down as Westerly kicker Conner Swain attempted a field goal, the Pilgrim defense was flagged for a penalty, giving Westerly a first down at the 4. On the next play, Holloway charged through for the touchdown, giving Westerly a 7-0 lead.

Pilgrim started its next possession at its own 29. On second down, a bad snap to fullback Simon Davis set Pilgrim back nine yards. On fourth down, a poor punt from Connors gave Westerly the ball at the Pilgrim 24.

On second down, Westerly’s Brown rushed six yards to the Pilgrim 18. Next, Ryan Holloway charged 10 yards to the 8. With 6:51 left in the first half, Ethan Holloway ran for the touchdown from three yards out, putting Westerly up 14-0.

Pilgrim’s next possession began at its own 25. On first down, Cooney ran two yards. McKay would overthrow James Baldwin on second down, and after an incompletion to Zach Johnson on third down, Pilgrim would again be forced to punt.

Brutcher returned the punt to the Pilgrim 45. The Pats’ defense was stingy during the series, with Josh Moniz sacking Gougon before the defense stuffed the run on third down, forcing Westerly to punt to the Pilgrim 33.

With 2:05 remaining in the half, Westerly took over at the Pilgrim 40. Brown rushed two yards on first down. Next, he rushed six yards to the Pilgrim 32. A few plays later, Ryan Holloway charged 14 yards to the Pilgrim 3. With 15 seconds left and Westerly out of timeouts, Benjamin Terranova spiked the ball to stop the clock. On second down, Ethan Holloway rushed in for the touchdown from three yards out, putting Westerly up 21-0 at halftime.

Pilgrim came out of the break looking more focused. Starting from his own 19, McKay completed a pass to Ty Weldon-Martin at midfield. Then, McKay found Weldon-Martin again, this time for a 12-yard gain to the Westerly 38. Next, Nate Ferri raced 20 yards to the 18. On first down, McKay fired deep to Baldwin for a Pilgrim touchdown, one minute and 26 seconds into the second half, pulling the Patriots within two scores, 21-6.

Westerly started its next possession at its own 35. On first down, Brown rushed 25 yards to the Pilgrim 40. Next, Rios rushed eight yards to the 32. Then, with 8:54 remaining in the third, Brown sprinted left for the score, putting Westerly on top 28-6.

Pilgrim’s Davis returned the ensuing kickoff to the Westerly 20. McKay was sacked for a 10-yard loss on first down. On second down, McKay was sacked again, this time by defensive lineman Max Davis. Now at the Westerly 35, McKay threw incomplete on a pass intended for Steven Rosa. Going to desperate measures, Pilgrim went for it on fourth-and-long. McKay’s throw was tipped and picked off by Brutcher and returned to the 30 of Pilgrim.

Two penalties against Westerly and some tough Pilgrim defense forced Westerly to punt. After McKay threw a pair of incomplete passes on the first two downs, his third pass was picked off by Gougon with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter.

Westerly was penalized for holding on second down of the ensuing possession while now holding the ball at the Pilgrim 40. After Brown rushed 10 yards on the first two downs, Westerly went for it on fourth-and-short. Jacob Schafer fumbled the handoff and Pilgrim defensive end Jamal Martey covered it up.

With the ball at Pilgrim’s 30, the Westerly rushers attacked McKay, deflecting his pass from behind, which led to an interception by Peter Fusaro.

Westerly took over at the Pilgrim 45 with 1:06 remaining in the third. On third down, Schafer galloped 40 yards for a touchdown, putting Westerly up 35-6.

Davis returned the ensuing kickoff to the Pilgrim 22. McKay completed to Zach Johnson on first down for a 1-yard gain. On third down, McKay found Johnson again, this time for a 12-yard completion and a first down. However, on third down, Fusaro got a pick-six with 9:26 to play in the game, putting Westerly on top 42-6.

Westerly was dominant even without their star running back Jalen Valentin, who is out with an injury.

“They’re a good team,” Pacifico said. “Coming into the season, I thought the division would come down to West Warwick or Moses Brown. I’ve got to reconsider that. Westerly belongs up there. They might belong above them.”

Ferri, Pilgrim’s top back, had a light workload in his first game back from an ankle injury that had him out two weeks. The team hopes he’s full-time Saturday when it plays at Johnston.