The Pilgrim football team made a statement last week when it beat East Greenwich 6-0 in its non-league season opener.

The teams were scoreless until two minutes were remaining in the fourth quarter. After Pilgrim recovered a muffed EG punt, quarterback Chace Roberts would scramble up the seam to pick up the rushing touchdown which would be all the Pats needed to get the victory.

Pilgrim’s defense stole the show throughout the rock fight, finishing the night with four fourth-down stops and two fumble recoveries to go along with the recovered punt.

Tristan Miller would knock the ball loose which was recovered by Cole Bigelli on a fumble while Justyn Murphy recovered the punt in the fourth quarter.

“Defensively we were firing on all cylinders, putting pressure on their quarterback. They have an experienced quarterback, some really big linemen, so luckily we were able to put some pressure on him and get him out of rhythm,” said Pilgrim head coach Blake Simpson of the team’s defensive efforts.

Although the defense shined on the night, the offense struggled to find its footing, especially in the early going. EG’s defensive front limited the running game while the Pilgrim passing attack was unable to take off.

“The timing was just a little off on our plays. We had guys open on certain plays but were either under thrown, over thrown. It may have had something to do with the weather or the adrenaline of Friday night lights,” said Simpson.

East Greenwich is coming off a strong season in Division II and has hopes of reaching the postseason. Pilgrim sought a non-league matchup against a higher-ranked opponent while establishing its schedule in the offseason, so for the Division III Pats to walk out on top is a feather in their cap.

“It’s very beneficial for us and we try to schedule those games against higher caliber opponents. Our players were up for the challenge. Most of them understand the importance of it,” said Simpson. “East Greenwich is one of the best coached teams in the state so to come out with the win is a huge step in the right direction for us as we get prepared to face our league opponents.

Kicking off the league slate for Pilgrim is Mt. Hope, who the Pats will host this Friday night.

“Our biggest fear with Mt. Hope is the size of their line and their unit up front on both offense and defense. They have a new quarterback and a new running back, but their line is a big strength and I expect them to also be very well-coached,” said Simpson.