The Ponaganset football team overcame a halftime deficit to hand Pilgrim a 32-16 loss in the Division III semifinals, ending the Pats’ 2024 run.
Pilgrim took a 16-15 lead into the halftime break, but Ponaganset would take control and surge in the final 24 minutes of play. The Chieftains scored a touchdown in the third quarter to make it 23-16, then kicked a field goal and added another late rushing touchdown to set the score at 32-16.
Pilgrim began the game by driving to the red zone, but Ponaganset would grab an interception to end the threat. Pilgrim’s defense got a stop deep in Ponaganset territory and would give the offense back possession. This time, the Pats delivered when Jacob Soulliere capped off the drive with a touchdown, followed by a successful 2-point conversion when Luka Ruscio hauled in the score.
Ponaganset returned the ensuing kickoff the distance to tie the score then rushed for another to take a 15-8 lead in the second quarter. Pilgrim quarterback Carter Clifton connected with Colin Burke for a touchdown strike and then rushed for the 2-point play to give the Pats the lead.
Despite a promising start, Pilgrim was unable to sustain its energy for four quarters.
“Our guys just put it all out there in the first two quarters. They came out hot, gave it everything they had, but I think it was just a very physical game. We had guys go down with cramps which forced us to make adjustments and that took away from what we were doing in the first half,” said Pilgrim head coach Blake Simpson.
The Chieftains topped Pilgrim in the season finale two weeks prior. The Pilgrim coaching staff felt that it was able to put together the right game plan this time around.
“We really dove into the film and were looking to see what could be open, what holes they may have. We were able to hit a lot of chunk plays in the air. We knew we weren’t going to be able to run well against that front, but with the receivers that we have, we had some design plays and Carter made some huge throws in the first half that helped us jump out to that lead,” Simpson said.
Pilgrim entered the fall season under the radar in Division III with a largely new starting lineup. Despite their youth, the Pats scheduled games against opponents in higher divisions, including DII Woonsocket and DI Burrillville. Those tough matchups, ultimately, prepared Pilgrim to make a late push as it earned the second seed in the DIII postseason.
“They outperformed our expectations. We had a whole new set of skill guys, had to piece together an offensive line, but every one of them stepped up to the challenge and the tasks that we asked them to do,” Simpson said. “They performed well taking on very tough opponents. Those games helped them prepare to host two playoff games. If you talked to just about anyone in the media at the beginning of the year, I don’t think any of them picked us to be in the top half of our division.”
Pilgrim is set to bring back another young roster next season with a small senior class expected to lead the way. Simpson hopes that this strong finish will motivate the returners.
“I hope now they realize what it takes to make a playoff push and get back in the weight room and have that drive to get back to the playoffs,” said Simpson, who will also appreciate the leadership of his current seniors. “These seniors mean a lot to me. They’ve grown so much, we have 10 of them that have been in the program for four years. To see them grow into not just football players, but as young men and leaders, it means a lot to our program and I’m going to miss them.”