BRONCOS SEASON PREVIEW
Division III champs return plenty of starters
Burrillville chasing another Division III championship
BURRILLVILLE — Nobody in Burrillville can or will forget the amazing happenings of Sunday night, Dec. 4, inside Cranston Stadium.
With proverbial backs to the wall, and trailing 6-0 with 12 seconds in regulation of the R.I. Division III Super Bowl, Burrillville High scored the game-tying touchdown when thenquarterback Zach Lefebvre found junior Nick Deering in the right front corner of the end zone.
Deering’s classmate, Darren Jenks, supplied the Broncos with the necessary PAT to snatch a heart-pounding 7-6 victory over Juanita Sanchez/PCD/Wheeler Co-op, and the triumph sealed not only the state championship but a 121 overall record.
The lone loss? That came in a non-league clash to eventual Division II champ Shea earlier in the season.
Coach Gennaro Ferraro still revels in those memories, but warned his current troops from the start of the George Nasuti Memorial Passing League this summer that’s all it was – a fond memory.
“Our goal is always the same – get back to Cranston Stadium,” he stated of his message. “They have to know that no (previous) win will help us do anything this time around. It’s a new team, a new vibe, and they’re going to ave earn their keep just like any other team had to.
“It was the most incredible football event I’ve ever been a part of, and it has its place in our athletic history,” he added of the latest Bowl victory.
“It’s definitely something I’d like to feel again, but I told the kids they’ve got to forget about that and focus on what it’s going to take to feel that again. That’s every coach’s and player’s addiction – winning.
“I use that success as a motivating tool for the guys we have coming back. This year, we’ve adopted a motto; we sort of stole it from a song by U2: ‘We still haven’t found what we’re looking for.’”
Ferraro will return a whopping eight offensive starters, though the headliner, Deering, sustained a broken foot while playing basketball three days before training camp and is still on crutches.
“From what I’ve been told, we’ll get him back pretty soon,” he said of his secondteam All-State receiver (who will also play free safety), “but he will miss the East Greenwich game.”
That’s slated for 10:30 a.m., Saturday, at Alumni Stadium.
Other returnees to the offense include seniors Zach Gray (tight end), Logan Wilson (center), and Tyler Richards and Christian Bouvier (RB); and juniors Brandon DiChiaro (T), Cyrus Sikes (G) and Ryan Lockwood (WR).
Among those on the defensive side: Sikes and Wilson (DT); Richards (ILB); Gray (SS); junior Matt Gongoleski (OLB); senior Josh Newell (CB); and junior Brennan Richards (ILB).
Ferraro, though, has to fill the capable, reliable spikes of graduated signal caller Lefebvre. He admitted he’s allowed both junior Jake Gelinas and senior Nathan Tayes to share snaps through the passing league (which the Broncos won) and camp practices, but indicated Gelinas has won the starting nod.
“Both quarterbacks have worked extremely hard, and the decision was more than difficult,” the mentor noted. “It was pretty even, and (the battle) actually elevated the play of everyone during the passing league. It was Jake’s physical ability fit the style of our offense,” which will be a spread as in seasons past.
Jenks, also a corner, will return as kicker – that was never a question, given his Bowl heroics, while Deering will serve as the squad’s punter.
Key newcomers include Deering’s twin, Brendan, a transfer from Seekonk who will see action at both receiver and outside linebacker, as well as juniors Robert Barnes (OG/OLB), Ross Lapierre (OT), Marcus Audet (WR/SS) and Adrian Cournoyer (WR).
Tyler Richards, Bouvier and Gongoleski will rotate in the offensive backfield.
The Broncos’ quad-captains are Nick Deering, Tyler Richards, Gray and Newell.
“I think our main strengths are our defense and senior leadership,” Ferraro said of a system that will be of the ‘multiple-sets’ variety. “Most of our defensive guys have played in two straight Super Bowls. If we have any potential weakness, it could be the grooming of a new quarterback. We’re going to have growing pains, so we’re going to have to recognize the hic- cups and adjust to them. We’re going to have to adapt to the skills of all players.
“We also know we’re going to have a huge target on our backs, that others teams are going to be gunning for us, so that’s going to have to be a motivating factor,” he continued. “East Greenwich is going to be an outstanding test for us; they have a great coaching staff and great players who know us all too well.
“We have to continue to improve and take it practice- by-practice and week-toweek. We’re going to endure a really tough football season, so we’re going to have to avoid injuries, remain healthy and keep accumulating skills. We’re going to be facing teams who also have grown and gotten better. When the really rough part of the season comes, we’ll have to keep evolving.
“The most important thing for us to remain hungry and focused, understand it’s a brand new season.”