Warriors face unbeaten Cavaliers
Central Falls one win away from Division III Super Bowl
CENTRAL FALLS — Way back on Saturday, Aug. 26, Central Falls High went through a scrimmage with defending Division III Super Bowl finalist Juanita Sanchez/PCD/Wheeler co-op, and Warriors’ mentor Jeff Lapierre was more than impressed with his foe even then.
“Obviously, you don’t really keep score in a scrimmage; you’re just trying to get the kids to run some plays accurately under game conditions and see what you’ve got,” Lapierre stated. “They got the best of us that day. They seemed to be more seasoned than we were, more football-ready.
“They had a lot of returning players on the team; it was easy to tell, and it seemed like they were picking up where they left off last year,” he added of the Cavaliers’ trip to the D-III title tilt, one it lost, 7-6, to Burrillville in the waning seconds.
“Obviously, they were one point away – and 12 seconds – from winning it all. I have to say I really like (head coach) Steve Nadeau. He does an outstanding job with his players and I have a great deal of respect for him and his program. I know now that it’s more Juanita-based, but way back when, it was more PCD-based, and they didn’t have many winning seasons, so he helped turn that program around. “How can you not admire that?” Unfortunately for Lapierre and his staff, the Warriors (7-2 overall and the second-ranked squad from III-B) have drawn powerhouse Sanchez/PCD/Wheeler (9-0 overall) as an opponent in a D-III semifinal, slated for Conley Stadium on Friday night at 6. He claimed it will take near-perfect execution to have a shot at manufacturing an upset.
Here’s why: While the IIIA league’s top-seeded Cavaliers only posted one shutout this season, they outscored their nine foes, 33789. That adds up to a ridiculously-impressive 37.4 points per game average, while Nadeau’s defense yielded 9.9.
“Everything goes through their quarterback, Elijah Matthews,” Lapierre stated. “He’s so quick and elusive, and – if he’s not running the ball – he’ll throw it to (Wheeler senior receiver Dennis Gastel), who has great hands, is strong and can motor. They both can make you miss in the open field.”
Matthews naturally runs a spread offense, so he has a plethora of other weapons, including senior backs Odarlin Garo and Juan Hernandez, not to mention senior pass catcher Jose Tejada and junior Darius Thompson.
“Defensively, they’re as aggressive as heck,” Lapierre noted. “They run a four-man front, but they’ll blitz all the other guys at times to try to overwhelm you. They come after you, try to make you make a mistake, make you uncomfortable or force a bad read.
“We have to be able to combat that by getting rid of the ball quickly,” he continued. “If they’re going to blitz down the middle, we have to get backs or receivers free and take advantage of underneath routes.”
As for the keys to pulling off what would be a tremendous upset victory, Lapierre said with a chuckle, “That’s easy. We have to be pretty much perfect. We have to win the turnover ratio battle. I’ve watched other teams who look like they’re doing OK offensively against Juanita, but then make a bad mistake – put the ball on the floor or throw an interception – and (Nadeau’s bunch) immediately capitalizes on it. That’s why they win by so many lopsided scores.
“We’ve got to play smart and clean, no or minimal penalties,” he added. “I think, for our team, our guys believe that this is achievable. Around school, there’s been an upbeat atmosphere; the teachers and students have been gracious, congratulating us on a good season. They all know our school hasn’t had this kind of success in a while.
“In 2011, we went to the DIV Super Bowl and played Mount Pleasant but lost. We haven’t won one since we beat Narragansett in 2005.”
According to Lapierre, CF also will have to go without the services of senior quarterback Sergio Velez (unknown injury) and classmate/lineman/kicker Keven Morreira (broken foot). However, junior receiver Dutchie Arroyo has filled in under center quite nicely.
“The good news is I know we have the speed to match their speed, and we have to get the ball to our speed in open space,” he said. “On the other side of the ball, I think our kids have to do what other teams have tried, and that’s corral Elijah. He can just take off and, most of the time, he’s gone.”