Task proves too tall for Lincoln
Burrillville jumped out early and never looked back en route to return trip to D-III Super Bowl
BURRILLVILLE — Except when he’s trying to teach his brand of football, Lincoln High head coach Sean Cavanaugh is a man of few words.
If his Lions win big, he’ll talk about how well-coached his foe is, and that his guys had looked forward to the challenge and succeeded.
Following a loss, he’ll state his troops fought tooth-and-nail, but were unable to overcome superior play from his opponent.
He delivered much more of the latter sentiment on Saturday afternoon after Lincoln yielded top-seeded Burrillville 43 unanswered points over the first 24 minutes and ultimately suffered an emotionally-draining 60-18 loss in a R.I. Division III semifinal at Alumni Field.
Cavanaugh’s kids, seeded No. 3 from III-A, ran into a buzzsaw in the “B-League’s” top-ranked Broncos, who produced arguably their finest performance of the season while clinching a bid to their fourth
straight state Super Bowl.
Not only did they improve to 10-1 overall, they qualified to face Juanita Sanchez/PCD/Wheeler Co-Op, the only other unbeaten club, in the D-III title clash slated for Saturday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. at Cranston Stadium.
“We lost to a better team (Saturday),” Cavanaugh offered stoically after his crew fell to 6-4 overall. “Burrillville was just better. (In my post-game speech), I told the boys I was proud of our team’s effort, and that we would immediately get back to work for Wednesday night’s game. (He referred to Lincoln’s annual holiday clash opposite Central Falls, ironically the other losing semifinal squad).
The Lions will battle the Warriors at Ferguson Field at 6 p.m.
“We’re disappointed in the outcome, but not disappointed in the players,” he added. We’re proud of our kids, and wish Burrillville well in their next game.
“They just beat us in all phases of the game.”
The statistics explain that outcome: Lincoln fumbled five times and lost two, sustained seven flags for a minus-61 yards and amassed only 30 ground yards on 17 handles in the opening half.
There were some positives, such as junior signal caller Randall Hien completing 13 of 21 passes for 139 yards and running for another; senior tailback Justin Rutter galloping for 110 yards and a TD on eight; and junior Julien Karraz earning 89 on 14 more.
Still, Karraz only accumulated a scant 34 on 13 before breaking free for a brilliant 59yard jaunt to paydirt for the Lions’ final score.
Hien’s top receivers included Rutter (four for 81 yards); and senior John Mason Jr. (three, 22 yards).
The Broncos, on the other hand, reigned offensively, defensively and special teams. Junior quarterback Jake Gelinas completed 11 of 14 aerials for 155 yards and three touchdowns (without a pick); he threw at least one to seven different teammates.
Senior Brandon Deering paced the pass catching corps with four snags for 60 yards and a paydirt, while twin brother Nick grabbed three more for 46 yards and a TD (he also returned a kickoff 80 yards for another).
Fellow senior tailback Christian Bouvier closed with 87 yards and a touchdown on nine handles.
Most impressively, though, BHS scored through the air, on the ground, via kickoff return and fumble return, and 10 separate individuals notched at least a point, with the top spot going to Nick Deering (12).
“To go back-to-back to the Super Bowl is amazing,” Bouvier said while celebrating with teammates. “All the hard work we’ve put in since the end of last year, this shows us it has paid off.”
When asked if the blowout came easier than it looked, he responded, “Oh, God, no! That’s a really good team, and they’re so wellcoached, but the scheme we put together this week worked extremely well. It all came together.”
Burrillville didn’t fail in that quest, as it employed a trick play on the opening kickoff, and it resulted in Nick Deering sprinting 80 yards down the right sideline for the initial paydirt. And, on the PAT attempt, Jenks lined up for the kick, though officials whistled the Lions for encroachment.
With the pigskin a yard closer, Ferraro immediately switched the conversion from the one- to two-point variety, and senior Tyler Richards plunged off left guard with ease.
On the return, junior Matt Gongoleski fielded it at the 24, and Deering and two other players backpedaled and surrounded Gongoleski, scrum-like. The latter then handed off to Deering.
“We call it ‘Gaggle,’” Deering grinned widely. “It’s a way to throw off the other team. When I got the ball, I saw a seam and just went for it.
“I will say this: They weren’t expecting that, and it definitely hurt them. Their attitude seemed to change.”
After a quick “three-and-out,” Gelinas capped a seven-snap, 54-yard possession with a 20-yard TD toss to Brandon Deering, and Jenks tacked on his first of five extra points on the day.
The Broncos converted on their third drive as well, maneuvering 61 yards on 10 plays culminating on junior Ryan Lockwood’s 16yard catch of a well-placed floater in the deep left section of the end zone; only 1:35 remained in the first quarter.
On the second play from scrimmage, Karraz fumbled (all told, a 25-yard loss) and a Bronco recovered at the 1. Naturally, Richards scored on the next play and Jenks split the uprights for the 29-0 lead.
BHS took advantage of a 17-yard punt the next time it had the ball, Bouvier sweeping 59 yards around left end for the paydirt, and – with only 1:10 remaining before intermission – Gelinas found Nick Deering open on a 13yard TD pass in the right section of the end zone, good for a 43-0 cushion.
Lincoln immediately fashioned its best excursion of the contest. Hien found Mason on three straight left-side screen passes for 22 yards to initiate what seemingly would become a 74-yard scoring drive.
Rutter snared a Hien toss in the right flat and plowed 17 yards to the right pylon, and the near-side linesman called it a TD. Another official, however, stated Rutter had committed offensive pass interference, and that infraction pushed the ball back to the Burrillville 32.
Hien’s pass to sophomore Jalen Hill was good for 20 yards, but time ran out.
The Lions finally got on the scoreboard on their initial possession of the third; they moved 54 yards on eight snaps, and it ended on Hien’s three-yard bootleg off right tackle. His two-point aerial to Mike Marcaccio fell incomplete.
The hosts spent the next four-plus minutes driving from their own 44 to the Lincoln 10 before it stalled, though Jenks drilled a 27yard field goal. On the very next play, BHS senior Josh Newell stripped sophomore Isiah Oliveira of the kickoff and rambled 22 yards for the score – and a most stunning turn of events.
With sophomore Shea Foisy’s PAT, Burrillville had recorded 10 points in 18 ticks.
After that, they could have been renamed the Broncos’ home to Alumni Track. Rutter broke a 34-yard TD rush, BHS frosh Bobby Thatcher a 53-yard scoring gallop and Karraz his 59-yarder.