Burrillville ready for Division II challenge
2018 Blackstone Valley High School Football Previews Super Bowl champs believe they can compete
NORTH SMITHFIELD — Burrillville senior quarterback Jake Gelinas and senior wide receiver/defensive back Ryan Lockwood love winning football games.
And the Broncos did just that last season, as they won all 10 of their Division III regular-season games and playoff contests.
But, Gelinas and Lockwood also love to play football, and far too many times last season, the duo found themselves standing on the sideline in the second half of a lopsided game watching their younger teammates earn valuable varsity snaps.
That won’t be the case this season because for the first time since going 3-4 in 2009, the Broncos are playing in Division II this season.
“Expectations this year are the same they are every year, they’re always high,” Gelinas said after shredding Smithfield’s overmatched defense in last week’s Injury Fund victory. “We want to make the playoffs and shoot for the Super Bowl, if we don’t do that, it’s just horrible.”
“Our expectations don’t change at all even though we went up a division,” Lockwood said. “We have a lot of talent coming back and a lot of guys with a lot of experience. We’re all excited about jumping up a division because we played a lot of half games last year and we’re all looking forward to playing the whole way. This will be much more fun in my senior year.”
The Broncos graduated a number of talented players – including All-State linebacker/running back Tyler Richards – from last season’s Division III Super Bowl winning team. They do, however, return their top two offensive weapons, as Gelinas is back after a superb first season running Ferraro’s up-tempo spread attack.
In last season’s opener against East Greenwich, Gelinas made mistakes you’d expect a varsity neophyte to make, but as the season went along, the 5-foot, 5-inch senior developed into the latest Supper Bowl winning quarterback.
“I’m 100 percent more comfortable this year,” Gelinas said. “I started last year I began the season learning the system, but now I have a year under my belt. I’m a senior and I know how to run the offense.”
“Physically, he put his time in, in the weight room. He’s the most conditioned kid we have on the team,” Burrillville coach Gennaro Ferraro said. “Mentally, too, he puts his time in. He’s always looking at film. He’s a pleasure to coach and he’s a special one.”
Lockwood, who caught a touchdown pass Friday, is one of the top returning wide receivers in the state. On the other side of the formation, Ferraro has to replace the graduated Deering brothers, Nick and Brandon. On the evidence of the Injury Fund contest, it appears junior Aidan Tupper might be the answer.
Tupper used his speed to race past a pair of Sentinels to catch a touchdown pass.
“He’s going to be filling in a special role and he’s physically talented,” Ferraro said. “He’s with a good group of guys, so he’s learning through these seniors who are setting a great example. He’s going to be one to watch.”
Senior Matt Gongoleski, who earned plenty of carries in the last two seasons, will be the team’s feature running back, but bruising sophomore back Bobby Thatcher and Marcus Audet will also receive plenty of carries. The offensive line will be anchored by veterans Robert Barnes, Cyrus Sykes and Brandon DiChairo.
Defensively, Ross Lapierre, Sykes, Cam Bedell, Barnes, Luke Hetu and Brennan Richards will see plenty of time in the front seven. A couple of the running backs will join Lockwood and Tupper in the secondary.
Junior Shea Foisy, who was hurt and didn’t play in the Injury Fund, will handle the kicking duties. Tupper is the backup kicker and converted on an extra-point attempt against the Sentinels.
The Broncos open up the season this morning when Division I South Kingstown comes to Alumni Field for an interesting non-league contest. Burrillville starts the regular season next Saturday morning when Mt. Hope visits. Ferraro said he expects talented Middletown and Westerly to be among the team’s to beat in Division II-B.
“More than looking forward to D-II, I’m looking forward to working with these boys who have invested so much into this season,” Ferraro said. “We have 32 quarters of football to play before the playoffs, so we expect to play all 32. We’re very excited. They’ve conditioned themselves through the winter and summer to get themselves prepared for the challenge they’ve accepted.”