Clippers visit Quakers in D-I quarters
CUMBERLAND — To say Cumberland High is limping into its Division I quarterfinal clash against Moses Brown, slated for 1:30 p.m., Saturday at the Quakers’ home turf, isn’t quite accurate, not according to head coach Josh Lima.
Sure, his Clippers have dropped two straight, the first to then-winless St. Raphael two weeks ago, but he promised his squad played quite well last week against Cranston East.
Cumberland held a 26-21 cushion with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, but then disaster struck – an exchange between signal caller Joe Leonard and trusted back Jack Andrews resulted in a fumble at the 1:40 mark, and the Thunderbolts took advantage with 44.8 ticks left.
They also notched the two-point conversion for the 29-26 win.
“The St. Ray’s game was different; we just didn’t execute very well,” Lima stated after a mid-week practice. “Against East, we looked good, but over the last eight minutes or so, we just let up. There were a couple of big plays we allowed that really hurt us.”
The Clippers barely qualified for the playoffs with a 3-4 mark in I-A (3-5 overall), and Lima promised fans will see a more polished version of his club when it takes on Moses Brown (4-4 overall, 4-3 in I-B).
“This week has been all about just being together a group and focusing on the fundamentals and the discipline, doing the little things it takes to win,” Lima explained. “Obviously, the results won’t show until game time, but it’s been a good week so far. The kids are positive and they’re spending more time together, both at school, at practice and afterward.
“When a team loses two in a row, it can fall apart; the kids can break apart and become disjointed,” he added. “Butt that hasn’t happened, not from what I can see, and that’s great. I’m proud of all of them.”
When asked what he expects from coach Willie Edwards’ Quakers (the third seed from I-B) on Saturday, Lima indicated he’s studied MB films of its previous two tilts against Barrington and Portsmouth, and men- tioned senior quarterback Mike Walsh does a fine job of directing the spread offense, while junior Jack McGahan does a fine job running the football.
He also stated Walsh has trust in three able receivers, among them juniors Miles Barrett and Joe McGahan, not to mention senior Jaden Pena.
“They definitely move the ball well; they can do it on the ground or in the air because Walsh can throw,” Lima said. “They’re a pretty-balanced team. The quarterback is a really good player who’s had some success the last two seasons as a starter; the kid’s been around, so he knows the game and what to expect. He runs a complete offense, and it’s really solid from top to bottom.”
The Quakers employ several different sets on the defensive side, dependent mostly on the type of offense it faces.
“It’s a really good group there, too,” Lima said. “The thing is, they don’t make many mistakes on either side of the ball. From what I’ve seen, they don’t get many penalties or have many turnovers … If we want to be successful, we have to limit those well, and – again – just execute better than we have been for a complete game.
“This is playoff football, so any team you play at this point is going to be a good one,” he continued. “They’re sound in all facets, a really good team, and what we have to prove is that we’re a good one, too.”