Villa Novans still searching for first victory
Woonsocket moving in right direction after tight loss to Westerly
WOONSOCKET — No one said the road to repeating as Division II Super Bowl champs would be easy.
When you are flagged for 14 penalties and commit three turnovers – two that directly led to scores, including the go-ahead one – you can’t help but feel that there’s a lot of work to be done before the Woonsocket High football team can once again be mentioned in the championship conversation.
It was another day of tough sledding for the Villa Novans, who led by five points after one quarter and five after finding the end zone on the opening possession of the third quarter.
Westerly proved more than up to the task as the Bulldogs escaped Barry Field with a 21-18 victory. Saturday’s setback dropped Woonsocket to 0-3 overall, 0-2 in Division II-B. On the flip side, Westerly is now 3-0 overall, 2-0 in league play.
The top Westerly player was senior running back Rocco Cillino, who carved up Woonsocket for 234 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. Cillino scored on runs that covered 35, 57, and 66 yards. He also came up with an interception in the second quarter.
“We’re just looking for positive yards. Our guys are tough when they get their feet moving,” said Westerly coach Duane Maranda.
Novans quarterback Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan tried his best to keep his team’s hopes afloat with 187 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. For every positive step Woonsocket took – Saturday marked the first time all season the Novans held the lead – there were plenty of instances when the home team proved its own worst enemy.
Despite the third loss in three weeks, Woonsocket head coach Charlie Bibeault believes enough off-field gains were made over the past week that it’s only a matter of time before everything clicks.
“We care more about academics than football. This was our first week where we actually had everybody,” said Bibeault. “The chemistry was there, but we’re fixing one thing at a time. Getting more guys back is going to help us.”
The potential of this Woonsocket team was on full display during the first series of the third quarter. The Novans executed a nineplay, 60-yard drive that Robinson-O’Hagan capped with
a five-yard touchdown. The Westerly defense thought the ball was going to Woonsocket senior Jaylan Lopez. The play fake allowed Robinson-O’Hagan to waltz into the end zone untouched.
Things became even more promising when Robinson-O’Hagan boomed the kickoff and Westerly went three-and-out. Dealing with a swirling wind, the Bulldogs managed to get off a minuscule nine-yard punt with Woonsocket taking over at the Bulldog 19-yard line.
After advancing the ball inside the 10, the Novans put the ball on the ground. Westerly recovered the fumble and immediately after converting on a fake punt on fourth down, Cillino got free for a 66-yard score with less than a minute left in the third quarter.
Woonsocket’s final gasp came with 2:42 remaining and ended with a minute left when Devonte Lavallee took the snap and was stop dead in his tracks at the Novans’ 25-yard line. Had Westerly not brought a blitz, Lavallee would have seen that Xavier Alvarez was wide open. The Bulldogs finished with three sacks, all coming on the game’s final drive.
Westerly took the game’s opening kickoff and marched 65 yards in five plays with Cillino bouncing it out to the left side for a 35-yard score. Woonsocket responded with two touchdowns that was sandwiched between a defensive stop. Robinson-O’Hagan was a load to bring down as he pulled away for two scores that gave the Novans a five-point lead after one quarter.
Woonsocket had a prime chance to add to its advantage when it strung together a 13-play drive in the second quarter. On the 13th play, the Novans fumbled and Westerly cashed in behind Cillino, who broke free for a 57-yard score that gave his team a 1312 lead at halftime.
Woonsocket’s quest for its first win of the season will continue Friday night on the road at East Greenwich.