In battle of unbeatens, Barrington proves to be far too much for St. Raphael
CRANSTON — There’s no room for debate or interpretation regarding the best team in Division II football during the 2021 “Fall II” season.
Barrington didn’t leave a shred of doubt, rolling to a 34-6 victory over St. Raphael in Super Bowl action on Sunday night. The two teams came in as the lone unbeatens in Division II, yet it was clear the senior-laden Eagles were in a class by themselves.
Buoyed by a relentless running attack that was spearheaded by quarterback Brigham Dunphy along with Mark Bernardo and Bryan Ivatts, Barrington racked up 380 total yards with a staggering 356 coming on the ground. On the flip side, SRA managed 217 yards of total offense.
The Eagles set the tone before the opening kickoff. Traditionally, the captains meet at midfield for the coin toss. Barrington sent the entire senior class out there – 25 strong.
“I guess that senior thing is real,” said SRA head coach Mike Sassi. “They are very disciplined running that option, but they also did a nice job blocking. [Dunphy] hurt us a lot.”
Dunphy finished with two rushing scores and passed for one touchdown. His efforts earned him the game’s MVP honor.
Stopping the run was a game-long issue for the Saints. The cause wasn’t helped as Barrington turned two SRA turnovers – both interceptions – into points. The Eagles did not commit a turnover.
“They definitely deserved to win today. They outplayed us,” said Sassi.
Barrington’s scoring machine registered three touchdowns on four firsthalf possessions. The only time the Eagles didn’t score, they were content with running out the clock to end the opening half.
The Saints did have their moments. Down 21-0 in the second quarter, optimism was in the air after sophomore Moses Meus tore through the Barrington defense for a 19-yard run and junior quarterback Andre DePina-Gray ripped off a
30-yard run on the very next play. SRA advanced the ball to the Barrington 13-yard line before turning the ball over on downs with 3:57 remaining in the first half.
“There were some chances to make some plays. We just didn’t make them,” said Sassi.
The true backbreaker came on the opening pos
session of the third quarter – one that lasted 5 minutes, 33 seconds. Ivatts carried the ball nine times before capping off the drive with a score from three yards out that stretched Barrington’s lead to 27-0.
Down 34-0 with 6:40 remaining, the Saints dusted themselves off and managed to salvage a little bit of pride
before departing Cranston Stadium. DePina-Gray displayed a no-quit attitude on a 35-yard run that helped St. Raphael advance the ball to the Barrington 27-yard run.
After three straight incomplete passes with the ball at the 12-yard line, DePina-Gray took matters into his own hands. He scrambled to his left before bouncing off a Barrington defender on his way to scoring his team’s lone touchdown.
“Honestly, that came from the motivation I was getting from my guys,” said
DePina-Gray. “They were picking me up.”
If there is a silver lining to what was a difficult night, it’s that the Saints return the bulk of their nucleus for the traditional 2021 fall season.
“We started three seniors on either side of the ball,” said Sassi. “The foundation is there, but I want the kids to learn from this.”
Added DePina-Gray, “Looking at that scoreboard, it makes me sick. I don’t want to have that feeling again. We’ll be back. This is going to add fuel to the fire.”
Barrington 7 – 14 – 6 – 7 --- 34
St. Raphael 0 – 0 – 0 – 6 --- 6 (First Quarter)
B – Mark Bernardo 17-yard run (William Sanchez kick), 5:45
(Second Quarter)
B – Brigham Dunphy 6-yard run (Sanchez kick), 10:54
B – Dunphy 21-yard run (Sanchez kick), 7:40
(Third Quarter)
B – Bryan Ivatts 3-yard run (run failed), 5:33
(Fourth Quarter)
B – Ethan Tomulonis 16-yard pass from Dunphy (Sanchez kick), 6:40
SRA – Andre DePina-Gray 12-yard run (kick failed), 3:09