Who can stop the Saints?
Moses Brown no match for talented St. Raphael
PAWTUCKET — From starting the game with the ultimate of big bangs, to preserving the shutout with a goal-line interception, plenty went right for the St. Raphael Academy football team on Sunday night.
Returning to the field for the first time in two weeks and one day, the Saints ran roughshod over Moses Brown in a 33-0 victory that officially clinched a postseason berth for SRA head coach Mike Sassi and his players. You have to go back to the 2016 season to find the last time St. Raphael was a second-season participant.
“This is the longest drought I’ve had without going to the playoffs,” said Sassi.
St. Raphael scored on the opening kickoff and extended its lead on the first play that was snapped by the offense. It was 12-0 after one quarter, 26zip at the half, and 33-0 heading into the final quarter.
It was total domination against a Moses Brown squad that has been plagued by COVID-19 issues. The Quakers came in with only one game under their belt. That took place on March 26, thus it had been a while.
“They were at a disadvantage. They have a very good coaching staff. You can tell they didn’t have enough time to get ready for us,” said Sassi.
Usually, Moses Meus is chasing down quarterbacks and making plays out of the tight end spot. On Sunday, the SRA sophomore showed off his running back skills in a major way. Twice, he covered a ton of ground – 63 yards and 33 yards, to be exact – on his way to stream rolling into the end zone for a pair of rushing touchdowns that highlighted a 113-yard, four-carry explosion.
Meus was the Saint player who turned his team’s first offensive series into a one-play drive. The game started in electrifying fashion with sophomore Ethan McCann-Carter showing off his track speed on his way to covering 90 yards on the kickoff.
“The blocking was everything. Without my guys up front, I would never have been able to do that run,” said McCann-Carter.
“He’s like a wild pony that we’re still trying to tame a little bit,” said Sassi when asked about McCann-Carter. “With him, it’s about working on the little things. We know he’s very talented. He has aspirations to play at the next level.”
McCann-Carter was the high jump champion at this past February’s Small Division Indoor Track & Field Championship. He’s also a member of the SRA boys’ basketball team.
“I’ve been playing football since I was this big,” said McCann-Carter, holding his hand low to the ground in order to illustrate his point. “Everything I do on the field, it comes from the heart.”
SRA’s defense came up with two interceptions of Moses Brown quarterback David Farber. The first pick turned into a pick-six as St. Raphael sophomore Taye Meerbott made a one-handed grab, pulled the ball tight to his chest, and covered 22 yards to put the home team up 19-0 with 3:32 remaining before halftime.
“That was his first start on defense,” Sassi noted. “We’re trying to get as many one-way guys as we can. We freed him up.”
Meerbott’s older brother Kai, a senior, capped off the game’s scoring with a seven-yard rushing score that came with exactly one minute left in the third quarter. The only piece of unfinished business revolved around preserving the shutout.
The Quakers threatened as they had first-and-goal at the St. Raphael five-yard line with less than six minutes remaining. On the 15th and final play of the drive, SRA junior Napoleon DeBarros came up with an interception that confirmed the coaches would be holding up their end of their bargain. If the defense didn’t allow a point, the players would be treated to donuts, which was the case before Monday’s practice.
The Saints (3-0, Division II-B) have already lost one game due to COVID concerns involving the other team. They can clinch the Division II-B title with a win over Mount Pleasant on Friday night.
“Friday night’s game is for first place,” said Sassi. “After going 15 days without a game, I think they’ll be excited with a short week on tap.”