Lions Run All Over the Chiefs on the Way to Florida

A year ago, several players on the Monroe Lions youth football team suffered the agony of losing in the New England AYF Regional Championship game. Now in the sixth grade, they clawed their way back and brought the trophy home to Monroe.

The Lions did it in convincing fashion too, throttling the Rhode Island State Champion CFCC Chiefs 34-0 in front of a sold out crowd on the campus of Brown University.

The Lions will compete in the AYF National Championships in Kissimmee, Florida from Dec. 2-7. Families of the players are raising money for travel expenses. Those wishing to donate can see the pdf of the flier with this article or visit the website. No donation is too small.

At Brown University, an explosive running game and stifling defense allowed the Lions to dominate the Chiefs from start to finish.

The Lions received the ball at their own 37 yard line to start the game, but soon found themselves at the Chiefs’ 45 yard line after two runs by quarterback TJ Rohach, which accounted for 17 yards, and an 8 yard carry from running back Jack Roberge. Roberge then broke two tackles on his way to a 45-yard touchdown run, giving the Lions a 6-0 lead.

On its next possession, the Lions started from their own 20. A 20 yard pass from Rohach to receiver PJ Fox set the stage for a blistering 60 yard Rohach touchdown run. After kicker Charlie Pagliarini made the two point conversion, the Lions took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Lions took over on their own 40 to start on their third offensive series of the day, before embarking on a lengthy drive using their power running game, eventually scoring on Roberge's 1 yard plunge. Pagliarini again converted the points after giving the Lions a 22-0 halftime advantage.

The Chiefs returned the kick-off to midfield to start the second half and drove to the Lions’ 14 yard line. But, the drive stalled when defensive tackle Victor Harris sacked the Chief's quarterback on fourth and short, giving the Lions the ball at their own 23 yard line.

On the Lions' first possession of the second half, Roberge took an inside handoff and jetted down the sidelines for a 73 yard touchdown giving the Lions an insurmountable 28-0 lead.

The Lions final score came on an explosive 60 yard touchdown run from Isaah Johnson.

Roberge ended the day with 150 yards on 6 carries, Rohach 115 yards on 7 carries, and Johnson 90 yards on 5 carries. The running backs credited their offensive line for creating sizeable holes throughout the contest. Linemen Campbell Halloran, Pagliarini, Nick Sentementes, Michael Norling, Curtis Fedorko, Michael Kusick, George Lazor, and Josh Memmesheimer were tremendous.

The Lions' defense, under the direction of Coach Phil Becchetti, was flawless again giving up only four first downs in the contest. During their playoff run, the Lions have given up only 20 points in 5 postseason contests.

The Lions were led by linebacker Fox who recorded 10 tackles during the game. The defensive line shut down any attempts by the Chiefs to run inside. Halloran, Harris, Zach Minch, Jake Samuelman, Jacob McCarthy and Chris Texiera won the battle of the trenches.

Cornerbacks Devon DiCocco, Mike Becchetti and Joey Keegan, linebacker Conor Mahony and strong safety Finn Quinn also turned in outstanding defensive efforts.

Head Coach Rick Henderson was overwhelmed with his team's run throughout the season.

"When I reflect on this season, I am amazed at what this group of boys accomplished and we are still not done," he said. "This is the greatest group of kids I have ever coached. It's not just how great they are on the field, it's also how close they have become. It's about them. We are fully committed to being very competitive in Florida. We are so excited!”