Coventry Sports Ramblings

Echoing Coventry Patch Editor Lauren Costa, despite the Patriots recent demise, there is still a rich tapestry of local sports teams in the area to follow and support.

Teams from high school varsity and subvarsity, middle school and recreational leagues certainly deserve support and encouragement, for ‘dead of winter’ does not apply to sports in these parts.

Now that winter seasons for Coventry High School varsity sports squads are two-thirds over, teams now begin to focus on the ‘P’ words- as in playoffs and postseason- as they make their run toward qualifying for and competing beyond the regular season.

Most day-to-day schedules and game results can be followed by going to www.riil.org. Other sites worth investigating are hockey www.rihsh.com (designed by Oakers assistant coach Tom Berard) and www.ritca for boys and girls indoor track results.

Meanwhile, I await my first email to the Coventry Patch one-man Sports Department. For any upcoming sporting events or to let me know who you think should be Coventry Patch Sports Star of the Week for boys or girls,  let us know at covpatchsports@gmail.com. Comments and suggestions are also welcome.

BASKETBALL

Despite a loss to Cranston West, 70-44, late Saturday afternoon, it proved to be a successful three-game week for the Oakers, posting two wins and now with a record of 5-4 and 7-5 overall.

Ahead 28-27, at halftime, the host Falcons ran away from the Oakers to hold them to the fewest points they scored all season.

Just 21 hours earlier, the Oakers put on an awesome and inspiring display of team play, rallying from 18 points down against Cranston East to defeat the Thunderbolt, 84-80. Trailing, 27-9, they strung together a 59-25 run the next 17 minutes, bombarding the visitors. Yet they still had to hang on to record the win. They were led by Nate Stitchell with 23 points, Garrett Douglas 19 and Dylan Lincoln 12. Nine players scored in all in a solid team victory.

On Monday, the Oakers had another amazing run. Losing, 31-30, at the half, they stunned the host Villa Novans with another a 45-25 surge enroute to a 75-56 road win.

Stitchell had a superb two-game performance, scoring 50 points in the wins.  

“It was the worst half we played all year,” said head coach Tom Campbell of his squad in the loss to Cranston West, being outscored, 42-17, in the second half. “It was a good week but it would have been a lot better with a win.”

The team now prepares for two more challenges against Providence schools this week, first away against Central and then hosting Classical on Saturday.

 HOCKEY

When is a win to extend a victory streak to 10 games not considered a ‘good’ win by a team? The answer: When an undefeated team struggles to beat an opponent in the basement of the division and one you it handled easily the first time.

For the Division II Central leading (tied) Oakers icemen had to battle right up until the final seconds to defeat last-place Toll Gate, 4-2, on Saturday night at Thayer Arena. Coventry defeated Toll Gate (2-7) earlier, 8-1. 

 Jacob Harrington, assisted by Alex Zannella, scored in the first period, but the Titans struck back and tied the score going into Pd. 3. Nick Paiva scored, assisted by Connor DiPietro and Zach Levesque. Zack Allen seemed to sew it up with a goal on assists from Brandon Hassell and DiPietro. The Titans cut the lead to 3-2 with less than two minutes left, before Paiva hit an empty-net goal with assists from DiPietro and Zannella.

Oakers goalie Spencer Patti made 13 saves, but had to be alert, with one shot glancing off his helmet and a few more just skirting by the pole, even as the Oakers outshot the Titans, 37-15.

 “Toll Gate skated hard, but we had a total poor team effort,” said coach Ken Bird whose squad not only was assessed several penalties, but could only converted one of 13 power- play situations, including a 5-on-3 advantage in the first time.

The featured team sports game of the week will be this Saturday on Pilgrim’s home ice on Saturday night at Thayer Arena. The Patriots (7-1-1) defeated the Oakers, 3-2, in overtime, in a pre-season game and are tied at 15 points in first.

WRESTLING

It will be intriguing to see what happens the next few weeks as the 6-1 Oakers finish their run through Division I South opponents (a collective 16-52) and then get into a far tougher Division I North schedule against teams who’ve compiled a 36-10 record overall.

But it will be a grueling two-day test, nonetheless, for Oaker grapplers when they meet Mt. Hope at 5 p.m. followed by Chariho at 7 p.m., both on Wednesday, followed by La Salle, their first Div. I North foe, at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

INDOOR TRACK

After a week off, boys indoor track resumes this week as the Oakers athletes strive to improve on their previous performances.

COVENTRY PATCH STARS OF THE WEEK

Boys (Jan. 2-8)

Zach Levesque, Hockey. The junior center with lightning-fast speed, scored four goals in 4-0 win over Middletown to extend the Oakers win streak (then) to nine..

Boys (Jan. 9-15)

Nate Stitchell, Boys Basketball: The senior point guard was instrumental in the Oakers two wins last week, scoring 50 points and spearheading the team to two straight come-from-behind wins over Woonsocket and Cranston East.

Girls Jan. (2-8)

Haley Crossman- Gymnastics: Crossman placed third all-around with a score of 34.55 in a meet vs. North Kingstown, La Salle and North Kingstown. She also was third in the floor exercises, and second in the bars.

Girls (Jan. 9-15)

Meghan Paquet & Jennifer Haley-Indoor Track. Both Oaker athletes were double winners in running events in a meet against Classical and Providence Country Day-  Paquet at 600 and 3,000 meters and Haley at 1,000 and 1,500 meters.