Turnovers and mental breakdowns will likely lead to a loss. Cranston East learned the lesson the hard way on Friday night at Cranston Stadium when their football team matched up against West Warwick. East trailed 14-6, before the Wizards scored 19 unanswered points to take a 33-6 lead. Eventually they won the game 33-14.
Both defenses shined in the first quarter. The Wizards had three first downs in the quarter and the Bolts did not manage one. Quarterback pressure was the story of the night.
West Warwick's defensive line constantly applied pressure in the backfield, leading to sacks, forced throws, and interceptions. They were a force all night long.
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"We were able to get enough pressure on them with our five down linemen," Wizards coach Shane Lagor said.
With just under four minutes left in the first quarter, Wizards captain John Morrison streaked down the left sideline for a 50 yard punt return for a touchdown. After a high snap on the extra point, West Warwick led 6-0.
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The Wizards defense came up with a big play late in the second quarter. Domenic Bisceglio picked off Kyle Tracy and returned it 58 yards to Cranston East's four yard line.
Two plays later, senior Bryan Gonzalez punched it into the end zone on a hand-off and senior Ryan Lawton caught the two point conversion, increasing the lead to 14-0.
Towards the end of the third quarter, Cranston East finally got on the scoreboard. Tracy rolled out of the pocket to the right hand side and threw the fade route. Sophomore Marven Beauvais made an incredible leaping catch, snagging the ball away from the defender. The extra point was blocked and East trailed 14-6.
The Thunderbolts made a critical mistake, which put them in an even bigger hole. They had just gained momentum, by forcing a turnover on downs and took over at their 25 yard line. Junior E.J. Isom fumbled on the next play and the Wizards took over after recovering it.
"Our turnovers came down to lack of mental focus," Bolts head coach Tom Centore said.
Ross Coffua scored on a 12 yard touchdown run, increasing the lead to 20-6.
Another Thunderbolts turnover put the nail in the coffin. Senior captain Nick Buonfiglio fumbled on the kickoff, giving the ball right back to the Wizards.
Wizards junior quarterback Ryan O'Kelly threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to captain John Morrison, padding the lead to 27-6. Each team would score a touchdown in the final two minutes, as West Warwick went on to win it 33-14.
"It was very good to get a win out of this and it will build some confidence," Wizards coach Shane Lagor said.
Centore added, "We have to become a team more than individuals and the program has had success for nine years because we have played like a team."
