Portsmouth advances to semis with wild win over Thunderbolts

Will face Bishop Hendricken Friday night

EastBayRI.com ·

When the dust settled after a wild, five-touchdown fourth quarter at Cranston Stadium Friday night, it was the Portsmouth High School Patriots who would be moving on to the Division I semifinals Friday night.

In a quarterfinal showdown with Cranston East, the Patriots let the Thunderbolts back into the game after holding them scoreless for three quarters. Portsmouth, however, punched right back and took the wind out of Cranston East’s sails in the final few minutes.

The Thunderbolts, known for their high-flying offense as are the Patriots, were inept when they had the ball in the first half, racking up only 42 total yards on the ground while quarterback Justin Neary went 0-6 in passing attempts. 

It didn’t get any better for Cranston East in the third quarter, when the Patriots went out to a 21-0 lead on a 45-yard pass play from Kyle Bicho, then in as quarterback, to the starter at that position (now receiver), Sean Coyne. With a howling wind that seemed to hamper the Thunderbolts’ offense throughout the game, it seemed like an insurmountable lead for the Patriots at the time.

The Thunderbolts finally came to life in the final quarter, however, when Neary threw to Robenson Antoine, who broke a tackle and ran 77 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was foiled by bad snap, but Cranston East scored again on a pass by Neary to Jacob Palazzo. A two-point conversion attempt was good, making it 21-14 with 5:50 left in the game with the momentum shifted to the home team.

Quick strike

Portsmouth answered right back, however, when Coyne kept the ball and ran 49 yards along the right side for a touchdown, making it 28-14 with 4:15 left. The three-play, 65-yard drive quieted the crowd down and when the Patriots’ Adam Parsons picked off Neary and ran the ball 55 yards for a touchdown, the Patriots had pretty much sealed the game — up 35-14 with 3:30 left.

Neary would connect with Isaiah Hinds for another Thunderbolts’ TD, but that and a successful two-point conversion wouldn’t be enough with just over a minute left as the Patriots took a knee to wrap things up.

“They’re a great offense,” Patriots head coach Ryan Moniz said of Cranston East’s fourth-quarter eruption. “They made some plays, so give credit to them. There weren’t any blown coverages. The quarterback threw some great balls and some great catches were made. It’s going to happen.”

Mr. Ryan said he was proud of how his team answered the Thunderbolts’ strike, however. 

“An immature, inexperienced group may have cracked under pressure, but we have 22 seniors on our team. They’re battle-tested. They know how to persevere, and they did that. They persevered through their execution,” he said.

Added Coyne, who scored 22 of the Patriots points himself, “They’re a good offense; they’re pretty dynamic with all the stuff they do. They came out and attacked us to start the fourth quarter, but I think we kept our composure and offensively we came down and matched them.”

Hendricken looms

Portsmouth has a familiar and formidable foe in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 18, as reigning Division I champions Bishop Hendricken ran over Barrington in its quarterfinal game Friday night. When the Patriots last faced Hendricken on Oct. 22, they got whalloped at home, 54-14. This time, Portsmouth will be going into the Hawks’ house.

“They’re good, they’re outstanding,” said Mr. Ryan. “They’re the best team in the state. When we played them a few weeks back, we were still reeling from our first lost to South Kingstown and they came in and completely overwhelmed us. I think if we get our minds set right and we’re prepared for the challenge, I think we’ll be in a much better situation.”

Coyne said his teammates will be up for the challenge.

“I think we have to have a good week of practice. Obviously they’re six-time champs. We want to knock them off, but we have to have good practices and hopefully it will go our way,” he said.

Frustration early on

The game started as a frustrating one for both sides, as the Patriots and Thunderbolts failed to score due to stout defense from both teams — Cranston East turned the ball over five times — and penalties galore (there would be 18 flags thrown in the game overall.)

Portsmouth finally got on the board with just over five minutes left in the half, when senior John Roche ran the ball for six yards into the end zone. The drive was punctuated by a 42-yard pass play from Coyne to Parsons, who had an outstanding game.

Portsmouth made it 14-0 in the third quarter when Coyne kept the ball for a 29-yard touchdown run.

Portsmouth High School, PHS football