How did Cumberland earn its spot in the D-II Super Bowl? By not changing a thing.

CUMBERLAND — The run game was overpowering. The defense was dominant. Friday was, undoubtedly, the best four quarters the Cumberland football team had played all season long and the win meant they were headed to the program’s first Super Bowl in 10 years. It was reason to celebrate.

The Clippers didn’t — because they want to save it for next week.

Cumberland’s plan for Friday’s Division II semifinal against Burrillville was rather simple — do what it’s done all season. The Clippers did better than that. Andrew Ray and Evan Spencer were unstoppable out of the backfield, the defense continued to shine in a 41-19 win that Cumberland didn’t want to celebrate too much, not with what’s coming next.

“It’s wonderful and another step in the right direction,” Ray said, “but we’ve got one more for the big goal.”

“It’s a great feeling, but it’s just an average game,” Spencer said. “The job’s not done until we finished.”

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Cumberland wasn’t thinking Super Bowl when it took the field Friday night. The Clippers knew what kind of challenge Burrillville would bring and that’s where the focus was from the opening kickoff until the final whistle blew.

The offense was beyond spectacular. After the defense got a stop near midfield on the opening possession, Cumberland went 46 yards on five plays, the last 16 coming on Ray’s first touchdown of the night.

It set the tone for the game, as the Clippers scored on six of their seven possessions Friday, something that didn’t happen in Cumberland’s 17-14 win over Burrillville in their regular-season matchup.

Weather may have played a factor in that – the field at Burrillville was muddy after an overnight storm — but having Spencer on the field did as well. The quarterback wasn’t the centerpiece of the offense, but with the offensive line winning just about every rep, Spencer was more than content to keep putting the ball in Ray’s hands knowing what was coming.”

“Once Andy gets settled in,” Spencer said, “I know it’s going to be a good day for me.”

Ray wasn’t popping off game-breaking runs. The senior back is a downhill runner and it took a few Broncos to pull him down every time he took off running. Each drive was more back-breaking than the previous one as Burrillville searched for a way to stop the Clippers.

Cumberland didn’t let it happen. In the second quarter it had two possessions, the first going 10 plays for 40 yards and the second going 12 for 62. Both ended in touchdowns – one by Ray, the other for Spencer – totaled 10:37 in time of possession and put the Clippers up 21-7 at the half.

It continued into the second half. Cumberland came out after halftime and went 65 yards on 10 plays and Burrillville answered with a touchdown drive, the Clippers responded by going 52 yards on 11 plays and another Ray touchdown, giving them a 35-17 lead with 7:43 left to play.

“Third quarter, fourth quarter, they started cutting our line,” Spencer said. “That’s when we knew they were tapping a little bit.”

Ray was a monster, finishing his night with 31 carries for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Spencer had 17 carries for 83 yards and these are numbers that weren’t there the last time the teams met.

“It adds a whole new element to our offense when you get me and Andy back there combined with our lineman and our receivers and the way the defense has been playing,” Spencer said. “It’s hard to stop. We have all the confidence in the world.”

“When we get rolling, we get rolling,” said Ray when asked if the game plan was to feed him the ball early. “Coach calls what he calls, I’ll put it that way.”

Cumberland’s defense has come up with big plays all season and Friday was no different. The Clippers opened with the turnover on downs near midfield and got another in the red zone on Burrillville’s second drive. After Cumberland went up 14-7, Sean Taylor came up with a pick on the Broncos’ next play from scrimmage and it allowed the offense to close the half with a touchdown drive to make it a two-score game.

“We’re very together,” Ray said. “We work as a team, we play as a team and we’re in there for each other.”

Burrillville was there for each other all season. Last season was a struggle for the Broncos and with a roster loaded with juniors, this was supposed to be a transition year. It nearly ended in a Super Bowl appearance.

“We’ve always had a chip on our shoulders because of how last season went,” junior quarterback Logan Gelinas said. “We felt we were going to give it all we’ve got for these seniors because we love our seniors.”

Next season the talented junior class will be a large senior class and after what it showed this fall, Burrillville will immediately be in any conversation about 2024 Super Bowl contenders.

And the Broncos will use Friday’s loss as motivation.

“This game next year is going to be personal for us,” Gelinas said. “We’re going to dedicate next year to all of these seniors and remember the way we felt this year.”

Cumberland is hoping to make some memories of its own next weekend.

The Clippers will face Barrington next Saturday at Cranston Stadium at noon, a battle between the two teams in Division II who have really gone unmatched on their side all season long.

Cumberland won’t treat the Super Bowl any different than it’s treated any game this season. The Clippers will watch film, work hard at practice and prepare mentally and physically for the program’s first Super Bowl in a decade.

“They’re a good team and have a lot of talented players, but I believe in our guys,” Spencer said. “It’s going to be a good game.”

“They’ve looked good on film from what I’ve watched,” said Ray, who saw film on the Eagles when Cumberland prepared for its eventual 28-3 win over North Kingstown – which beat Barrington the week prior. “We have to get in the film room and really dissect them.

“Then we’ll be prepared going into next Saturday.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Andrew Ray and Evan Spencer help Cumberland beat Burrillville in D-II semis