How did Ponaganset football find a way to beat Pilgrim? By getting back to its roots
WARWICK — That’s what Ponaganset football is supposed to look like.
Everyone wants to run the spread. Teams want to throw it all over the yard, put up video-game numbers and let the offense win games.
That’s not how it is done in western Rhode Island. To play the spread you need a certain type of player that Ponaganset has never really produced. The Chieftains' strength comes from the community — the country-strong linemen and running backs who just don’t quit.
On Thursday against Pilgrim, Ponaganset abandoned its attempt at a spread and went back to ground-and-pound football. The offense strung together time-consuming drives, the defense dominated the line of scrimmage and the team's aggressive nature forced crucial turnovers. The Chieftains survived in the final seconds, pulled out a 28-21 win, and found out who they really are in the process.
“We had a sit-down talk with the coaches and went over everything we needed to go over,” Ponaganset running back Jason Pincince said. “That’s what got us back in the zone.”
It also got the Chieftains back in the playoff picture. That was what was on the line for the winner of Thursday’s game, but it was hardly the only big thing from the lone game in the state.
Ponaganset returns to its roots
After spending the last two weeks trying to run a pass-first offense and having little to show, the Chieftains burned the playbook and went back to what helped take them to back-to-back Super Bowls.
From the opening drive until the final whistle, Ponaganset’s goal was to control the game by running the football. It did it with a commanding performance by its offensive line, which cleared the way for a crowded backfield that took turns churning out runs that moved the chains down field.
The balance of the backfield was something to see. Pincince used his speed to get outside and upfield. Lyric Picard pounded it between the tackles. Bryce Peterson and Kaleb Rock used their speed on misdirection and quarterback Robbie Grenga got involved in more than a few RPOs and scrambles.
The scoring drives told the story. The first went 52 yards on seven plays, the last 15 on a pass by Grenga to Peterson. The second scoring drive went 57 yards on eight plays with Pincince running behind Tyler Bergeron and Jack Spych on the right side before scoring from nine yards out.
In the third quarter, Ponaganset went 65 yards on 10 plays with Pincince scoring from nine yards out again. In the fourth, Trevor Lytle scored on an 18-yard catch, but Ponaganset got in position because of the run game.
“We thought we were a passing team, but running? We’re good with running,” Pincince said. “It was just a good game. It felt good to be alive again.”
Pincince finished with 95 yards and two scores. Picard ran for 64, Grenga had 42 and Rock had 39. The backs get the credit and show up on highlights, but they knew why they had success.
“My dawgs in the trenches,” Picard said. “They’re my boys and they’ve got my back.”
“Without the linemen, there’s no offense. Without them, there’s no defense,” Pincince said. “It goes a long way. They train extra hard in practice, hitting the sled and getting us going. It’s a lot.”
Ponaganset’s defense made plays when it mattered
The Chieftains dominated the trenches and prevented Pilgrim from establishing a run game. The Patriots responded by flying up and down the field through the air.
Chace Roberts was effective with short and intermediate passes, taking what the Ponaganset defense gave him. He completed 23-of-29 attempts and threw for 306 yards, including touchdowns of 57 and 33 yards to Jack Coffey before connecting on a fourth-down score to Justyn Murphy.
Ponaganset was getting beat on the big plays, but it made a few of its own. The Chieftains came up with a goal-line stop, recovering a fumble at their own 2-yard line at the end of the second quarter. Zach Rocchio chased down Coffey and forced a fumble after a big gain late in the third. In the fourth, Pincince and Rock combined on a tackle that forced another Coffey fumble.
And on all three occasions, Picard was there to cover the ball and put it in the offense’s hands.
“Every play we’re trying to get the ball out,” Picard said. “I just react.”
The Patriots battled back tough
Down 28-13 with 10:58, Pilgrim looked to be in trouble.
Instead, the Patriots responded going 58 yards in 4:11, tying the game on a fourth-down touchdown pass by Roberts to Murphy. They then got a stop to get the ball back.
Coffey’s fumble put Pilgrim further behind the eight ball, but Cole Bigelli blocked a punt to give the Patriots the ball at the Ponaganset 39 with 12 seconds left.
Roberts hit his brother Dylan for a 6-yard gain, setting up one final play. With all five receivers heading deep, Roberts scrambled right before firing Coffey in the back of the end zone. Jake Phillips covered the back line well and while Coffey made an impressive catch, the ball was two or three yards too deep.
“It was unfortunate I put a little too much on it where it was just out of bounds,” Roberts said. “It definitely showed that if we need it, we have the guys to make that play.”
The late comeback attempt also showed what kind of team Pilgrim is.
“We knew we had the fight. My guys don’t ever give up,” Roberts said. “I know the offense doesn’t give up and knew the defense doesn’t give up. … We knew there was going to be a fight.”
Pilgrim needs to rebound
After losing to West Warwick in the final minute last week, Thursday’s loss did much for morale.
“It hurt. You can see it with some of our players. I’m emotional. A couple of my receivers are emotional,” Roberts said. “It hurts that these games we’re losing aren’t blowout margins. They’re one-score games and one play makes the difference.”
After one month of Division III-B play, it seems Moses Brown, West Warwick and Johnston are headed for the playoffs. Thursday’s loss is going to hurt Pilgrim’s chances, but the Patriots know anything can happen in the final month.
“We need to play hard and we need to play like we did the first couple of weeks,” Roberts said. “If our offense plays like we did [on Thursday] and our defense makes plays, I think we have a very good shot at squeaking into the playoffs and making a big run happen.”
Ponaganset is back
After two bad losses to start the season, the Chieftains have re-entered the playoff discussion. The schedule-makers have done Ponaganset no favors and after next week’s game against Moses Brown, the Chieftains will be done playing the division’s top three teams. If they can win three of the final four — they finish at Narragansett, home vs. Mt. Hope and at Rogers — the playoffs could follow.
“This can really change things,” Picard said. “We’re going to keep working as a team, keep practicing all week hard and we’re going to come back strong next week.”
“We’re feeling good,” Pincince said. “We went 0-2 first, but it’s a new team now, a new game. We changed.”
Ponaganset 28, Pilgrim 21
First quarter
PO – Bryce Peterson 15 catch from Robbie Grenga (Owen Allen kick), 7:34
PI – Jack Coffey 57 pass from Dylan Roberts (Josh Escamilla kick), 6:21
PO – Jason Pincince 9 run (Allen kick), 1:48
Third quarter
PI – Coffey 33 pass from Roberts (kick fails), 7:42
PO – Pincince 9 run (Allen kick), 2:59
Fourth quarter
PO – Trevor Lytle 18 pass from Grenga (Allen kick), 10:58
PI – Justyn Murphy 7 pass from Roberts (John Kelly run), 6:47
TEAM STATISTICS
RUSHING – Ponaganset 42-238, Pilgrim 9-37. PASSING – Ponaganset 4-11-63, Pilgrim 23-29-306. TOTAL OFFENSE – Ponaganset 300, Pilgrim 343. FIRST DOWNS – Ponaganset 19, Pilgrim 11. FUMBLES-LOST – Ponaganset 0-0, Pilgrim 4-3. TOTAL TURNOVERS – Ponaganset 0, Pilgrim 3. PENALTIES – Ponaganset 8-44, Pilgrim 6-59. PUNTS-YARDS – Ponaganset 3-7, Pilgrim 1-30. TIME OF POSSESSION - Ponaganset 27:53, Pilgrim 20:07.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Ponaganset – Jason Pincince 17-95, 2 TDs; Lyric Picard 9-64; Robbie Grenga 8-42; Kaleb Rock 4-39; Bryce Peterson 2-8; Owen Allen 1-(-4); Jacob Rainey 1-(-6). Pilgrim – John Kelly 6-18; Chace Roberts 3-19, fumble.
PASSING: Ponaganset – Grenga 4-11-63, TD. Pilgrim – Roberts 23-29-306, 3 TDs.
RECEIVING: Ponaganset – Trevor Lytle 2-35, TD; Peterson 1-15, TD; Rock 1-13. Pilgrim – Jack Coffey 4-135, 2 TDs, 2 fumbles; Dylan Roberts 6-55; Justyn Murphy 6-48, TD; Hunter Schobel 3-41; Cole Bigelli 1-13; Kelly 3-6.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ponaganset football beats Pilgrim on Thursday night
