A little razzle-dazzle helps Barrington top Cumberland for the Division II football crown

CRANSTON — In the biggest moments of Saturday’s RIIL Division II Super Bowl, the players trusted each other to make plays.

After an All-State season, Barrington quarterback Alex McClelland knew running back Mitch Ivatts could make the throw on a trick play that ended up being the game-winning score. With their backs to the goal line and Cumberland headed for the game-tying touchdown, every member of the defense knew their teammates would do everything possible to keep that from happening.

Barrington knew what it was in for against Cumberland and had prepared for this game long before the season started. The game was billed as a dogfight and lived up to it from the first drive until the last. In between, the Eagles found a way to make the plays the Clippers couldn’t for a 28-21 win.

“It just does not feel real,” Ivatts said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight. We started early, but we knew we had to finish. … Our defense sealed the deal and it’s great.”

“I’m just proud of my team,” junior Marco Lopergolo said. “They bonded together at the end and it’s what we needed.”

Lopergolo had the best view — sort of — of the plays that ultimately decided Saturday’s game.

Trailing by seven in the fourth quarter, Cumberland drove the field and had the ball at the 5 with four shots to get in the end zone. The Eagles stood strong, including two stops from the 1, to give the ball back to the offense.

Cumberland’s defense came up with a stop of its own and, after a shanked punt, had a short field. The Clippers worked the ball to a third-and-goal from the 5-yard line. Two stops later, Barrington had the ball and the offense killed the clock to clinch the win.

Barrington was ready for these scenarios. The Eagles’ defensive line knew it was going to be Andrew Ray or Evan Spencer — two strong, meaty runners as powerful as they get — trying to get those tough yards and it was up to them to be tougher.

“[Line coach Adam Toman] taught us to go low,” Lopergolo said. “It was also the linebackers, it was everybody. They had the opportunity to go out and we just stopped them in the middle. I pushed them as hard as I could and did what I had to do.”

“We just get so fired up when they’re on the goal line,” said Ivatts, one of the team’s linebackers. “We’ve been doing it all year. Our defensive front has been stopping everyone.”

“They came up when it mattered,” McClelland said. “Everyone says defense wins championships and that’s what happened — they won this game for us.”

It wasn’t just defense.

Barrington’s offense was impressive in the first half, putting up 21 points thanks to a run game powered by Ivatts and AJ DiOrio and some heady decision-making by McClelland that had the Eagles up, 21-7, early in the second quarter.

Cumberland finally found some rhythm on offense, taking advantage of a tough fourth-down penalty called on Barrington to make it 21-14 at halftime. The Clippers stopped the Eagles on their first drive of the second half, then marched down the field to tie the game at 21.

“It’s a long game. You just have to keep battling,” Ray said. “You just have to keep fighting, keep playing your game and whatever happens, happens.”

What happened next was a play called by Barrington's Sandy Gorham that he has made before. Gorham is famous for running the triple option, but the coach was never afraid to go deep in the bag and pull out a trick play or two when he was guiding East Providence to state championships.

With the Eagles offense in a rut, the coach pulled out another. Ivatts took a toss going right, then stopped and fired a strike to a wide-open Jack Robinson for a touchdown.

“[We] put it in a few weeks ago. We hadn’t run it, honestly,” Ivatts said. “I knew we kept it safe for the championship and I knew it was an automatic touchdown.

“I used to play quarterback back in freshman and sophomore years. I know I have an arm, I know I just have to trust my arm and go throw it.”

“We worked on that play this week and we knew it was going to be there,” McClelland said. “Just the guys to call that play there; it’s so special and I’m happy we did.”

Cumberland didn’t leave with the same feelings, but Ray and his teammates had an understanding of what they did on the field at Cranston Stadium for four quarters. The season won’t be defined by the result of Saturday, but instead will be defined by the effort the Clippers made in the biggest game the program’s played in a while.

“It’s a hell of a way to go out,” Ray said. “This is a great group of guys, a great group of coaches and we worked our butts off all year. It just sucks to lose like this.”

Barrington’s seniors ended their careers the opposite of how they started. Playing freshman ball, the Eagles lost to the Clippers. But that group stuck together, worked hard for four years and now finish as champions.

“It’s so special. I love these guys,” said McClelland, who was named MVP of the game. “They’re my best friends in the world. We’ve been playing together since flag football in the sixth grade and the fact we did everything together and won, it’s so special.”

Barrington 28, Cumberland 21

First quarter

B – Mitch Ivatts 2 run (Ben Aree kick), 4:23

B – Alex McClelland 2 run (Aree kick) 2:34

Second quarter

C – Andrew Nocera 80 pass from Evan Spencer (Dylan Pichel kick), 1:42

B – McClelland 22 run (Aree kick), 11:31

C – Spencer 5 run (Pichel kick), 2:17

Third quarter

C – Andrew Ray 7 run (Pichel kick), 4:12

B – Jack Robinson 43 pass from Ivatts (Aree kick), 1:26

TEAM STATISTICS

RUSHING – Barrington 29-172, Cumberland 56-287. PASSING – Barrington 4-8-86, Cumberland 6-17-123. TOTAL OFFENSE – Barrington 258, Cumberland 410. FIRST DOWNS – Barrington 13, Cumberland 21. FUMBLES-LOST – Barrington 0, Cumberland 0. TOTAL TURNOVERS – Barrington 1, Cumberland 0. PENALTIES – Barrington 1-15, Cumberland 5-37. PUNTS-YARDS – Barrington 1-13, Cumberland 2-42. TIME OF POSSESSION – Barrington 14:48, Cumberland 33:12.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Barrington – A.J. DiOrio 13-113; Mitch Ivatts 8-35; Alex McClelland 7-26; Team 1-(-2). Cumberland – Andrew Ray 23-147, TD; Evan Spencer 33-140, 2 TDs.

PASSING: Barrington – McClelland 3-7-43, TD, INT; Ivatts 1-1-43, TD. Cumberland – Spencer 6-17-123, TD.

RECEIVING: Barrington – Jack Robinson 3-66, TD; Ivatts 1-23. Cumberland – Andrew Nocera 3-91, TD; Aidan Ray 2-21; Andrew Ray 1-4.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Barrington edges Cumberland for the Division II football title