North Providence sends a message to Division IV with win over Smithfield. Here's what it said

SMITHFIELD — Message sent.

That might not have been the North Providence football team’s goal heading into Friday’s Division IV season opener against defending Super Bowl champ Smithfield, but it was certainly the result after the Cougars’ impressive 27-3 win over the Sentinels.

Last year North Providence thought it had a chance to be good. It was, just not consistently. This season – with the large majority of last year’s roster back – the Cougars feel the same way and Friday’s win proved just how good they can be.

“Everyone slept on us,” said North Providence running back Michael Allard, after scoring three touchdowns on Friday. “We came in, we knew what was going to happen and we got it done.”

North Providence certainly did. There’s a lot of season left in Division IV, but Friday night’s game taught us more than a few things about what could be coming down the line. Here’s five that stood out.

1. Michael Allard has made the leap

After a strong sophomore campaign, much is expected from Allard in his junior season. If Friday was any indication, he’ll have no trouble doing whatever North Providence needs.

Allard was a horse out of the backfield. He went left, he went right, between tackles and got whatever yardage he wanted. Allard carried Sentinels – not singular – down the field on his back. Simply put, he couldn’t be stopped.

“We knew coming in what the plan was – run the ball, run the ball, run the ball,” said Allard, who carried the ball 26 times for 174 yards and three touchdowns. “It’s a running division, so we just got it done.”

Allard was a confident runner last fall, but was very deliberate with the ball in his hands. Friday he showed patience, waiting for blocks to develop before exploding through the hole. If it never developed, Allard wasn’t afraid to bounce outside or freelance, leaving Smithfield defenders in his wake.

“Last year I was telling him ‘pound the ball, pound the ball, pound the ball, let’s do it,’” senior lineman Henri Masengelo said. “When he got [chased by]tacklers, I was behind him pushing saying ‘let’s do it.’”

“I definitely developed reading the holes and getting to the second level,” Allard said. “It’s making a move and getting into the end zone.”

Allard’s first touchdown was a simple 1-yard plunge where he powered across the goal line to put North Providence up 13-0 early in the second quarter. His second score he showed his fancy footwork and speed, using a couple quick cuts to get space and get down the right sideline on a 14-yard score. His final touchdown was a 5-yard run with 10:58 left in the fourth that all but iced the game.

The other touchdown? Allard didn’t score, but an Allard did has his younger brother Jayden caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Ben Borkman with 1:24 left in the first quarter.

“He got one before me,” older brother said. “But it’s all right.”

2. The Cougars can win in the trenches

North Providence won the game thanks to an impressive performance in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Allard gets a lot of the credit – as running backs tend to do – but the line dominated Smithfield from start to finish, a reversal from what happened last season on opening night.

“In the middle of the game we were just saying ‘I like this kind of Friday,’” Masengelo said. “Since last year we were waiting for this game, Since Day 1 [of this season] we were waiting fo this game. I’m just glad all the work paid off.”

Defensively the Cougars front was just as good. Smithfield lost most of its line to graduation and while sophomores make up its front, those young Sentinels are big bodies.

The veterans on North Providence’s side used their experience to win the battle of the trenches. The Cougars’ pass rush – led by Masengelo and Emmanuel Lifoji – didn’t give Smithfield any time to work and when the Sentinels ran, North Providence’s bigs didn’t let anything develop.

“We knew what they were going to bring and we just came hard,” Masengelo said. “Smithfield has been the best team in the league since last year and we just came here and put in the work.”

Smithfield managed three first downs the entire game and had one big play – a 63-yard run by Lex Tremblay late in the first half that put the Sentinels at the NP 3-yard line with 30 seconds left. The Cougars’ defense stepped up, held Smithfield to a field goal and didn’t give an inch the rest of the way.

“Those are my brothers right there. We’ve got each other,” Masengelo said. “It doesn’t matter if the left side’s not doing good because the right side, we’ve got each other.”

3. Smithfield will grow up in a hurry

Had the Sentinels taken a loss like this to start last year, it might have derailed the season. Now, with veterans who understand what it takes to win a title, Smithfield has a better understanding of how to turn this negative into a positive.

“We’ve got some work to do,” Tremblay said. “We saw some things that we liked. We saw a lot of things we didn’t. We know we’re going to work on them and come back in Week 3.”

The defending champs will get themselves back in the mix. Their size – especially up front – is impressive. Given space, the backs showed some quality speed and maneuverability. The Sentinels have a tremendous sophomore class that may well win a Super Bowl in two years, but their current inexperience showed up on Friday.

“Beginning of the year there’s going to be some problems with communication and stuff,” Tremblay said. “We’ll work through it and we’ll get better.”

Prognosticating the future is fine, but Smithfield still has the talent to win now. Any pressure about going undefeated for two straight seasons is over. The Sentinels will have two weeks to put this behind them before playing Juanita Sanchez in a game that’s as close to must-win as you’re going to get this early in the season.

“We’re still gunning for that ring and we’re not going to stop,” Tremblay said. “This is just a stepping stone.”

4. North Providence is the favorite in Division IV

How the Cougars respond to Friday’s win is also going to go a long way.

There’s some quality competition in the division – Exeter-West Greenwich and Davies are set to meet Saturday – but by beating the defending champs, North Providence is now the de facto favorite in Division IV.

That just doesn’t matter much to the Cougars.

“As coach said, this is the past right now,” Masengelo said. “We’re going to go ahead and work our system. We’re going to start at Sunday’s practice, put in the work, put in the work for the next game.”

Before the season coach Mike Tuorto said he was worried about his team getting off to a slow start playing Smithfield and defending D-IV runner-up Central Falls. Friday’s win was a good start and a win next week against the Warriors would keep North Providence on the path it wants to be on.

“Same thing,” Allard said when asked what comes next for the Cougars. “Come in and do what we’ve got to do. Nothing’s really changed, we just have to get the job done.”

5. Beirne Stadium was also a star

With Smithfield’s field undergoing a makeover, the Sentinels will play their home games at Bryant University’s Beirne Stadium.

To say the field is majestic would be underselling it. Between the walk from the parking lot to the field, the large scoreboard on the far side of the field, a terrific sound system and stands that had more people than you’d expect to see at a D-IV game, Friday wasn’t a game as much as it was an experience.

While Cranston Stadium is the current home of the RIIL’s Super Bowls, a move to Beirne would be a wise idea. The stadium is going to get an upgrade thanks to agreeing to host Rhode Island FC games while the soccer club’s own stadium is built in Pawtucket.

Currently, Beirne could handle D-II, D-III and D-IV Super Bowls. With some additional seating – which is coming – it would have the capability to handle a crowd for a State Championship Super Bowl. If the RIIL and Bryant could work out an agreement, the state football scene would be better for it.

North Providence 27, Smithfield 3

First quarter

NP – Jayden Allard 8 pass from Ben Borkman (Weston Cooper kick), 1:24

Second quarter

NP – Michael Allard 1 run (kick failed), 8:26

S – Greg Swain 21 field goal, 0:00

Third quarter

NP – Michael Allard 14 run (Cooper kick), 6:34

Fourth quarter

NP – Allard 5 run (Cooper kick), 10:58

TEAM STATISTICS

RUSHING – North Providence 43-225, Smithfield 28-71. PASSING – North Providence 2-8-14, Smithfield 0-2-0. TOTAL OFFENSE – North Providence 239, Smithfield 71. FIRST DOWNS – North Providence 17, Smithfield 2. FUMBLES-LOST – North Providence 0-0, Smithfield 4-1. TOTAL TURNOVERS – North Providence 0, Smithfield 1. PENALTIES – North Providence 10-75, Smithfield 8-65. PUNTS-YARDS – North Providence 2-44, Smithfield 5-159. TIME OF POSSESSION – North Providence 28:14, Smithfield 19:56.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: North Providence – Michael Allard 26-174, 3 TDs; Max Washington 4-24; Jayden Allard 4-22; Juan Baez 1-8; Frank Falso 1-4; Robert Charette 1-0; Ben Borkman 6-(-7). Smithfield – Lex Tremblay 5-77; Michael Villandry 4-11; Konny Ezeama 4-6; Gavin Trost 5-4; Ben Johnson-McMahon 1-3; Zachary Sweet 1-0; Aaron Archambault 4-(-13); Drew Buteau 4-(-27).

PASSING: North Providence – Borkman 2-8-14. Smithfield – Archambeault 0-1-0; Buteau 0-1-0.

RECEIVING: North Providence – Jayden Allard 1-8, TD; Baez 1-6.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: North Providence beats Smithfield in Division IV opener on Friday