Two key offenses and a solid defense improve La Salle football

PROVIDENCE — Saturday’s game didn’t completely erase the pain of what happened in last year’s Division I semifinals, but the La Salle Academy football team certainly felt a lot better walking off the field this time around.

The Rams relied on their defense and made some big plays on offense to hold North Kingstown in check. It was a far cry from the loss the Skippers suffered en route to the 2023 Super Bowl.

La Salle didn’t give up a first down until the third quarter, forced five turnovers and had a safety in the decisive second quarter. Antonio Bearden’s 28-yard touchdown reception and Terrance Campbell’s 28-yard touchdown run were more than enough to propel the Rams past the Skippers, 20-6, in rainy Cimini Stadium.

North Kingstown made a splash on this same field the last time the two teams met. The Skippers dominated the game 45-12 last year, a game that was all but over before halftime. Campbell left the field in the first half with an ankle injury and La Salle simply couldn’t respond once North Kingstown started to gain momentum.

“In the locker room, we were down 45-12 when we came in,” Bearden said. “Our mentality was to go for it. No matter what happened at the end, we’d rather leave the field dead.”

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The Rams struck first and hardest in this game, scoring all of their points in the 12 minutes before halftime. Matt Harrison’s fumble recovery for a touchdown gave the Skippers a glimmer of hope in the second half, but a fourth-down stop with 5:55 left nearly sealed the victory for La Salle. Tommy Lynch broke free on a blitz and tackled North Kingstown quarterback Jack Diano for a loss at the Rams’ 35.

“We’ve really worked together throughout the season,” Lynch said. “I think we’ve all done our jobs and been in the right place at the right time.”

Lynch’s interception on the final play of the first quarter gave the Rams prime field position at the Skippers’ 12-yard line. La Salle committed a couple of penalties before Sam Perry found Bearden on his second read over the middle. Their connection and Gray Iannitti’s 2-point run gave the Rams an 8-0 lead.

“That catch meant a lot to me,” Bearden said. “I was the second guy to read the play, but I kept a tight enough route that the safety let me go too far.”

North Kingstown couldn’t capitalize on an interception later in the quarter, giving up points inside its own 10. Diano dropped a wet ball on a shotgun snap, and his fumble recovery came in his own end zone for a safety. The Rams followed the ensuing free kick with a seven-play drive, and Campbell exploded down the left side before breaking away from the defense to make it 17-0.

“We knew we had to come back and get our revenge,” Lynch said. “It’s a good thing the result went our way this year.”

The Skippers fumbled the ensuing kickoff at their own 28 and La Salle increased the lead before halftime. Max Wallace kicked a 38-yard field goal into the wind to give the Rams a 20-0 lead, a lead the Rams carried into the locker room. North Kingstown did not run any of its 18 first-half offensive plays beyond its own 30 yards.

“We didn’t know it was going to rain,” Bearden said. “But even with that, we were going to play fast and physical.”

La Salle’s only real problem came in the third quarter. The Rams (2-1) lost the ball in their backfield on fourth down and Harrison was waiting, running 40 yards untouched down the middle of the field. The Skippers (0-2) forced a three-and-out on defense and drove to the La Salle 26-yard line before Lynch slid up the middle on fourth down to bring down Diano.

“We wanted to apply pressure there,” Lynch said. “They didn’t really handle us well. The gap opened up and I had a free throw to the quarterback.”

La Salle faces a tough test next week at St. John’s Prep (Mass.) before traveling to Bishop Hendricken for the annual state rematch. The Rams missed out on a championship game last fall with the Hawks, who reclaimed the title after La Salle’s breakthrough in 2022. Campbell’s return after spending the first two weeks of this school year at a Miami high school should give the Rams a boost for the rest of their schedule.

“This team is much better put together than last year’s team,” Bearden said.

Kingstown North 0 0 6 0 – 6

The Room 0 20 0 0 – 20

LS – Antonio Bearden 28 passes from Sam Perry (rush from Gray Iannitti)

LS – safety (NK fumble in end zone)

LS – Terrance Campbell’s 28-yard run (Max Wallace kick)

LS – Wallace 38, three-pointer

NK – Matt Harrison 40 fumble recoveries (kick missed)

Individual statistics

Rushing:NK, 14-17 (Chris Ciarniello 4-12, Nick Stafford 4-4, Cooper Berthelot 3-2, Jack Diano 3-minus 1); LS, 37-98 (Terrance Campbell 16-76, Sean Francisco 7-30, Gray Iannitti 7-6, Timoy Stitchell 1-minus 3, Sam Perry 6-minus 11).

Passage: NK, 6-18-3 43 (Diano 6-18-3 43); LS, 11/20/155 (Perry 11/20/155).

Reception:NK, 6-43 (Berthelot 2-23, Gian Iacuele 2-7, Anthony Parry 1-7, Ciarniello 1-6); LS, 11-55 (Antonio Bearden 5-44, Stitchell 3-13, Francisco 1-2, Matt Sanzi 1-0, Campbell 1-minus 4).

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