PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth High School Patriots scored early and often before holding off North Kingstown for a 21-14 victory in a Division I football game Friday night at home.

The victory earned Portsmouth a date with La Salle Academy in the D-I semifinals this Friday night on the road.

Portsmouth jumped out to a 6-0 lead after sophomore Neal Tullson found the end zone from one yard out. Kicker Andrew Perry made one of this three extra points to make it 7-0.

Only a couple of minutes later, sophomore running back Andrew Federico scored on another one-yard run, putting the Patriots up 14-0.

The Skippers scored a touchdown early in the second quarter to make it 14-7, but Portsmouth’s Shane Harvey found the end zone from 16 yards out to make it 21-7.

The Patriots’ defensive highlight of the game came with under 10 seconds left in the half, when it forced an incomplete pass from the Skippers on fourth down.

North Kingstown scored with under a minute left in the game, but a subsequent onside kick was recovered by the Patriots to seal the win.

Semifinals on Friday

There’s an outside chance Portsmouth could face North Kingstown again — in the Division I championship. Both teams made the playoffs which start this weekend.

The Patriots will be matched up against La Salle Academy in the semifinals at the Lou Cimini Stadium in Providence at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 30. 

In the other semifinal matchup, the Skippers play Bishop Hendricken. North Kingstown has lost to all three teams in the regular season.