EAST PROVIDENCE  — As the East Providence High School football team wrapped up its Division II regular season slate last week the two things the Townies needed to happen to keep their playoff hopes alive did indeed occur.

First, following a slow start by both sides East Providence pulled away from visiting Burrillville to earn a 28-13 victory over the Broncos on “Townie Pride” Parade night at Pierce Memorial Stadium Friday, Oct. 21.

Second, Cranston West handed Mt. Pleasant its third league loss of the yea by a 20-16 count that same evening, leaving the 2-3 Kilties in need of a win on the road at 3-2 Cumberland Friday night to leap-frog the Townies into the fourth and last playoff spot from Division II-A.

East Providence’s regular season finished at 3-3 in the league. One of those three setbacks came to Mt. Pleasant, 40-7, three weeks ago now.

Postseason scenarios
If the Townies do qualify for the league playoffs, they’re more than likely headed south to Aquidneck Island for a date with Portsmouth in the quarterfinals next Friday or Saturday, Nov. 4 or 5.

Portsmouth beat Barrington last weekend 21-7, improving to 4-1 on the II-B, which all but assured the Patriots of being the No. 1 seed on that side of the playoff ledger. The Pats play at winless Cranston East (0-5) in their final regular season game this Friday night.

The rest of the II-B side remains a jumble. Westerly and South Kingstown head into their meeting Friday with both at 3-2. Woonsocket, also 3-2, plays 2-3 Barrington. Shea, like E.P., is finished at 3-3 and needs held to make the playoffs.

St. Raphael locked up the top seed from II-A after the Saints defeated East Greenwich 20-0 last week to improve to 4-1.

Regardless of the outcome of its regular season finale in Burrillville this week the Saints will be the No. 1 seed from its half of the division. St. Ray’s beat fellow 4-1 side Cranston West 23-0. The Saints also defeated Cumberland 27-7.

The Falcons are locked into the two by virtue of its 19-15 win over Cumberland, making the Clippers the third seed for the moment.

Cumberland would stay third with a win over Mt. Pleasant. The Kilties would jump into that spot with a win this week.

The Clippers defeated EPHS 31-7, giving Cumberland the tiebreaker over the Townies for any playoff seeding.

Burrillville notes
Neither team scored in the opening 12 minutes of action between the Townies and guest Broncos last weekend at Pierce.

East Providence broke the ice midway through the second half, taking advantage of a Burrillville miscue.

The Broncos muffed a punt deep in their own end. The Townies recovered and three plays later Steven Clark Jr. burrowed his way to the endzone for a touchdown from three yards out. The extra point attempt failed, leaving the locals up 6-0.

The divide remained six to intermission when the teams finally found their offensive rhythm.

Out of the break, EPHS struck quickly. Jahad Davis Pinto capped the opening drive with a 25-yard touchdown run for the Townies. Quarterback Max Whiting then hit Clark with a pass in the flat to convert the two-point try, making it 14-0 E.P.

The Broncos next got on the board with a touchdown drive of their own and the kick for point to make it 14-7 by the mid-point of the period.

The Townies responded in kind with a scoring march through the end of the third and into the fourth. Clark finished it off with a run and then the locals made the two to up their lead to 22-7.

Burrillville continued the scoring streak with its second TD drive, but the Broncos did not convert their two attempt and trailed 22-13.

Whiting later all but assured the Townies of the victory when he kept it for a four-yard run to put EPHS up 15 with a little over four minutes left in the game.

This week
While their league schedule is done, the Townies will not sit idle this week.

EPHS travels to Warwick to face long-time former Division I rival Bishop Hendricken Friday night, Oct. 28, for a 7 o’clock kick.

The Hawks will be the top seed in the new four-team D-I state championship tourney after finishing the regular season 3-0 with wins over LaSalle, Central and North Kingstown.

Hendricken is 6-2 overall. In non-league games, the Hawks lost to Monsignor Farrell of the New York State Catholic High School Athletic Association Class AAA league 31-27 and Massachusetts Division II power Catholic Memorial of Boston 48-6.

Hendricken beat reigning New Hampshire Division I champion Londonderry 40-20, Cranston West 28-16 and Portsmout 34-12.