Super Bowl bound

Photos: Tiverton clobbers Toll Gate, heads to D-IV Super Bowl

Gacioch leads Tigers to 52-30 semifinal win

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Tiverton quarterback Matt Gacioch threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more to lead the Tigers over Toll Gate 52-30 in a Division IV semifinal playoff game at Tiverton High School on Friday night.
“It feels great,” Gacioch said after the game. “We are going back to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row.”
Gacioch hurled touchdown passes of 39 yards, 49 yards and 25 yards, all to sophomore wide receiver Mike Beaulieu. The senior quarterback also ran for scores of 8, 62, and 39 yards.
“He’s special,” said Head Coach Bob Murray. “He’s a special, special quarterback. I’ve got a coach out on the field, who has a tremendous skill. He throws the ball extremely well. And he never gets flustered.”
Senior defensive back Nate Upchurch intercepted two passes during the game. His first interception came in the first half and he returned it for a 74 yard touchdown.
The other interception sealed the victory for the Tigers.
“Nate is amazing,” Gacioch said. He’s a big part of our offense and defense.”
Kicker Adam Amaral kicked 7 conversion kicks and a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter.

Super Bowl
The Tigers will meet North Smithfield/Mount St. Charles Co-op team in the Super Bowl on Sunday Nov. 24, at Cranston Stadium at 4 p.m.
The game will be a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl which the Tigers came from behind and won, 43-29.

First half
The Tigers offense was working on all cylinders from the moment the referee flipped the coin.
Gacioch hurled a 39 yard touchdown pass to Beaulieu and ran in another score from 8 yards out to give Tiverton a quick 14-0 lead.
Toll Gate scored on the kickoff return to make it 14-6.
Then Gacioch ran it in for a 39 yard touchdown run. Guard Jonathan Garde and center Morgan Raposa opened up a hole for Gacioch, who slipped through the hole to the right side and out ran the rest of the Titans defenders to the end zone to give the Tigers a 21-6 lead.
Titans bruising running back, Kenny Morel, nearly had a long touchdown run himself, but Upchurch batted away the ball from Morel inside the 10 yard line. Morel was able to recover and the Titans scored and converted a two point conversion to cut the Tigers lead, 21-14.
On the next play from the Tigers 38 yard line, Gacioch took the snap and drew back to pass. He then tucked the ball and streaked up the middle through a gaping hole for a 62 yard touchdown to give the Tigers a 28-14 lead.
With the Titans threatening to close the gap, Upchurch picked off Toll Gate quarterback Greyson Pasquina and ran it back 74 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 35-14 lead.
“Nate’s interception for the touchdown was huge,” said coach Murray. “We were working on the play all week.”
Toll Gate wouldn’t quit as Pasquina threw a touchdown pass to John Gyra and the Titans converted another two point conversion to cut the lead to 35-22 at the half.

Second half
In the third quarter, Gacioch and the Tiverton offense looked to be driving for another touchdown on their first drive of the second half. The quarterback threw two passes to Beaulieu to get down to the 25 yard line. But Gacioch went to the sideline with a neck injury.
Junior quarterback Mike Keating replaced Gacioch and handed off to Upchurch. The senior speedster ran around the right side and stepped out of bounds as he headed for the end zone.
The Tigers ended up settling for an Amaral 29-yard field goal to make the score 38-22.
The Tiverton defense stiffened and made the Titans punt for the first time in the game.
The Tigers struggled to score with Gacioch on the sideline getting his neck rubbed down.
“We survived a whole quarter without him,” Coach Murray said about losing his quarterback to injury. “If we don’t get him back, we could be in trouble.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Titans running back Christian Rapoza scored and another two point conversion cut the lead to 38-30.
Head coach Bob Murray conversed with his quarterback. Gacioch said he was ready, that he could throw, but was hesitant to run the ball.
On the Tigers first offensive play of the fourth quarter, Gacioch took the snap, stepped back to pass and threw a 49-yard bomb to Beaulieu to give the Tigers a 45-30 lead with 11:28 to play in the game.
The Titans threatened, but defensive lineman Ben Vieira broke through the Toll Gate line and batted the ball from Paquina’s hand as he attempted to pass. The ball bounced in back of Pasquina and he hopped on it, but the big defensive play forced the Titans to punt.
On their next possession, Tiverton took some time off the clock. Gacioch handed off to Upchurch several times as the Tigers drove down the field reaching the Toll Gate 25-yard line.
Gacioch again drew back to pass and put a beautiful pass in the outstretched hands of Beaulieu as he ran into the end zone to give the Tigers a 52-30 lead with 3:22 left in the contest.
Upchurch sealed the deal picking off a Pasquina pass with 1:30 to go in the game.
“We did what we had to do to win, and that’s what matters” said coach Murray.

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.