The good news for the Mt. Hope High School football team is that the Huskies completed a fine regular season, one of the best in recent memory actually, last Friday night, Nov. 1, Senior Night for the Class 2025, with a 14-6 victory over visiting North Providence at Deets Field.

The even better news for the locals was that they finished with a 6-2 record, six wins in a row to boot, and earned a trip to the Division III championship playoffs this weekend. The six victories were the most for Mt. Hope since 2009 when the Huskies went 6-1 during the regular season that year while then in Division II.

"It was great," MHHS head coach Shane Parker said after the win. "But we've had way too many of these this year. I think this is like our fourth or fifth game that came down to the last play of the game in one fashion or another. It had taken years off my life, but I can't be more proud of these kids."

The only "bad" news for Mt. Hope was that after the final numbers were crunched under the new Rhode Island Interscholastic League power index formula for playoff qualification, the Huskies slipped from third to fifth and will not get to host a quarterfinal round game in the postseason.

That's due mostly to a miscommunication of how many points in the new system the locals' would receive from their game against Stafford, Conn., a program in the sixth division of Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference football. The Bulldogs play in Class S (the others in order are Class LL, Class L, Class MM, Class M and Class SS) and the Huskies' win gained them points akin to a Division IV team in Rhode Island, not D-II as the locals had wished.

The lack of points deprived Mt. Hope of a higher seed and the chance to host a quarterfinal round game. The locals were seeking to play a home playoff game at Deets for the first time since 2016, when the Huskies beat Westerly, 21-7, in a D-II quarterfinal round contest.

Instead, Classical, Pilgrim, Ponaganset and Rogers earned the coveted top-four seeds in the 2024 playoffs and the chance to host the D-III quarters. The Huskies travel to Toppa Field in Newport Friday night, Nov. 8, to face fourth-seeded Rogers at 6:30. Mt. Hope and the 5-2 Vikings have not met previously this fall.

North Providence, which entered last week sixth and remained there after its loss to the locals, travels to third-seeded Ponaganset. The 7-1 Chieftains, who handed the Huskies one of their two league losses, jumped Mt. Hope into the top four with their 40-14 blowout of Pilgrim last week.

Those Patriots, though just 5-3, still earned two seed based on power rankings and will host seventh-seeded Johnston on the other side of the Ponaganset bracket.

Top-seeded and 6-1 Classical, which gave the locals their other defeat, hosts eighth-seeded Cranston East on the Huskies' side of the draw.

As for their finale against the Cougars, the Huskies sent their six seniors off with the narrow eight-point victory, two of whom did all the scoring for the locals.

Backs JJ Pimental and Rocco Palazio scored the Mt. Hope touchdowns while the former, Pimental, also kicked a pair of extra points.

Classmate and quarterback Ethan Martel had a careful night throwing the football, finishing 6-for-8 for 48 yards with no interceptions.

Pimental and fellow Class of 2025 member Evan Rodrigues each made one catch.

Mate Brennan Perry ran plays on offense, but did not get a touch. He did, however, help preserve the victory by forcing the game's only turnover, an interception of North Providence quarterback Jayden Allard with just under two minutes remaining in the game.

Senior lineman Colin Maloney had six solo tackles, Rodrigues four and Pimental one.

The night appeared to start off extremely well for the Huskies when Pimental returned the opening kickoff all the way to the endzone.

However, a holding penalty nixed the score and Mt. Hope's drive eventually stalled and the locals turned the ball over on downs.

The Cougars showed they were up for the challenge in response, turning the field all the way around to touch and the lead. The kick for point missed, leaving the visitors on top 6-0.

Undaunted, the Huskies also had an immediate answer, driving the field and finding the tying touchdown when Pimental crossed the goal line late in the first quarter. His extra-point kick put Mt. Hope on top 7-6.

On their next possession early in the second period the Huskies drove deep into Cougars' territory at the North Providence 22 for a first down.

Zach Borges then gained six yards and a few more on another carry, but that run was negated by a holding call.

No matter, Palazio took the ensuing second-and-16 handoff, made a couple of cuts then raced all 28 yards to the endzone for the go-ahead six. Pimental's PAT made it 14-6 locals with 4:30 to go before the break.

What likely proved the deciding possession of the game came next. The Cougars hit on a 57-yard pass completion to set up a first-and-goal inside the Mt. Hope 10.

The Huskies' defense, however, stood strong. North Providence ran for no gain on first down. On second down, Borges broke up a pass in the endzone. On third down, another rush went for naught and on fourth down sophomore Brody Cavalieri and Rodrigues led a gang-tackle to end the drive.

Neither side really came close to scoring over the final 24 minutes.

North Providence did give the hosts a scare on their final drive when Allard connected with wideout Albert Pires for a pair of catches into the Mt. Hope half of the field at the 42.

Again, though, the Huskies D had an answer in the form of Perry, who stepped into the passing lane for the all-important pick at the seven-yard line. His long return back to near midfield was negated by a blocking flag, but the Cougars had no timeouts remaining and the game was over save for two snaps to Martel in victory formation.

Pimental neared the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season after carrying 19 times for 120 last week. He now has 955 with at least one more game left in his season and career.

Borges rushed 13-for-73. Palazio finished with 80 on five totes. Tyler Rhynard was the lone local with multiple receptions, two for 22 yards.

Cavalieri had a huge night on defense with a team-best 16 tackles. Ben Martel had 10 and Preston Brodd eight. Robert Annis had six, including the night's only sack for a five-yard loss.

— East Bay Media Group and eastbayri.com contributing photographer Julie Furtado shot the accompanying gallery of photos.