By Russ Waterman
MaxPreps.com
Pete Smurro scored 24 points and ran for 164 yards on 14 carries - all in the first half - to spark Narragansett to a deceptive 44-28 victory over Mt. Pleasant at Conley Stadium in Providence.
After Matt Eldridge scored on runs of 21 and 9 yards the first two Mariner possessions, Smurro, a 220-pound fullback, took over with quick and punishing inside-and-out running. The senior accounted for all of his points in the second quarter with three consecutive TD runs of 2, 10 and 29 yards and six extra points rushing leading to a 38-0 halftime margin.
Brendan Kenney added a 74-yard score following an interception to complete the undefeated Mariners scoring with the Mariners emptying their bench the second half.
The Mariners just missed qualifying for the postseason the past two years with successive 4-4 campaigns after making the move from Division 4 to Division 3 in 2006.
When head coach Dick Fossa took over the reins in 1999, the Mariners won the Div. 4 Super Bowl his first season and then in 2003 while making the finals in 2002 and 2005. Then came the upward move.
Fossa, a La Salle Academy graduate and former assistant coach at North Providence, believes in giving every team member a chance to prove themselves.
"We are one of the smallest schools in the state," he says of his 53-member squad, or "25 percent of the male student population.
"Most of our starters have to go both ways. So we always have a nice mix of of serior talent and underclassmen. But at Narragansett High School everyone in the program is a member of the varsity team."
Using most players on both sides of the ball hasn't seemed to affect the team's fortunes this season, though.
"So far no one has scored on our first team," Fossa said.
Leading the way on offense are senior quarterback/safety Kenney, an all-division selection last season, and running back/linebacker Smurro.
"Brandon is a special player," says Fossa of his versatile athlete who also stars in basketball and baseball. "He is fast, elusive and has good football sense. He also studies the game each week by carefully looking at game film."
In the first three games, Kenney intercepted six passes and ran two back. He has run two kickoffs returns for scores and is an all-around threat
Smurra was moved to the backfield this season.
"He has lots of power inside and was our center the last three years," Fossa says of Smurra, who is also a wrestler, mixed martial artist and competitive fighter according to his coach..
"Tyler Casey and Matt Eldridge are complements to each other at running back and Mike Millen at fullback also does a great job blocking," Fossa said.
Also anchoring the line are seniors Dan Stone, Brian Sullivan, Mike Millen and defensive end Julian Nelson. The absence of Howie Holmes, a 6-2, 275-pound senior lineman lost for the season due to a first-game knee injury, hasn't affected them thus far.
"We will get a chance the next three weeks to see if we can be called very good or just average," Fossa said of upcoming games with Tiverton, Johnston and Moses Brown.
Division 1 Notes
* With a 35-28 win by La Salle Academy over Portsmouth last week, the Rams remain one of two undefeated Division 1 teams left in the state.
Gus Delfarno scored three times on runs of 20, 17 and 25 yards while teammate Kendall Perry added TD runs of 6 and 68 yards.
* Barrington kept its perfect record intact with a surprising 28-0 win over Bishop Feehan, Mass., defending MIAA Division 2 Super Bowl champions. A stiff Eagle defense stopped the Shamrocks' offensive attack. Barrington also had several big plays, including two touchdown passes by Steve Crawford and two scoring runs by Mike Read, featuring an 85-yard kickoff return and a 52-yard jaunt.
Division 3 Notes
* Nick Keeling scored on TD runs of 61 and 73 yards, and teammate Larry Colaluca scored the game-clinching score with a 1-yard plunge to lead Ponaganset past East Greenwich, 28-21, to keep pace with Narragansett.
Russ Waterman covers Massachusetts and Rhode Island for MaxPreps. He may be reached at rwathoop3@aol.com.
