The West Warwick Wizards will square off against the Portsmouth Patriots at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (West Warwick 15, Portsmouth 6.6) so any points scored will be well earned.
West Warwick is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: South Kingstown, who was ranked seventh at the time (West Warwick was ranked 12th). The Wizards fell just short of the Rebels by a score of 14-12 on Friday. Despite 68 more yards than the Rebels, the Wizards couldn't convert that extra yardage to scores.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They took their game with ease, bagging a 49-7 victory over Barrington. 49 seems to be a good number for the Patriots as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of points in their previous game.
Portsmouth's win came from a few key players West Warwick will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Joe Sanderson, who rushed for 218 yards and three scores on only ten carries. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 130 rushing yards per game. Another player making a difference was Adam Conheeny, who rushed for 115 yards on only five carries.
Portsmouth was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 574 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 187 rushing yards in four consecutive contests.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Portsmouth's defense and their five sacks. That dominant display was truly a team effort as five different players picked up one apiece.
Portsmouth's victory bumped their record up to 5-0. As for West Warwick, the defeat snapped their winning streak at three games dating back to last season and leaves them with a 2-2 record.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. West Warwick has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 183.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Portsmouth struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 259.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
West Warwick couldn't quite get it done against Portsmouth in their previous matchup back in October of 2024 as they fell 30-22. Will the Wizards have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
