by Charlie Adams, Thunderbolt Sports Media
October 1, 2021 - CRANSTON, RI
The Thunderbolts came into this match-up against the Portsmouth Patriots looking to bounce back from a tough 14-9 loss to Woonsocket their last time out. In front of their faithful fanbase at the Cranston Stadium, the ‘Bolts struggled to mount any rhythm in their offense and fell to the Patriots 42-6
Led by senior quarterback Benny Hurd, Portsmouth ran through Cranston East’s defense at will, scoring a total of 4 rushing touchdowns. The Patriots defense was a lightning rod, allowing East only 6 fourth quarter points and forcing the ‘Bolts to punt or turn the ball over on downs every other possession.
Portsmouth’s opening kickoff started the Thunderbolts on their 35-yard line. The ‘Bolts were able to make it to Portsmouth’s side of the field before junior quarterback Naz Milien fumbled, handing the Patriots the ball on their 44-yard line. Portsmouth started off fast, with Hurd leading a rush-heavy offense en route to a 40-yard rushing touchdown. After forcing East to punt on their next possession, the Patriots started their next drive at their own 45-yard line. Hurd took just one play to connect with fellow senior Evan Tullson on a touchdown pass to move the Patriot lead to 14-0 early.
Entering the second quarter down 14-0, the Thunderbolts ended their thirteen play drive on an unsuccessful attempt on 4th and 12, their third 4th down attempt on the possession. Following this, Patriots quarterback Ben Hurd rushed for another 50 yard touchdown on the Patriots’ second play of the “drive”.
With under 3 minutes left in the half, junior Luke Brennan broke through on the ground for a 4-yard touchdown run. A muffed punt by Cranston East’s special teams set up the Portsmouth Patriots in the red zone. Benny Hurd quickly threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Tullson with 2.6 seconds remaining in the quarter, sending the Patriots to a comfortable 35-0 lead at halftime.
The Thunderbolts kicked off to the Patriots for their first time in the contest to lead off the second half. It took Portsmouth less than a minute to get back to the end zone, as Hurd ran untouched for a 63 yard touchdown, his third of the game.
The Thunderbolts started the fourth quarter strong by forcing the first punt by the Patriots of the night. Defending a 42-0 lead, Portsmouth’s defense finally cracked, letting up a 30-yard passing touchdown from Naz Milien to junior Romeo Cordeiro. The ‘Bolts finished their game on a high note, but ultimately fell to the Patriots 42-6. With this loss, the Thunderbolts’ record moves to 0-4-1.
The Cranston East defense struggled, and the offense struggled to muster much against Portsmouth’s defense, which was led by linebacker Huntley Almeida’s 15 tackles (unofficial). The ‘Bolts seemed to improve their discipline, as they limited the penalties against them. They’ll look to improve their offensive production when they’re back in action next week, playing host to South Kingstown High School, who just surprised third-ranked Central on Friday, 13-12.
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