It was the first meeting ever between the Johnston and Juanita Sanchez/PCD/Wheeler football teams on Thanksgiving Eve at Johnston's Polisena Stadium, and it turned out to be a game that the Panthers, especially the seniors, will never forget as they defeated the Division III Super Bowl-bound Cavaliers, 38-0.
It was senior night for the Panthers as they were recognized in a pregame ceremony with family and friends at their sides at mid-field. The Johnston senior football players are Juan Arias, Riley Brazenor, Chris Fryer, Noah Jean-Laurent, Carson Kenny, Anthony Mandarelli, Drew Martinelli, Zack McFarlane, Cesar Mendez, Kyle Nelson, Kevin Ochoa, Evan Pennachia, Aristides Tejeda and Nassir Vasquez. The Panthers finished their Division II season with a 2-5 record, but their offense continued to pile up the points in the later part of the year. Johnston scored 211 points in its last seven games. The Cavaliers finished their season with a 7-0 record and registered playoff wins over North Providence, 15-0, and Lincoln, 48-10. They will try to win their first Super Bowl against Burrillville at Cranston Stadium on Dec. 4.
“The undefeated season at this point was really not important, playing in that last game in the Super Bowl is the most important thing,” said Cavaliers head coach Steven Nadeau.
“The support from all three schools has been unbelievable, it’s a great dynamic within the team. We have city kids with the private school kids and we have blended together socially and are a family.”
“We had an agreement, we wanted to get our seniors in and they did not want anybody hurt for the Super Bowl,” said Johnston head coach Joe Acciardo. “He's healthy for the Super Bowl and all our seniors got a chance to play.”
The Panthers scored the first touchdown of the game on a beautiful pass from junior quarterback and next year's starter Evin Calfiano. He found senior Evan Pennacchia from 34 yards out with 30 seconds left in the first quarter, while Dante Stubbs ran in the 2 for an 8-0 lead.
On the first play of the second quarter, Anthony Mandarelli ran back an interception 20 yards for a touchdown, tipping the ball to himself. Juan Arias made it 16-0 with the 2-point conversion. Cesar Mendez made it 22-0 on a 4-yard run, which was set up by a good punt return by co-captain Kyle Nelson.
Several linemen got a chance to run the ball for Johnston in the second half. Mandarelli, Chris Fryer, Drew Martinelli, Zack McFarland and center Carson Kenny, who rumbled for a 10-yard gain, all got touches in their final game.
“We started an all-senior offense and defense and we got a lot of guys the ball,” Acciardo said. “We got everyone a touch, every lineman got a carry or two and all the skill guys got a 2-point conversion or a score.” In the fourth quarter, the Panthers continued to excel on offense when Nelson connected with good friend Vasquez on a perfect throw for a 35-yard touchdown. The two seniors had hooked up several times the past two seasons so it was fitting that they would connect one final time. Calfiano hit Nelson for the 2 and a 30-0 Johnston lead.
Stubbs would plunge in from the 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter as Martinelli ran in the 2. A new Johnston football tradition was born late in the fourth quarter when the Panther seniors handed off the kicking tee to the underclassmen after a kickoff. The all-senior special teams unit would come off the field one final time to a huge ovation from the home crowd. The handing off the tee was the idea of Coach Acciardo.
“I told the guys with a little more than four minutes left in the game that we would call out the exit," Acciardo said. “I thought of it an hour before game time, we had a chance and we called timeout for the transition which was great. I got the idea from coaching baseball, when you take a pitcher out after a great game so the crowd can cheer for him as he left the game.” Acciardo also looked ahead to next year as he praised next season's starting quarterback Calfiano.
Acciardo said, “Calfiano is a smart, heads-up kid that understands the game. He reminds me a little bit of myself mentally. Everyone respects him a lot, he is patient and is a natural leader. We are looking forward to him starting next year.”
Even though the Panthers finished with a 2-5 league record, they had one of the best offenses in the later half of the 2016 season. The team and coaches never gave up even through some rough times. The players and coaches worked hard week in and week out and finished the year on a high note by beating a very good unbeaten team that could very well be Division III champions in a few days.
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