The Cumberland Jr. Clippers varsity opened the playoffs Sunday with a 36–0 victory over the Oakwood Raiders in Johnston, delivering across offense, defense and special teams.

Cumberland had won the regular-season home opener against Oakwood 26–0. The rematch showed the continued fine-tuning: a focus that sharpened through the week and was evident in Sunday’s warmups. Players knew their assignments and trusted the teammate beside them to handle his. That confidence carried across a versatile lineup, with many of the same players opening lanes, carrying the ball and making stops.

Both teams brought size up front. Cumberland paired it with the details its line coaches have emphasized all season: physical play, moving feet and finding the next block. Charlie Bessette, Jordan Mowry, Shawn Veloso, Anthony Guerrera, center Teo Tabares and Liam Lemire put those lessons to work.

Tabares kept things steady in the middle, Guerrera supplied strong blocking, and the group kept moving forward. Heads up, find the next defender, stay with the play. At times, it looked like a moving wall—a youth line working through demanding assignments together.

Donovan Martell and Jacob Burns added blocks at tight end, with Joey Scorpio contributing from wingback. Burns and Scorpio were the technicians: precise routes, deliberate blocks and attention to the finer points of their positions on both sides of the ball.

That work gave quarterback Rome Cruz room to operate. Rome gave the called play time to breathe, eyes still downfield even as the pocket changed. And when it collapsed, he slipped through. Quick feet, a cut back the other way, and what looked like trouble turned into open grass. Same play, new ending. He could bounce through traffic where you didn’t expect daylight, then pop out going the other way.

Cruz rolled left on one scoring possession and floated a pass to Manny Withee, who reached overhead for a first down at Oakwood’s 18. Logan Pistorio added tough yards before Rome finished the drive with a touchdown around the right edge.

Oakwood kept Cumberland’s offense waiting through a long possession spanning the first and second quarters. The Raiders used the clock, but the defense kept that time from becoming points. Lemire’s fumble recovery returned the ball to the Clippers.

Facing fourth-and-short, Cruz and Martell supplied one of the afternoon’s biggest plays. Defenders closed around Rome, who cut through a tight space and worked back the other way. He appeared ready to run, but kept looking downfield. Martell was waiting in open space.

Still moving forward, Cruz floated the ball high over the defense. As it hung in the air, the Raiders sprinted to close the gap. Donovan secured it, turned upfield and carried the play into Oakwood territory. A tight end who blocked like a lineman and caught like a receiver had given Cumberland another opening.

Pistorio took it from there, running like a man possessed. He burst around the right side for 25 yards, from Oakwood’s 35 to the 10, then scored on a similar run the next play. Hard to slow down. Harder to bring down.

A quick defensive three-and-out gave Rome’s brother, Manny “Weapon X” Withee, another chance in the return game. An earlier return to the end zone had been wiped out by a roughing-the-kicker penalty. This time, Manny took it up the sideline for a touchdown.

This one stayed on the board.

Withee’s power, speed and sharp changes of direction made him a threat on the ground, through the air and on special teams. At strong safety, that same feel for the game showed in his reads, quick closing speed and physical stops.

Cumberland still had details to clean up. Along with the early penalty, a mishandled snap produced a fumble before halftime. Those mistakes interrupted an otherwise productive afternoon.

Scorpio opened the second half with a touchdown on a jet sweep. His work at cornerback was just as important, including a fourth-down pass breakup and several other timely plays against well-placed throws.

Oakwood tested Cumberland vertically with a seam passing attack and a quarterback capable of airing it out behind defenders. The Raiders also stretched the field horizontally with quick passes and outside runs. Cumberland answered from the outside in, closing those opportunities and leaving little room through the middle.

Veloso, Bessette and Guerrera formed a steel curtain inside. Logan Pistorio played like the Tasmanian Devil, while Martell’s strength, length and quickness made Oakwood’s quarterback adjust his throws, even when Donovan never touched the ball. The pressure left little room to settle in the pocket.

Both edge defenders understood when to close, contain or cover the flats. Pistorio’s quick diagnosis and awareness of the defense around him kept him on his assignment. Martell also forced a fumble on a quarterback keeper. Oakwood recovered, but faced unfavorable field position as Cumberland’s defense held firm and forced a change of possession.

Behind them, Mowry and Burns were two fire hydrants in the middle. They diagnosed plays early, plugged lanes and scraped left or right against outside offensive concepts. Against the pass, they gained depth to handle their coverage responsibilities. Strong and disciplined, they broke down and drove forward through tackles.

Mowry had an early interception opportunity slip through his fingers. Burns came away with a pick later. Their physical play helped control the middle and contributed to wearing down the Raiders.

The secondary finished its share of the work. Scorpio stayed composed when Oakwood put throws within reach of its receivers. In the secondary, Jacob Evans delivered multiple pass breakups and big tackles when they counted. Cruz contributed alongside Withee, Kasen Chenevert and Sanchez in the defensive backfield.

Chenevert has been a consistent contributor at running back and free safety, gaining yards in useful chunks, breaking longer runs when space opens and reading the action before coming forward to make stops.

Julian “the Silent Assassin” Sanchez let his play do the talking. In his first football season, he read the field, delivered big tackles and stayed with receivers down the sideline. His coverage helped complete a defense whose three levels worked in unison. On Sunday, there was no weak link for Oakwood to build around.

With Cumberland ahead 30–0 in the fourth quarter, Manny Withee broke loose down the right sideline. Andrew Soucar cleared the way with a clean block, and Manny finished the run for his second touchdown of the afternoon—an exclamation point on the day. The conversion kick was blocked, leaving the Clippers ahead 36–0 with 6:40 remaining.

On the ensuing kickoff, Ryan Polak blew up a blocker from Oakwood’s kick return team. Still gaining football experience, Polak is starting to pick up the game’s subtleties, and Sunday gave the developing role player a moment of his own. Younger players got their opportunities down the stretch, and the defense completed the shutout. A Super Bowl goal set at the season’s beginning had moved one step closer through shared work: the blocks, coverage and assignments that let teammates make plays.

Next comes North Providence, which advanced with a win over Johnston. Top-seeded Cumberland will be the designated home team, with the game played in Johnston.

In the postgame huddle, coaches praised all three phases and reminded the Clippers that their earlier win over the Jets would not decide the rematch. Film, practice and a Friday walkthrough under the lights at Tucker Field were already on the agenda.

“One down, two more to go.”

Logan led the final breakdown.

“Clippers on three! Family on six!”

Another week together. Another playoff game to prepare for.