By Charlie Adams

NEFJ Staff

CRANSTON — The 2019 season marked the first year that Davies had a football program, and the team went 0-7.

Coach Henry Cabral flipped the script with last year’s undefeated campaign that was spoiled by North Providence in the Division IV championship.

This season was redemption for the Patriots.

“This means the world to our school, our community, our players,” Cabral said. “We lost last year in this game and there was nothing more that we wanted to do than make everything right that went wrong last year.”

No. 3 Davies took an early lead and stayed just ahead the rest of the way for a 28-25 win, earning its first championship in program history. No. 1 Narragansett entered with just one loss, a 24-20 loss to the Patriots in the second week of the regular season.

Davies started with a 67-yard touchdown from Tyrell Barros to Jomar Lopes. Jamaal Andrade got the PAT to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead.

Matt Timpson fumbled on a scramble on Narragansett’s following drive. Collin Borden recovered the football for Davies.

The Patriots couldn’t keep the momentum after a trip to the red zone ended in an interception. Barros looked to the corner of the end zone, and Alec Hayes came up with the takeaway.

Ziahar Gibau extended the Davies lead with a seven-yard rushing touchdown. After lining up for the extra point, the Patriots shifted into the shotgun as Barros found Edgar Melendez for the two-point conversion.

Narragansett responded with a 64-yard touchdown as Timpson connected with Jack Giannettot. Hayes’ extra point brought the score to 15-7.

Hayes made a successful onside kick to steal an extra drive for Narragansett as Chris Winn recovered the ball.

Winn was left wide open down the sideline for a 41-yard touchdown. A fake PAT attempt to tie was unsuccessful as Hayes’ pass went incomplete.

The Mariners made it back-to-back successful onside kicks, with Javon O’Donnell-Sampson getting the recovery.

Borden got his second recovery for Davies after a Giannetto fumble, the Patriots ran out the half leading 15-13.

Gibau returned to the end zone just 21 seconds into the third quarter, a 47-yard rush increased the lead.

Timpson once again had a wide-open receiver as Hayes brought in a 59-yard touchdown. The Mariners attempt for two fell incomplete to leave the score at 22-19.

Starting the fourth quarter mid-drive, Davies extended its lead. Two laterals got the ball from Gibau in the Wildcat out to Barros who fired a 29-yard touchdown pass to Melendez. The Patriots two-point attempt was unsuccessful to leave the lead at nine points.

Narragansett battled back with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Owen Oakes. Hayes missed the PAT to leave Davies ahead 28-25 with 3:52 remaining.

With a chance to run out the clock, Gibau sprinted for a first down but fumbled on the tackle. O’Donnell Sampson recovered for Narragansett.

Borden came up big again with a third-down sack before Timpson’s fourth-down try fell incomplete. The turnover on downs allowed Davies to kneel out its historic victory.

“It feels great, we’ve been working hard this whole season and we’ve been waiting for this,” Gibau said. “Last year we came up short and this year we just had to get the job done.”

MVP honors went to Gibau after a busy day on the ground, recording two touchdowns and many scrambles out of the wildcat.

“I told my grandmother I was going to win this game for her, I was not going to lose and I promised her that,” Gibau said.

Cabral proved doubters wrong and has quickly created a culture and a winning program, laying the foundation for future success.

“We were an underdog all season, no one thought we would do anything this year,” Cabral said. “We’re built strong now, we’re not going away.”