Ravens win 46-0 over Riptide
Vermont Ravens 13th season
New England Football League 26th season
Aug. 3, 2019
Staff Report
Cranston Stebbins Stadium - Cranston, RI

Vermont Ravens – 46
Rhode Island Riptide – 0

Vermont improves to 2-0 with a win over the Riptide Saturday.

All three phases, offense, defense, and special teams had a hand in the scoring outburst and one player FS/WR/KR #13 Shaquille Urie hit the trifecta, scoring once in each.

Number 1 showed Urie as the team’s punt returner dropping back and fielding a Riptide punt in the second quarter on the Ravens 23-yard line. Finding a seam, then getting a nice block from Raven OL/DL #56 Lloyd White, Urie hit his stride and 77 yards later was in the end zone for his first touchdown this coming in the second quarter and putting the Ravens up 12-0.

Number 2 finds Urie on offense as one of the team’s receivers. Vermont started rookie QB #9 Abdi Abdi in the second half. Abdi found an open Urie crossing over the middle. Lofting a high pass Urie went up and got it coming down between three defenders. Spinning left he gained some yards which allowed time for RB/DE #20 Roy Rose to get over to aid by blocking the last chance the Riptide had of corralling Urie. Running free Urie sprinted into the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown reception making the score at that time 24-0 Ravens in the third quarter. Abdi to WR/DB #1 Matthew Gomes complete for the two-point conversion. 26-0.

Number 3 was also the last score of the day late in the fourth quarter by Vermont. Urie, the Ravens free safety, went up and over the intended receiver to take the ball away and come down cleanly with the ball. He proceeded to tip toe down the right sideline for 30 yards and a nice block by LB/DE # 75 Kenny Limoge sprung him inside for a clear path to the end zone for the icing on the cake with a 93-yard interception return. 46-0 Vermont.

Shaquille Urie may have pulled off the rare triple play today, but he was one of many standouts for the team.

Some of the other highlights from the game.

The Riptide received the opening kick-off. After a Riptide first down Raven RB/SS #24 De-Eric (Bud) O’Neal picked off a low pass and seeing the left sideline was his outraced everyone for a 40-yard pick-6 and a quick 6-0 lead for the Ravens. This was the second week in a row where O’Neal had a 40-yard interception return, this time though it was for a touchdown.

Second year Raven QB/WR/LB #17 Alex Bell’s two-point conversion pass attempt was incomplete. The score was 6-0 Ravens 12:00 left first quarter.

Vermont’s defense continued to make plays with the defensive tackles of the Ravens performing well in the trenches. DT #10 DT Brett Walton, OL/DL #56 Lloyd White, and rookie #66 OL/DL Caleb Bell forcing the Riptide offense to get away from the run early. Walton contributed 2 sacks, and Limoge 1. Defensive ends #34 Tristan Woodward, #57 Matthew Marrier, and Rose made life tough on Rhode Island’s QB continually applying pressure.

Leading 12-0 at the half offensive coordinator Coach Pete Everett called the beforementioned Abdi’s number and he responded immediately by making some nice plays in his first game back off a pre-season game injury he suffered in June.

Finding open receivers #6 WR Austin Stacy and #18 Terrance (Tedo) Whitney for nice gains he drove the Ravens down to the red zone. Abdi then from 13 yards out found a crossing Stacey in the end zone for a touchdown making the score 18-0. The two-point conversion pass attempt to Whitney was incomplete.

Abdi, when flushed from the pocket, became a work horse for Vermont churning out large chunks of yardage, and making first downs which kept the ball away from the Riptide for most of the second half.

Early in the fourth quarter Vermont LB #51 George Campbell intercepted a Riptide pass and brought it back 30 yards before being stripped of the ball. Raven DB Gomes picked up the bouncing football and brought it down to the 3-yard line setting up Abdi’s rushing touchdown 2 plays later. Abdi crossed the goal line on a quarterback keeper off the left side and he added a two-point pass completion to Alex Bell. 34-0 Ravens.

Later on in the quarter the versatile Rose, playing running back today as well as his usual defensive end position, took a handoff from Abdi and ran off the left side turning it up at the right moment and bursting through a small opening and into the end zone from 10 yards out. Abdi’s two-point pass attempt was no good. 40-0 Vermont.

Urie would end the scoring with his interception return and touchdown. 46-0.

Abdi had 2 TD passes, scored 1 TD, and passed for 2 two-point conversions while running for 80 yards all during the second half.

Bell had over 50 yards each, passing and running, as the starter for the first half. He also caught 1 two-point conversion pass from Abdi.

Urie had the 77-yard punt return, the 25-yard TD-catch and the 93-yard interception return to go along with another interception and 11-yard return. He also contributed another pass defensed and had 7 tackles.
Stacey had the 13-yard TD reception. Rose had the 10-yard TD run, 1 sack and many hurries.

Woodward had 6 tackles and many hurries as part of the Raven defense that was aggressive all afternoon.

Walton had 2 sacks and 8 tackles. Limoge had 1 ½ sacks and 5 tackles.

LB #51 George Campbell had one interception and return of 30 yards.

Gomes had the 1 two-point conversion and recovered a fumble running for 10 yards.

LB/DB #44 Josh Tassie had 1 kick-off return which was a squib kick that he caught and returned 10 yards into Riptide territory.

The 2-0 Ravens travel to Hartford, CT next Saturday for a game against the 2-1 Colts. Kick-off 5:45PM. The Riptide travel to Keene High School, Keene, NH to take on the Marauders. 6:30PM kick-off.

For more information www.vermontravens.com