Portsmouth High gridders blank Mt. Hope, 20-0

PORTSMOUTH — In its first four games of the season, the Portsmouth Patriots varsity football team hasn’t given up a single point to its opponents, outscoring them 137-0.

The latest shellacking came Friday night, when the Division 1A Patriots shut out Mt. Hope High School on the road, 20-0, in a non-league matchup.

It wasn’t a pretty game, partly due to the drizzly weather which led to wet conditions. The two teams combined for 10 fumbles, six of which were turnovers.

The first came on the Huskies’ second play from scrimmage, when PHS senior A.J. Cottrell took control of a fumbled snap at Mt. Hope’s 22-yard line. Shortly afterwards, Patriots senior John Roche ran for 12 yards into the end zone.

There was no more scoring until about 10 minutes left in the game, when Patriots senior quarterback Sean Coyne ran the ball in to make it 14-0. He also scored on a 37-yard run with just over three minutes left.

Portsmouth had previously blanked Rogers, 38-0; Cranston West, 34-0; and Woonsocket, 45-0.

The Patriots will next host St. Raphael Academy at 7 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 7. After that they’ll travel to South Kingstown for a noon game on Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Curtis Corner Middle School.