RIIL unveils new football divisions

The Rhode Island Interscholastic League football schedules have been released for the upcoming season, and although I will be diving in much deeper as we get closer, I do have a few initial thoughts, primarily when it comes to the new divisions and how it affects our teams.

The three teams in particular from our coverage area that were moved were Toll Gate, Cranston East and Cranston West. The Titans will be heading down to Division IV while the Bolts will be in Division III and the Falcons Division I.

I know that the Titans had been pushing to be moved down prior to last season and I was on board with it. I spoke about this with some fellow media members throughout the fall last year, and I felt that I was in the minority when fighting for Toll Gate being allowed to join Division IV, which is more of a developmental league.

The reason that many others were opposed to it was the enrollment numbers. Toll Gate has the numbers to support a Division III team, but there are obviously plenty of other factors that come into play. The program deteriorated for multiple years prior to head coach Jim Miceli’s hiring in 2022. The team has regained some culture, but it is still in the midst of a massive rebuild.

This was the proper move for the Titans. This will allow them to truly rebuild. It will give them an opportunity to get their feet under them, hit the reset button, and truly begin to build a foundation. Yes, there was no reason for the team to drop to the depths that it has, but it is what it is at this point, and another season in Division III would have just continued to stall its progress. It needs to begin winning games and playing competitive football rather than getting smashed on a weekly basis.

As for the Bolts, this is another team where this should be a welcome change.

East just hired a new coach in James Cook who is coming from Ponaganset. Cook has a strong resume of success in rebuilding teams, so this hire makes a ton of sense. Now, the Bolts moving down a division should only help them also get things back on track even more.

East was a little further ahead in DII than Toll Gate was in DIII. The Bolts won a late season game, competed against playoff teams like Barrington, in which it was a close game at halftime. The Bolts have some good young talent that got a taste of varsity action last season. I felt that this was a team that would have a chance to flirt with .500 football in DII had it stayed put.

Now, in DIII, East absolutely should be able to play .500 ball and compete for a playoff spot. The Bolts struggled at quarterback last fall and were shaky up front on offense. However, they had some legitimate varsity playmakers and will have a few of those guys returning. If East can find itself a steady quarterback and beef up the line, this could be a dangerous team in its new division.

It felt like the Bolts were finally learning what it took to win in DII. Now in a lower division with a new coach, this rebuild could come faster than people realize. I am stoked to see how things unfold.

Cranston West was moved up to Division I, which expanded the number of teams since last year. This is another topic that I was in the minority on when speaking to fellow reporters. I was not a fan of the four-team division. I understand the motive behind it … Hendricken and La Salle are borderline locks to come in first and second, and only a couple of public schools will be able to go toe to toe with those powerhouses.

The issue is the respect factor. There is something special about being a Division I program. Enrollment dictates a significant portion of why a team is placed where it is, but so is success.

In Cranston West’s case, the Falcons have done enough over the past handful of years to be considered a DI program. They have been one of the best teams in the state and will be returning some key players this fall, including quarterback Kelan Cornell who was one of the best in DII last season. I’m excited to see this Division I playoff race play out.

Beyond the new alignments, there are a handful of games that I have circled. Johnston versus Pilgrim on October 25 could have huge playoff implications and I expect both of these teams to be somewhere near the top of Division III. Pilgrim versus East on September 20 will be a fun early season matchup.

Pretty much every game on West’s schedule is intriguing. The Falcons will kick off their league schedule with North Kingstown, Portsmouth, Saint Ray’s and Cumberland. All marquee matchups.

Then, of course, the game that everyone has circled … Hendricken versus La Salle. Hendricken will be hosting the rival Rams at home on October 4. I’m a bit disappointed to see the Hawks playing only four in-state opponents during the regular season, but it has felt like this was bound to happen.

 The Hawks will be taking on four out-of-state teams this fall, which will be fun to follow regardless.

Although it will be fun watching Hendricken defend its title, it just seems a bit off to me. The defending champs defending their title against team from other regions. Again, other league members have been pounding the table for the Hawks to venture elsewhere to compete, so it felt like it was inevitable. We’ll see how it all plays out.