CRANSTON — It wasn't the easiest or prettiest win of the season, but the East Providence High School football team managed to escape Cranston Stadium Friday night, Nov. 6, with a 20-15 victory over host Cranston West and more importantly earn a berth in the upcoming Division I playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Junior quarterback Ryan Ellinwood hit Cam Almeida on a 35-yard touchdown pass down the seam for the game-winning score with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Earlier, Ellinwood raced to the end zone on a 61-yard keeper for E.P.'s first score before senior co-captain Jayden Chase eased his way in from two yards out for the Townies' second TD of the night.

The victory in its regular season finale left East Providence with a 5-3 record in league games, likely good enough to earn the third seed in the state playoffs in two weeks. If the Townies do finish third, their opponent will probably be arch-rival LaSalle (6-1), which lost to Hendricken (7-0) Friday night, 53-23, in a battle of previously unbeaten teams. West fell to 2-5 in the league with the loss.

"My main thing was trying to bring it back. It was tough watching E.P. lose," said EPHS head coach Jay Monteiro, in his second year leading the program after being an assistant coach on Sandy Gorham's staff in the late 1990s and early 2000s. "But now we're in. We're back in the playoffs and hopefully we can do something once we get there. Hopefully we can make some noise."

The Townies could only muster one first down and actually finished the first half with minus-8 total yards. The Falcons accounted for 100 yards even in the first half, which ended with West in front 7-0. The Falcons repeatedly gashed the E.P. defense in the opening 24 minutes, running several counter plays to much success. Wing back Drew Watts accounted for the Falcons' touchdown on a 44-yard run late in the first period.

"That's a good team over there and that was my biggest fear that we would take them lightly. I'm not sure if we did or not, but we definitely came out flat. We were confused offensively and we weren't getting off the ball on defense," said Coach Monteiro, in his second year leading the program. The Townies went 2-6 in the league in his first season and haven't posted a winning record in D-I games since going 5-3 in 2010. E.P. made the playoffs with a 4-4 mark in 2011.

Ellinwood's initial TD came in the third quarter on a read-option look to the right side. He got through the line and broke loose untouched for tying tally. The E.P. QB actually went from hero to goat to hero in the second half.

He helped set up Chase's touchdown by hitting wideout C.J. Hazzard on a 28-yard pass. The Falcons were also flagged for interference on the play, putting the ball at the West 22. Ellinwood then carried twice for nine yards before Chase high-stepped his way in for the last two. Tommy Lopes' second point-after kick put the locals on top 14-7.

The Townies' defense then forced the Falcons to punt on their ensuing possession. With E.P. firmly in control and marching toward another potential score, Ellinwood forced a deep throw in the direction of a double-covered Hazzard and was picked off by the Falcons' Watts at the West two.

The Falcons, in turn, answered with an impressive drive to not only score but take the lead. Watts returned the interception to his own 45. From there, Matt Lonardo did the rest, carrying seven times before reaching the end zone from the E.P. three. The Townies helped out as well when flagged for a 15-yard face mask penalty. For good measure, Lonardo burrowed his way in on a two-point conversion try to give West a 15-14 lead mid-way through the fourth period.

East Providence's next possession started at its own 35 after the West kickoff went out of bounds. Ellinwood, sacked three times in the first half and hurried dropping back most of the night, found his passing rhythm on the drive. As he would with Almeida a few plays later, Ellinwood connected with Paulo Pereira down the same right seam for a 34-yard completion. Then, following a running play for a loss and another sack, Ellinwood hit a wide open Almeida in stride for what proved the deciding score.

"The run was just wide open for me. I had to turn on the burners and that's what I did. The touchdown pass, I threw a pick, you know but I had to have short-term memory. I came back and I had to deliver for my team, and that's what I did," said Ellinwood.

On helping guide the Townies back to the postseason after a three-year absence, he added, "Not many people can say they've been a part of it, now we can say we have."

Pereira, another of the Townies' senior co-captains, later sealed the victory when he stripped the ball from Watts and recovered it after the West back caught a pass in the flat with just under two minutes remaining in the game.