PAWTUCKET — The East Providence High School football team opened up its 2023 Division II schedule with an impressive 19-0 shutout victory over host St. Raphael Friday night, Sept. 13, at Pariseau Field.

Steven Clark Jr. scored a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first half to help the Townies take a 12-0 lead to intermission over the host and reigning league champion Saints.

Lucas Santa Cruz added another TD on the ground for EPHS in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to seal the win.

In between, the Townie defense was for the most part superb and at a few other moments fortunate.

When the game was still in doubt, St. Ray's appeared poised to possibly tie the score in the first half when the Saints hit a slant pass for a long gain that could've been a touchdown.

However, EP's Steven Estrella, beat on the play from his defensive back position, chased the SRA receiver down from behind and stripped the ball near the goal line. It tumbled out the back of the endzone for a Townies' touchback instead of Saints' TD.

In the third quarter with St. Ray's again chasing a consequential score, East Providence once again came up with a timely defensive play. End Cam Evora made a tackle and strip of a Saints' runner. The senior also recovered the fumble for good measure, thwarting another potential SRA score.

The Townies now ready for a rare non-Thanksgiving Thursday game as EPHS travels to Cumberland's Tucker Field on September 21 for a 6 p.m. kick.

Townies' head coach Jon Stringfellow explained due to an insufficient number of referees to handle games on Fridays and Saturdays, the Interscholastic League has asked teams to play at least one if not two Thursday games.

East Providence will  also host a Thursday night game on October 5 when the Townies welcome Mt. Pleasant to their Pawtucket Avenue campus for another 6 o'clock start.