EAST PROVIDENCE — For the second time in less than a week, the East Providence High School football team suffered a gut-wrenching late loss at home in front of a large throng of fans, the latest a 24-19 setback to Mt. Pleasant in the gloaming Thursday evening, Oct. 5, at Townie Stadium.

The locals were coming off a 27-22 defeat to Cranston West in their homecoming contest six nights earlier, the visiting Falcons scoring the game-winning touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in the contest.

(Updated, 8 p.m., October 6) Last week, the visiting Kilties notched what was the winning score with even less time left, just 20 ticks showing on the clock with a completion from quarterback Adonai Lopez to end David Degraff Rodriguez.

The loss was the third in a row for the Townies since a league-opening win over St. Raphael and dropped them to 1-3 in the Division II-A standings. Mt. Pleasant leveled its II-A mark at 2-1. The Kilties defeated East Greenwich in their previous league outing.

East Providence was playing its second of two Thursday night games at the behest of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League due to a shortage of officials to cover a full slate of games during the usual Friday nights and Saturday mornings.

It's likely the moist, heavy air played a roll in the contest, which was mired by turnovers, especially in the second half as the ball and field became more and more slick.

October 5 began with a heavy fog covering the city in the morning. By the afternoon, the sun was out and the breezes were warm, but by the 6 p.m. start time things were beginning to turn soupy again.

And the Townies' return of the opening kickoff was maybe just an ominous sign of things to come.

The Kilties strip-tackled the EP runner, recovering the ball at the Townie's 32. Things, though, seemed to turn back immediately in the hosts' favor when Isaac Fox intercepted a Mt. Pleasant pass in the back of the EP endzone, bringing it out to the 21. But the Townies were flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and their drive started at their own six.

No matter, senior fullback Steven Clark Jr. ripped off a couple of long runs, taking the ball deep into Mt. Pleasant territory at the Kilties' 25. On the very next play, Fox took a counter handoff from quarterback Jacob Duarte, then raced down the right side for the touchdown and a 6-0 EPHS lead.

Justin Jardine split the uprights for the point-after kick, but Mt. Pleasant was flagged for offsides. The Townies opted to try for two from inside the two, but Duarte was stuffed on a keeper short of the goal line and the score remained 6-0.

The teams then traded possessions as the game moved into the second quarter. The Townies stopped Mt. Pleasant's ensuing drive by forcing a fumble, recovered by EP's Grant Peoples. The hosts' drive stalled and the ball was turned over on downs. The Kilties, in turn, did the same, giving the Townies the ball at their own 32.

Clark again ripped off a long gain, moving the ball to the Mt. Pleasant 35. And as happened previously, on the next play Lucas Santa Cruz took care of the rest.

It was a bit of an adventure for the junior. Santa Cruz broke the attempted tackles of a couple Kiltie defenders, nearly slipped and touched a knee on the moist artificial turf and almost went to ground after bumping into teammate Machar Francis blocking for him down field. But he maintained his balance and went the bulk of the way untouched into the endzone. The Townies again tried for two and the run attempt came up shy once more, leaving the score 12-0 locals.

The Kilties began their next possession with 5:25 to go in the half and, like one did earlier, it ended with another fumble recovered by the Townies' Aithan Vasquez. EP went three-and-out near midfield. Jardine, punting for Cam Evora injured earlier in the game and unable to return, then pinned Mt. Pleasant deep at its own 12 with a fine kick.

The guests didn't let their last opportunity of the half go to waste, driving 88 yards for a touchdown with 32 seconds left on the clock. The Kilties made their way into EP territory following a pair of hard runs by a Benjam Soe, then capped the drive with a touchdown pass from Lopez to Stylez Negron. Soe carried in for two to make it 12-8 Townies at intermission.

Out of the break, the sides traded turnovers, a second interception for EP's Fox and a Townie fumble. Mt. Pleasant turned the ball over on downs next, the hosts gave it right back by putting the ball on the ground again. The visitors recovered at the EP 36 and the Kilties soon converted for another touchdown and two to go ahead 16-12 as the third quarter expired.

East Providence's offense couldn't get going to begin the final period, leading to another Jardine punt to the Mt. Pleasant 28. The Kilties were in the giving spirit once more, fumbling and leading to a scoop-and-score TD by the Townies' Franklin Carela Lopez just under two minutes into the fourth. Jardine's second PAT was good and remained on the board, putting the hosts back on top 19-16.

Neither side mustered a drive over their next two possessions. EP punted the ball back to the visitors with 2:46 showing and the ball at their own 10. To the agony of the Townies, the Kilties once again drove the near length of the field for the eventual game-winning TD with only 20 seconds left. The drive included a chain-moving 4-and-13 conversion by the visitors  with 90 seconds to go as well as a recovery advanced by lineman of a  Lopez fumble deeper into the EP .

East Providence remains at home for a third game in a row when the locals host East Greenwich in a II-A league contest Friday night, Oct. 13, at Townie Stadium. Game time is 6 o'clock.