PORTSMOUTH — The Portsmouth High varsity football team’s hope for a state championship came to an end last Friday, as North Kingstown scored on a late drive to win the Division I semifinal matchup, 21-14.

The Skippers advanced to the Ortho Rhode Island RIIL Football State Championships this Saturday at Cranston Stadium, where they’ll play Burrillville in the D-I “consolation” title game for public schools.

Playing on their home field on Friday, the Skippers scored first after a long, 16-play drive when Cooper Berthelot ran the ball in from one yard out.

The Patriots answered right back with a long drive of their own, however. On their 13th play, Adam Conheeny scored on a one-yard touchdown run to tie that game with about eight minutes left in the second quarter.

North Kingstown’s Chris Ciarniello ripped off a 60-plus-yard TD run in the third quarter, however, with the extra-point kick making it 14-7 in favor of the Skippers. 

With under seven minutes left in the game, the Patriots knotted the score when Conheeny completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to Joe Sanderson. 

Berthelot found the end zone again, however, when he scored the game-clincher via a three-yard run into the end zone. The Skippers stopped the Patriots’ next drive and took a knee to run the clock out.

The Patriots aren’t done on the gridiron this season, however, as they still have the annual Thanksgiving Day game against island rival Middletown on Thursday, Nov. 28. This year’s game is at home, with kickoff at 10 a.m.