WEST GREENWICH – Zakhi Hightower knows he owes Josian Franco a touchdown.
Franco did the dirty work – the defensive pressure, a swatted pass – so Hightower just had to walk in for the game-breaking score. Juanita Sanchez/Providence Country Day cruised the rest of the night.
Hightower's interception return for a touchdown highlighted a breakout second quarter for the Cavaliers. Their season will continue with a clean slate, and a playoff date next week awaits after a 34-22 victory over Exeter-West Greenwich on Thursday night, Oct. 29.
Juanita Sanchez (3-4) currently has the fifth seed in Division IV after the victory on Oct. 29. The fourth spot, in this ever-changing RPI system, is within reach pending the weekend's results. More defensive plays like Hightower's 25-yard pick-six would make this co-op a dangerous team in the knockout stages.
"I'm going to give my praise to [Franco]," Hightower said. "If it wasn't for him swatting the ball, I would have never caught the pick-six. But luckily, I caught it and took it back to the crib.
"We got the momentum and stops and went from there. We just kept getting the ball back-to-back, and we were just putting up points."
The visitors sparked...