The Providence Journal is going to try something new this winter.

Readers swarmed to our weekly football scoreboard in the fall. The state’s football coaches did their part and submitted results to us, and we did our best to publish in a timely manner.

We want to do the same for hockey. We don’t know if it’ll work, but I really hope it does. The readership for hockey is strong and we think if this is done correctly, it will be successful. There’s probably going to be growing pains and it might take a bit to smooth out the kinks. But if done right, it will get hockey players in the paper weekly.

And if we get enough results, we can start publishing ballots for hockey athletes of week. Coaches have been asked to send results to pjsports@providencejournal.com after the games.

Now let’s get to the games from Dec. 20-21.

The top returning high school boys hockey players? Here are 30 players to watch this season

The top returning high school girls hockey players? Here are 14 players to watch this season.

Games are subject to change

Boys schedule

Friday’s Games

Portsmouth 2, Ponaganset 0

Friday night is a formula Portsmouth boys hockey could use for a repeat championship run.

A quick start, contributions from its second line and a shutout from a title-winning goalie showcased the Patriots’ first win of the season. After trudging through their opening games against Barrington and North Kingstown, the Patriots scored on their first power play vs. Ponaganset.

Chase Pascoe put Portsmouth up with 2:59 left in the first period and then the sophomore tallied again just eight seconds into the second period. Portsmouth’s 2-0 triumph at Levy Arena comes on the heels of an 8-5 defeat to Barrington and 5-2 loss to North Kingstown.

“We need him to produce,” senior captain, Shane Temple said of Pascoe. “That was amazing from him today. And honestly, we just have to play like we did last year – with some heart and grit.”

Pascoe was Portsmouth second leading scorer last year. The sophomore winger finished with 10 goals last winter and is well on his way to topping that mark.

“The first few games were rough,” Temple said. “I feel like we played teams that were just ahead of us at this time in the season. But in both games we lost, we came out really hot in the third period. And I feel like today we fixed that. We came out hot in the beginning of the game and we played the whole game today.”

Goalie Jonathan Cabral faced 27 shots in the win and grabbed his first shutout of the year. Portsmouth finished with 31 shots on net.

“We just need to do the same thing we did last year [to have another successful season],” Cabral said. “And that’s just putting in more effort. Last season we hit a little slump, and then once we started trying a lot more and put in a lot more effort, it came together.”

Barrington 6, Burrillville 2

Revenge came in the first week of the season for Barrington.

The Eagles were swept in the quarterfinals vs. Burrillville last year, but they already toppled the Broncos in their first in-state contest.

Burrillville’s Patrick Murphy redirected Cam Force’s shot for the game’s first goal just three minutes into the night cap of the doubleheader at Levy Arena. But Barrington responded with back-to-back goals in 45 seconds.

A Burrillville turnover in its defensive zone saw Henry Kelsey bury the tying goal off an assist from Joseph Carmone. The Eagles added their second when Austin McCarty found Trent Senn on the crease for a 2-1 lead with 5:03 left in the first period.

Force retied the match with a wrister, top left, with 59 seconds remaining in the opening frame, but that’s all Burrillville could manage.

Connor Hayes made it 3-2 with a goal off a rebound and Kelsey added his second with 5.3 seconds left in the second period. And then Senn and Kelsey finished the night with goals in the third period.

EG/Toll Gate 8, West Warwick/EWG 4

Pilgrim vs. Moses Brown at Thayer Arena, 3:45 p.m.

South Kingstown vs. Nariho at Boss Arena, 6:30 p.m.

RMT vs. North Kingstown at Boss Arena, 8:15 p.m.

Coventry/Johnston vs. Cumberland, ppd.

Smithfield vs. Hendricken, ppd.

Prout vs. La Salle at Smithfield, ppd.

Saturday’s Games

Barrington at New Canaan (CT), 2:30 p.m.

Bishop Guertin vs. Prout at Schneider Arena, 3 p.m.

RMT at Burrillville, 4 p.m.

Cranston vs. Ponaganset at Levy Arena, 6 p.m.

Blackstone vs. Lincoln at Route 146, 6:45 p.m.

La Salle vs. Hendricken at Thayer Arena, 7:45 p.m.

Pilgrim at Smithfield, 8 p.m.

Girls schedule

Friday’s Games

East Bay vs. Cranston at Cranston Veterans, 8:10 p.m.

SCMB vs. Warwick at Thayer Arena, ppd.

Saturday’s Games

South County at Longmeadow (MA), 2 p.m.

La Salle at Falmouth (MA), 6 p.m.

Sunday’s Game

South County vs. La Salle at Route 146, 4:35 p.m.

The 2024 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the last few months. 

One of the big questions is what newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where sophomores that saw extensive playing time come into the mix. 

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top sophomore football player of 2024? 

We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the sophomores that won going head-to-head. 

We’ve selected 14 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. – SBLive Sports

Voting closes on January 19th, 11:59pm

Here are the nominees:

The sophomore quarterback this season completed 126-of-216 passes for 2,015 yards and 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Brown has been the next signal caller next to Husereau that’s put up some significant yardage as a sophomore, throwing for 1,139 yards, 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Robertson played just about as well as any sophomore signal caller this past season and he’s got the numbers to prove it. The sophomore finished the season completing 57-of-126 passes for 836 yards and eight touchdowns.

Medina was superb out of the backfield for Woonsocket, rushing for 833 yards on 98 carries and scoring six touchdowns.

The Cranston West running back carried the rock 63 carries for 329 yards and a touchdown. Taylor is also averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

Northup-Reed was assuredly one of the state’s top sophomore receivers this past season, hauling in 39 passes for 638 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.

The Broncos’ wide receiver was stellar through the air this fall, catching 29 passes for 547 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

Lora was one of the leaders among sophomores in receiving, catching 24 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns for the state champions.

Whether it was out of the backfield or catching the ball, Lynch was solid for North Smithfield. The sophomore rushed for 141 yards on 21 carries and then hauled in 21 passes for 295 and two touchdowns.

Cavalieri was a sure fire tackler for Mt. Hope, making 102 total tackles and a sack so far this season.

The East Greenwich linebacker had a solid season in the front seven, totaling 128 tackles and two going for a loss.

Not far off from Padula’s totals was Colucci out of the secondary, with the defensive back notching 114 tackles and picking off a pass.

The sophomore defensive back was among the leaders in the interception department, racking up three so far this season.

Tied for the lead in the interceptions department with Jackson was Nyahkoon, with the sophomore totaling three along with 22 tackles and four pass deflections.

Follow SBLive Rhode Island throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi