Want to know how Eric Rueb sees this weekend's football games? Check out his Week 1 picks!

Want to know how Eric Rueb sees this weekend’s football games? Check out his Week 1 picks!

Posted by Admin September 12, 2024 Football

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Are you ready for some football?

After how The Providence Journal previewed the season, I don’t know how you couldn’t be.

Now that it’s over, this was the most stress-free preview season I’ve had since I started covering high school football for the Journal.

The direction from the boss, Bill Corey, sent us in the right direction. Having teammates like Bill Koch and Jake Rousseau take a large chunk of work left me feeling like I didn’t really contribute this season. It allowed me to focus on quality of work and not just try and hammer out a million stories in three weeks and wonder what just happened.

Our readers should be heading into the football season fully informed as to what’s going on. We’ve broken down the four divisions, along with my predictions. We’ve told you the best players at key positions. We named the Providence Journal Preseason All-State team and threw in a watch list to boot, as well as name our Preseason MVPs for each division.

More: Check out the 2024 Providence Journal Preseason All-State Football Team offense

More: Check out the 2024 Providence Journal Preseason All-State Football Team Defense and Special Teams

If you don’t want to go searching for stories, we put them in an easy-to-find spot so you, the reader, can be as informed as possible as we kick off 2024.

They call all of this work, but it hardly was. Now the real work – again, I use that word loosely – begins.

Let’s get on with the picks.

THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Johnston at North Providence, 6 p.m.

This is such a big game in Division III, rumor has it the mayors of both towns have made a friendly bet – no veal parmigiana allowed in any restaurant in whatever town loses until the season ends.

THE PICK: Cougars

North Smithfield vs. Davies at Pierce Field, 6 p.m.

Picking champions a year early has worked out well for me in the past. In 2022 I made the Northmen were my 2024 Super Bowl pick, so if they could make me look good that would be all right with me.

THE PICK: Northmen

Burrillville vs. Mount Pleasant at Conley Stadium, 6 p.m.

There aren’t many true homefield advantages, but when the Broncos and Kilties get together, whoever is at home is taking the visitor wayyyyy out of their comfort zone. It might not matter in this one.

THE PICK: Broncos

Juanita Sanchez vs. Toll Gate (at Warwick Veterans Middle School), 6:30 p.m.

I’m not approaching the Titans’ bandwagon quite yet, but I’m contemplating buying a ticket and if they win this one, I’ll head to the station and really consider the purchase.

THE PICK: Titans

South Kingstown at Portsmouth, 7 p.m.

This could very well be a preview of the Consolation Super Bowl, which is what I’ll be calling it for the rest of the year. I’m all in on defense this season and I don’t know if anyone’s going to do it better than the team I’m about to choose.

THE PICK: Rebels

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Westerly at Chariho, 5:15 p.m.

Whenever people talk to me about the Bulldogs, they want to know about sophomore quarterback Landon Husereau. The one thing that gets lost is him coming in with a lot of hype and absolutely living up to it. That’s a lot to put on the shoulders of a 14-year old and it’s really what’s impressed me the most.

THE PICK: Bulldogs

Tolman at Lincoln, 6 p.m.

Just need it on the record that I’m picking this game under protest because if I pick the Tigers, they’ll lose, I’ll drop my expectations and then they’ll end up competing for the D-II Super Bowl. If I don’t pick the Tigers, they’ll win, clown me online, I’ll hype them up and the season won’t end the way I thought it would.

THE PICK: Tigers

Moses Brown vs. Shea at Max Read, 6 p.m.

Myles Craddock is gone, but his replacement may have arrived. Keep an eye out for freshman Eric Jeffreys, who could end up being an offensive star this fall.

THE PICK: Quakers

Rogers vs. Middletown (at Gaudet Middle School), 6 p.m.

Someone remind me to tell colleague Jake Rousseau to bring a boatload of cash and eat everything at the concession stand. There isn’t a better one in the state.

THE PICK: Islanders

Mt. Hope at Classical, 6 p.m.

I love getting DMs from parents boasting about how great a freshman class is before they’ve played an actual varsity game. The jump from middle school to trying to tackle a senior built like a professional athlete is monumental. Jordan Duke 2K watch starts on Friday.

THE PICK: Purple

Cranston West at North Kingstown, 6:30 p.m.

If Kelan Cornell can somehow lead the Falcons to a Super Bowl this fall, his story arc might be the best in the history of the Cranston West program. I want to go with the senior, but NK’s defense isn’t going to let me.

THE PICK: Skippers

Narragansett vs. Cranston East (at Cranston Stadium), 6:30 p.m.

Gotta wait until at least midseason to see the Mariners. My writing hand isn’t quite up to speed to track plays at the pace that offense moves at.

THE PICK: Mariners

East Greenwich at Ponaganset, 6:35 p.m.

I was just minding my business, hitting tennis balls with my daughter at Ponaganset, when I looked over and saw what I thought were a bunch of grown men in football pads. Turns out it was the Chieftains, they’re huge, and my outlook on their season changed in an instant.

THE PICK: Chieftains

St. John’s Shrewsbury at La Salle, 7 p.m.

We’re having a contest at work to see which member of our sports staff can pick the most games right this fall. I’m taking the Rams — as is my boss — in this one because I’m loyal to Rhode Island and believe in all the kids in the state, unlike my two colleagues Bill Koch and Jake Rousseau.

THE PICK: Rams

Barrington vs. Cumberland (at Tucker Field), 7 p.m.

A rematch of the Division II Super Bowl should have a lot of hype around it – which is why I’ll be there – but this game is going to look considerably different than what we saw last November.

THE PICK: Clippers

Woonsocket at Pilgrim, 7 p.m.

Most of the time the Patriots have a huge homefield advantage, but when you’re playing against a team that plays most of its games on a field that’s in worse condition, that advantage goes right out the window.

THE PICK: Villa Novans

Coventry vs. St. Raphael (at Pariseau Field), 7 p.m.

And speaking of bad fields … the Saints scheduling a team like Coventry at Pariseau is an big-time error in judgment. The Oakers want to slop it up. Playing at Max Read would have helped St. Raphael a bunch – but it might not matter.

THE PICK: Saints

Tri-County Regional at Smithfield, 7 p.m.

Wish the Sentinels would have scheduled a league opponent for Week 1 to open their new stadium instead of a school that may or may not be real, but this is what the RPI makes us do now. Yay.

THE PICK: Sentinels

Central at Milton, 7 p.m.

Not sure how Milton is, but I don’t care — I’m picking the Knights because I’ll always pick a Rhode Island team over an out-of-state one.

THE PICK: Knights

SATURDAY AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT

Central Falls at Scituate, 11 a.m.

I’m going to need to make a simple request for this one – no one is allowed to throw a complete pass, commit a penalty or call a timeout. My kid has a 12:30 soccer game, so we need this thing wrapped up tout suite.

THE PICK: Spartans

East Providence at West Warwick, 12 p.m.

Wanted to cover this one but then I realized my love for my own kids and my hatred for driving more than I need to outweighed my Townie Pride. Jake Rousseau will be there and he’s going to get a show with these two teams.

THE PICK: Townies

Tiverton at Hope, 12 p.m.

I’m pretty sure the Tigers are going to be a Division IV playoff contender but if I get an email around 4 p.m. on Saturday saying the Blue Wave won and Clarence Iluonokhalumhe ran for 457 yards and eight touchdowns, I wouldn’t be completely shocked.

THE PICK: Tigers