Saint Raphael Academy’s student-athletes finished the fall season with four teams earning post-season slots, two more championships and another state cross country champion! All our student-athletes played exceptionally well and were prime examples of good sportsmanship.
Boys soccer
Boys soccer took home its third state championship in five years!
Coming from a division championship win last year, this year’s soccer team took it all the way to the top! The team posted an impressive regular season record of 13-3-1, which earned them a slot in the finals bracket. They triumphed over Middletown 2-1 in the semifinals, which led them to the championship game against Ponaganset. Senior Tiago Ramos and junior Lucas Rosa scored Saints’ two goals, and goalkeeper Julian Diaz and the rest of the defense kept Middletown to a single goal.
The final was a riveting game punctuated by a come-from-behind win in double overtime. Regulation play saw two goals from sophomore Angel Sanchez and an additional penalty kick by Travis Chartier that brought them to the 3-3 tie with Ponaganset.
Junior Reginald Browne hit the final goal in second overtime, securing the 4-3 win for Saints. He was also named the tournament MVP.
Captains Travis Chartier and Julian Diaz led the team to an outstanding season. The team salutes seniors Michael Frausto, Geronimo Idarraga, Daniel Martinez, Charlie Medeiros, Tiago Ramos, and the team captains.
Read more:
Providence Journal: “St. Raphael overcomes 2-goal deficit to capture D-III boys soccer title”
Football
Saints football again had a strong season in Division II-A, earning yet another playoff spot this year. That brings them a total of four playoff appearances, three division titles, and three trips to the Super Bowl in the last four years.
The team boasted a strong 6-3 record in the regular season. Saints began its march to the finals with a crushing win against North Kingstown—not allowing any points until the second half—with the final score of 26-6. Next came the semifinals championship game on November 10 against Barrington. Sadly, Saints were defeated 29-7 in a challenging game.
Seniors on the squad this year are Jalen Antoine, Bradley DeBronzo, Brandon Doherty, Devin Gomes, Sharbel Mikhail, Patrick Munroe and Benjamin Youn, along with team captains Kenneth Jacques III, Khamari Brown, Daniel Wulf and Aaron Julius.
Saints football will play their traditional Thanksgiving game against Moses Brown on Wednesday, November 22. The game starts at 6 pm at Pariseau Field. (Bring a non-perishable food item and receive free admission!)
Read more:
Valley Breeze: “Defending champion St. Raphael Academy earns return trip to D-II football playoffs”
CALL/TIMES FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SCOREBOARD: Clippers, Lions, Saints, Broncos advance to semifinals
Cheer
Competition Cheer won its sixth consecutive Division-III title! The unprecedented win was earned with support from coach Barbara LaBree and assistant coaches Kailyn Messier and Monica Vargas, and led by their student captains.
Cross Country
The cross country team wowed us again with another individual state champion for the third year in a row—this time on the girls team. Both teams had strong finishes this season, placing in the top 10 in the Class C championships and the state championships.
Senior Rory Sullivan is the next great harrier to come out of Saint Raphael Academy! She took home the gold at the state championship on November 4, with a time of 18:08.79. SRA’s next-place finisher was fellow senior Chandaniey Boyce, placing 12th in the field of 139 runners with a time of 19:14.26. She earned 2nd Team All State with that finish. As a team, the girls had a great showing overall and placed 7th in the competition.
A week earlier, Rory also won the Class C championship with a time of 18:30.47. Chandaniey also did extremely well, placing 5th overall and posting a time of 20:29.99. Junior Faith Perry followed close behind and finished 7th with a time of 20:43.69. The girls team surged ahead and garnered a second-place finish overall.
Read more:
Valley Breeze: “St. Raphael Academy’s Sullivan claims girls’ state cross country championship”
On the boys team, senior Jeremiah Rocha and junior Alex Ramos were Saints’ top finishers at the state championships, clocking in 26th (16:44.57) and 27th (16:51.07), respectively in a field of 139 runners. The boys team ranked 9th overall.
In the Class C contest, top finishers again were Jeremiah, who placed 2nd with a time of 16:23.80 (only 14 seconds behind first place), and Alex with a 9th place finish and a time of 17:31.00, followed by junior Noah Vanhorn with 10th place and time of 17:37.23. The boys team overall finished second in the Class championships.
Seniors on the cross country team are Chandaniey Boyce, Lindsay Cobb, William Costanzo, Samantha Marsis, Jeremiah (JJ) Rocha and Rory Sullivan.
Girls Soccer
The girls soccer team faced a tough season in the Division III-A league. The team finished the season with a 3-8-2 record overall.
We say goodbye to three seniors: captain Samantha Marsis, Angelina Deschenes, and Kamiel DeSousa, and we look forward to next season, when many talented juniors and sophomores will be returning.
Girls Tennis
Girls tennis was also in a tough Division II that played some strong teams like South Kingstown and Chariho. They close out the season with 3-10-0 record.
Seniors finishing their high school tennis careers are Brianna Reynolds and co-captain Alexys Tavares. Junior co-captain Joslyn Karpowich remains to lead the team next year.
Girls Volleyball
Saints welcomed new coach this year in a tough Division II. The Lady Saints finished the season with a 4-11 record.
Winter Sports Signups for 2023-2024
Students are encouraged to join the winter sports teams. Tryouts will begin for most sports after the Thanksgiving break. Students should have current physicals and athletic paperwork completed before tryouts. Try something new, join a team and make some new friends!
Swimming: meeting 11/20, 2:15 pm
Winter cheer: 11/16 (tryouts 11/16, 6:30-8:30; 11/18, 8:30-11 am; 11/19, 5-8 pm)
Boys Basketball: 11/27 and 11/28, 4:30-6:30 pm
Girls Basketball: 11/27 and 11/28, 2:30-4:15 pm
Indoor Track: no tryouts; begins 11/27
