Expectations were sky high for the Cranston West football team as it entered 2024 with a crop of experienced veterans leading the way in the newly-aligned Division I.
West flew out the gate early, getting an injury fund win over Coventry, then edging North Kingstown and Portsmouth to begin 2-0.
The Falcons dropped consecutive games to St. Ray’s and Cumberland before rebounding against South Kingstown. West was unable to keep the momentum as it dropped its final three games of the regular season before being eliminated by Portsmouth in last weekend’s quarterfinals.
“This was a season of ups and downs. We had some good wins early on but then made some mistakes at points in the last few weeks, things like turnovers, miscues from the players and coaches that put us off track a bit. The kids kept showing up, kept grinding which was good to see, though,” said West head coach Tom Milewski.
Senior quarterback Kelan Cornell delivered a productive season and formed one of the state’s best tandems with brother Charlie Cornell, who was the team’s leading receiver. Other guys like Anthony Salas and Jake Anzivino were steady contributors on offense, while senior Adrian Samayoa led the way on defense.
Although West’s roster had the makings of a championship contender, the Falcons learned down the stretch that the margin of error in the state’s toughest division was razor thin.
“The division was extremely competitive. Week in and week out we knew we were going into a dogfight. They played tough and battled, so credit to our guys. Unfortunately we made some mistakes that you can’t afford to make against some of the teams we were playing. You make mistakes and they make you pay. The season as competitive which was great, it’s what you want in high school,” said Milewski.
The Falcons will be returning key pieces like Cornell, Anzivino as well as Ethan Parent. Milewski looks forward to seeing their progress and is thankful for this year’s senior core’s leadership as the team returned to the DI ranks.
“This is one of the special groups that we’ve had. They’re upbeat, they come to practice and make it fun. Their legacy will be left in the weight room, they did a good job of getting everyone in there during the offseason,” said Milewski of his seniors. “We have some good young players coming in next year that these seniors have embraced and have tuned in. It was nice to see them include them.”