EAST PROVIDENCE -- Thomas Speaks raced 52 yards for a touchdown a little more than a minute after the start of the second half, initiating a 21-point second-half outburst that propelled East Providence to a 35-13 victory over Hendricken yesterday in the Citizens Bank Division I title game at Pierce Field.

The victory gave East Providence its third state title in the last five years, and it was the Townies' seventh crown in the 35-year history of the R.I. Interscholastic League's Super Bowl competition.

East Providence held a 14-13 lead when Speaks broke loose on his touchdown run on the fifth play of the second half.

East Providence had taken a 7-0 lead with 5:04 to play in the first quarter on a 12-yard touchdown run by quarterback Nate Lovett and Ben Carter's conversion kick. The touchdown came a few plays after East Providence halfback Andrew Boisvert had taken a toss from Lovett and fired a 50-yard pass to Isaac Spivey.

The running of junior Brandford Sowah keyed a 75-yard Hendricken scoring drive midway through the second quarter that enabled the Hawks to tie it at 7-7. Quarterback Andrew Ferreira completed the drive with a two-yard plunge, and John Dignan followed with the conversion kick.

East Providence was back in front only 24 seconds after Ferreira's touchdown, however. On the first play from scrimmage after the Hendricken TD, Lovett found a hole in the middle of the Hendricken line and broke loose on a 50-yard run. A Hendricken defender caught Lovett at the Hawks' five-yard line, and the Townies' quarterback fumbled the ball just before he hit the ground. Fortunately for the Townies, the ball bounced into the end zone, where Spivey recovered it for a touchdown. Carter followed with the second of his five conversion kicks.

Sowah, who had 35 carries overall, spearheaded another long Hendricken drive late in the second quarter, and the Hawks speedster completed the march with a 12-yard touchdown run. East Providence blocked the extra-point attempt, allowing the Townies to take a 14-13 lead into the second half.

Hendricken started another drive after Speaks had increased the East Providence lead with his early third-quarter TD, but this time the Townies' defense came up with a big stand deep in its own territory. Sparked by a 35-yard run by Sowah, Hendricken eventually moved the ball inside the East Providence 15. But the Townies forced the Hawks to give up the ball on downs when the EP defense allowed only six yards on four running plays.

East Providence scored its fourth touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Jared Awokande raced nine yards on an end-around. Two key third-down runs by sophomore Corey Blair had moved the ball into scoring position.

Unlike in the first half, when Hendricken had run almost twice as many plays as the Townies because of its ground game, the East Providence defense stymied the Hawks' running attack for most of the second half.

The East Providence defensive unit even added to the margin of victory only 14 seconds after Awokande's touchdown. East Providence's Brian Bland started the play in motion when he ripped the ball out of Ferreira's hands on the first play following Awokande's TD and the Townies' Michael Payne picked up the fumble and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.

"Defense has been helping the offense all year. They have done a great job," said Lovett.

Hendricken 0 13 0 0 -- 13

East Providence 7 7 7 14 -- 35

Hendricken scoring: touchdowns -- Ferreira (2 run), Sowah (12 run); conversion -- Dignan (kick).

East Providence scoring: touchdowns -- Lovett (12 run), Spivey (fumble recovery in end zone), Speaks (52 run), Awokande (9 run), Payne (50 fumble return); conversions -- Carter 5 (kicks).

jgillool@projo.com / (401) 277-7340