By JOE RAYMOND

Sports Writer

NORTH PROVIDENCE - When you graduate a strong class of seniors from a team that went 7-3 last year, many football programs would be looking at rebuilding. The North Providence High School football team, helped by a returning group of experienced players and the town's strong feeder system, is looking to pick up right where they left off last year.

"We lost a really good group of seniors but we have a good returning group of players," said North Providence head football coach Glenn Williams. "We expect to be in the same position as last year and working to improve on it."

Williams is back for his second season as head coach of the Cougars. He has been involved with the North Providence High School team for the past 10 years and with the North Providence Jets youth football program for 33 years now. Williams likes what he has seen out of his team in practice so far.

"There's a base of people who played last year and will be starting for us this year," said Williams.

There are 16 returning seniors on the team who played a mix of some varsity and junior varsity football last year. Williams noted that there are also five or six seniors that are coming out for the team for the first time this season.

"There seems to be a little more enthusiasm in the school about the team and playing football here in North Providence," said Williams.

Anchoring the Cougars will be their four captains. Senior Raymond Criner is one of the most experienced players on the team. Last year he played his way into a spot as the team's starting middle linebacker. Criner also was a force out of the backfield playing both halfback and fullback for the team. "He can play both positions. We expect good things with him this year," said Williams.

Senior Joseph Cordoves will serve as the backbone of the offensive line as the team's starting center. Cordoves will also play linebacker for the Cougars' defense. "He's a kid who worked hard in the weight room in the off season and really improved," said Williams.

Cordoves was not the only one who hit the weight room hard this summer. Senior Richard Read dedicated himself to a tough off-season regiment which yielded some impressive results. "He's a workaholic and he put on a good 20 pounds of weight," said Williams. Read will serve as the starting guard on the offensive line and play defensive end on the other side of the ball.

The fourth captain is junior Matt Santos. Much like Read, Santos pushed himself in the weight room and added on some 20 pounds. "Because he made a commitment to the weights and the team is the reason why I made him a captain," said Williams. The coach believes that having an underclassman as a captain can be a benefit to the team. Santos will see action at fullback on offense and linebacker on defense.

There will be a new signal caller under center this year for North Providence. Senior Nick Ayalla who served as the team's backup last year, will move into the starting role. Ayalla has played for coach Williams since he was 13 years old. He was the quarterback for the North Providence Jets 2006 championship winning team coached by Williams. "He's a testament to the town's program. He knows the offense well and audibles well at the line," said Williams.

Also in the backfield mix for the Cougars will be two players with some experience from last year. Junior Mike Rossi will see his share of carries at halfback for the team. "He's a speed back and a smart and elusive runner," said Williams. Additionally senior Matt Cicerone will get some touches at running back. Both players will be very important to the offense.

When North Providence elects to go to the air, Ayalla will have a number of receiving options. Seniors Quinn Rogan, Craig Levesque, and junior Tommy Doyle will be the team's primary wide receivers/split ends. All three players bring experience from being with the team program for a number of years. Senior Joe Grant returns as the team's starting tight end and he will be looking to catch the tough passes in traffic and over the middle.

On the offensive line, senior Billy Laliberty, Josh Manu and junior Mitch Viera will team with Cordoves and Read to create a solid unit up front. Laliberty, a guard, is another player who worked hard and put on some weight but also gained some speed in the off-season. Manu and Viera will play tackle and have the benefit of past varsity experience.

The defense should be in good hands under the direction of returning defensive coordinator Paul Ferra. "Defensively we got more aggressive as the season went on," said Williams. The Cougars defense became a disruptive force causing a number of turnovers. "We want to make sudden changes on defense," said Williams referring to how important a big defensive play can be.

There will be some new faces among the rest of the coaching staff. Lenny Ellis will serve as the Cougars' new offensive and defensive line coach. David Andreozzi will coach the secondary and wide receivers.

Ellis and Andreozzi were both members of the 1993 Super Bowl winning North Providence team, the only Super Bowl in the school's history. They were both key members of the team. Ellis played center and cleared the way for Andreozzi who played running back. Williams hopes that these two additions will help advise the team on what it takes to be a champion.

Another coaching addition is Jarrod Tillinghast. Tillinghast is a former professional boxer who will help with the team's strength and conditioning. He will also be working with the quarterbacks and running backs in practice.

The competition looks to be stiff once again in Division IV. "The competition is as good if not better than last year," said Williams.

With the likes of Classical, Exeter West Greenwich, and Scituate lurking on the schedule, North Providence will be in for a battle. The Cougars play their first game on Sept. 5, in an injury fund contest at Johnston.