Week 9 Blitz Breakdown: RI high school football headed to semifinals
RI Blitz Breakdown, a Providence Journal WPRI partnership, takes a look at the big plays, games and all things high school football.
The Providence Journal sports team is back with its weekly high school football picks.
The experts at 75 Fountain St. are picking winners of every high school football game this season. We’ll keep a running tally of our records — feel free to let us hear it when we’re inevitably wrong. But the winner holds bragging rights for the year and space in the Providence Journal to write a gloating column at the end of the season.
Eric Rueb, unfortunately, won the crown last year. But along with Rueb, our esteemed prophets include myself, Jacob Rousseau, the GOAT Bill Koch, and ProJo sports editor Bill Corey.
That’s enough for the introduction, lets get on with why you’re really here, the weekly ProJo Pigskin Picks.
WATCH: Hendricken beats St. Raphael 23-0 in Div. I football quarterfinal
The Hendricken Hawks are off to the RIIL Division I semifinals after blanking the St. Raphael Saints on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025
STANDINGS AFTER QUARTERFINALS
1. Jacob Rousseau: 146-31 (11-3 last week)
2. Eric Rueb: 142-35 (11-3)
3. Bill Koch: 139-38 (12-2)
4. Bill Corey: 136-41 (10-4)
Semifinal picks
Division I
No. 4 Cranston West at No. 1 La Salle
Corey: La Salle
Koch: La Salle
Rousseau: La Salle
Rueb: La Salle
No. 3 Hendricken at No. 2 North Kingstown
Corey: Hendricken
Koch: North Kingstown
Rousseau: Hendricken
Rueb: Hendricken
Division I non-state
No. 10 Burrillville at No. 7 Cumberland
Corey: Cumberland
Koch: Burrillville
Rousseau: Cumberland
Rueb: Burrillville
No. 9 Barrington at No. 8 Central
Corey: Central
Koch: Barrington
Rousseau: Barrington
Rueb: Central
Division II
No. 4 West Warwick at No. 1 Westerly
Corey: Westerly
Koch: Westerly
Rousseau: West Warwick
Rueb: Westerly
No. 3 East Providence at No. 2 South Kingstown
Corey: South Kingstown
Koch: South Kingstown
Rousseau: South Kingstown
Rueb: South Kingstown
Division III
No. 4 Johnston at No. 1 Classical
Corey: Classical
Koch: Classical
Rousseau: Classical
Rueb: Classical
No. 6 East Greenwich at No. 2 Mt. Hope
Corey: Mt. Hope
Koch: Mt. Hope
Rousseau: Mt. Hope
Rueb: Mt. Hope
Division IV
No. 5 Scituate at No. 1 Narragansett
Corey: Narragansett
Koch: Scituate
Rousseau: Narragansett
Rueb: Narragansett
No. 3 Davies at No. 2 North Smithfield
Corey: North Smithfield
Koch: Davies
Rousseau: North Smithfield
Rueb: North Smithfield
