Controversy aside, North Smithfield players, coach thrilled to be back on the football field

NORTH SMITHFIELD — Jeff Paiva barely had enough players to line up on both sides of the ball, but it didn’t stop the North Smithfield/Mount St. Charles football coach from smiling.

Previous coverage: Hazing allegations halt North Smithfield High School football activities

“This might be the first time I’ve smiled in about eight weeks,” Paiva said during a break in practice on Monday, the first day of the Interscholastic League football season. “I’m a pretty easy-going guy and it’s just been an off summer.

“It’s not an off summer because of me; it’s an off summer because I know what these guys have been going through.”

While every other team in Rhode Island has had summer workouts, passing camps and other team activities, North Smithfield has been stuck on the sidelines.

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In two separate emails sent to high school football parents in late June, North Smithfield Superintendent Michael St. Jean outlined why. On June 20, the school department received information about a hazing allegation involving players during the 2021-22 school year. The school contacted the authorities and, by the end of the week, prohibited all football players from participating in any school athletics until the investigation into the allegations was completed.

Last week, the school department changed course. In an email sent by St. Jean to parents didn't detail why the school decided to let the season start but read "The decision to allow practice to commence has not been an easy one, and will come with added layers of student-athlete conduct expectations and enhanced monitoring by adults."

Investigation is over

The investigation is also over. Tuesday afternoon Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha went on WPRI 12 for his weekly spot and confirmed the investigation was over and no charges would be filed.

"No one came forward and alleged to have been a victim of hazing. At the same time, there were reports from witnesses who identified conduct that at a minimum in my view is inappropriate," Neronha said. "It may be more than that but one of the challenges we have right now is no one has come forward to describe what was done to them and no one has filed a complaint with our office."

The damage may have already been done.

Rumors of the allegations made their way around the small town with fingers pointing directly at the football program's culture. Paiva couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“Completely caught off guard. Completely shocked,” Paiva said. “We preach and we teach character here above football. I know what’s in the hearts of these guys and it didn’t jive with anything.

“It’s certainly not what this program is about. It’s certainly not what these kids are about.”

In July, some of the Northmen showed what the program is really about, speaking at a school committee meeting to fight to bring football back.

“At the time there was a lot being said and we felt it was only right that we had to speak up not for ourselves, but for our families and for the coaches and everyone who’s been a part of the program past, present and future,” North Smithfield senior wide receiver/defensive back Zackary Kerrigan said. “It was our job in that moment to speak up and say we’re here and we’re not going anywhere and we’re going to make sure we have our season.”

“It says more about them than the program," Paiva said. "They believe in themselves, they believe in each other enough to say hey, I’m not hiding here. I didn’t do anything wrong.

“When you can stand up for the courage in your conviction, it says a lot about who you are as a student, as an athlete and as a kid.

“These guys have handled themselves incredibly well all summer. I haven’t heard much squawking, haven’t heard much complaining and they’ve kept their heads down. We hoped for this — to be out here tonight — and we’re here.”

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There just weren’t many of them.

Numbers are always going to be an issue at a small school. Even with its co-op with Mount St. Charles, North Smithfield had all of 20 players most of last season. Paiva did whatever possible to create excitement about football and increase those numbers for this season.

In addition to the work he was putting in with the players, Paiva ran a flag football league for middle schoolers in the spring. Returning players recruited friends and when Paiva held sign-ups at the end of June, 45 players agreed to play.

On Monday, the Northmen had 25 players.

“This whole thing clearly has made an impact,” Paiva said. “There’s no question. If somebody had something happen to them, by all means. To my knowledge, these are all good kids and nothing’s been proven that they’ve done anything wrong.

“They’ve been kind of dragged through the mud a little bit.”

The players that were there — most wearing yellow pinnies, signifying they were newcomers to the program — worked as hard as possible. While most teams have enough bodies so players can rest between reps of drills, North Smithfield doesn’t have that luxury. Rep, rest for a rep, then rep.

“Obviously having 70, 80 guys is cool and you have a lot of subs, but we’re all out there, we’re all playing football on Friday nights and we love it,” Kerrigan said. “Win or lose, we’re going out there competing with everything we’ve got and I can promise you, all these 20 guys, they’re going to go out there every single Friday night and they’re going to give every single piece of everything they’ve got.”

“If kids come walking in tomorrow and say they want to play football, we’re going to find a way for them to play football. It’s what we have to do,” Paiva said. “We’ll coach what we have and we’ll play the schedule we’re given — and it’s not an easy one.

“We’re not going to complain about it, that’s for sure, and we’re going to come out and do what we do.”

On this night, Paiva wore a black Northmen football T-shirt to practice. On the back read a quote that means a lot to the team, especially during this time.

“We’re all we got. We’re all we need.”

It showed on the field. Veterans in black pinnies encouraged their yellow pinnie brethren to work harder. Eyes were focused on whichever coach was directing a drill. Players were continually reminded to not be afraid to ask a question if they weren’t sure what they were supposed to do.

Every rep mattered more than the last. For the players, almost losing a season was scary. Being allowed back on the field wasn’t something they were going to take for granted.

“We’ve been a great program the past few years and we’re going to build that back up,” said Kerrigan, who said he laid out his practice gear on Sunday night in anticipation of Monday's practice. “We’re going to get back to being the strong program that North Smithfield was and all those yellow jerseys is a start of that and there’s going to be more coming in the next few years.”

“We’re a family and we’re going to rise above this,” Paiva said. “I don’t know if it’ll be a rallying cry for us, but it will be an opportunity to say we’ll be OK and we’ll go back to doing what we love to do and we’re here.

“They’re here for each other and that’s a good group that’s here and I’m glad to coach them.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI hazing allegations had kept the Northmen off the field since June