Cranston East defensive back C.J. Dummett intercepted West quarterback Ryan Marsella with 1:11 remaining in the game to secure a 14-12 win for the ’Bolts on Sunday at Cranston Stadium.

It seemed as if East was on its way to a comfortable win, leading 14-6 on West’s 5-yard line with two minutes, 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

But on a running play, West’s defensive line was able to knock the ball loose, allowing Matt Lonardo to scoop up the ball off of the turf and take it 95 yards for the score to make it 14-12.

The Falcons would go for the 2-point conversion in search of knotting the score at 14, but Abdiel Mendez’s rush came up just shy of the goal line.

“I thought the 2-point conversion was good,” West head coach Steve Stoehr said. “I thought that [Mendez] was over the line.”

That wouldn’t be the last opportunity for West’s offense, though.

On the ensuing kickoff, West’s Matt Malo executed an onside kick perfectly, with Drew Watts snagging the ball after clearing 10 yards to give the Falcons possession.

But the ’Bolts’ defense was too stout, forcing incomplete passes from Marsella as the Falcons looked to march down the field for the win.

Finally, on fourth down, Marsella’s pass over the middle was intercepted by Dummett to put West’s comeback bid to rest.

The victory got East in the win column for the first time this year, a win that head coach Tom Centore said his team needed whether it was pretty or not.

“It’s always good to win,” Centore said. “This was a big one because we needed it, no matter what it looked like.”

East was able to eek out the win without starting quarterback and power runner John Anderson. With Anderson sidelined for the game, junior Randy Duran got his first start under center.

All things considered, Centore was happy with Duran’s performance. He didn’t record a turnover, while completing three passes for 35 yards in the win.

“I thought he played well, he was very under control,” Centore said of Duran. “I was happy because it was going to take an effort like that to win this game.”

West had plenty of chances to take control of the game in the first half, moving the ball with its running game and dominating time of possession.

However, West was only able to come away with six points in the opening half – a 2-yard plunge into the end zone by Lonardo with 9:33 remaining in the second quarter.

That lead would only last 15 seconds.

On the ensuing kickoff, Sha’heem Nathaniel received the kick and weaved through several West players, finding the end zone with a 75-yard return.

Jaireal Rodriguez’s extra point gave East a 7-6 lead with 9:10 left in the first half.

West would have a golden opportunity to regain the lead late in the half, though, with Nick Poulos recovering a fumble with 3:25 to go.

The Falcons would take over and march deep into East territory before their drive was halted at the 6-yard line. Stoehr elected to go for it on fourth-and-short instead of kicking a field goal, and that choice proved to be costly, as the Falcons were unable to come away with any points.

“Last year we did the same thing, we dominated the game and lost,” Stoehr said. “You have to have playmakers. We have good players, but we’re not making plays.”

After East took a narrow 7-6 lead into halftime, the ’Bolts were able to increase their lead with a defensive touchdown late in the third quarter.

With 1:38 remaining in that third frame, Watts lost control of the ball after being met in the backfield. Andre Garcia picked up the ball and sprinted 50 yards uncontested into the end zone. Rodriguez again split the uprights with the extra point try to give East a 14-6 lead.

With an offense that is still trying to find its identity after losing All-Stater Marquem Monroe, Centore will look to his defense to step up like it did on Sunday.

“That’s just where we are right now – we have to be a better defensive and special teams team until we come along offensively,” Centore said. “But I think we’re making progress.”

East was in control and was poised to put more points up on the board before Lonardo’s fumble return made the final minutes interesting.

But ultimately, East improved to 1-1 and West fell to 1-2 on the season.

For East, Malik Gavek shined out of the backfield, compiling 76 yards on the ground on 14 rushes.

West also had a pair of standout runners, as Mendez rushed 11 times for 118 yards and Lonardo racked up 68 yards and a touchdown on 16 rushes.

Stoehr was pleased with his defense, which didn’t allow a touchdown in the game.

“Defensively we were fine, but offensively we just have no threat of a passing game,” Stoehr said.

West will now look to snap a two-game skid after beating Cumberland in Week 1. It will host 2-0 South Kingstown at Cranston Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m.

Cranston East will also have a tall task, as it is set to travel to 3-0 Hendricken. Kickoff for that game is also set for 7 p.m. on Friday.

As for East and West going head-to-head, the two teams will meet once more on Nov. 26 at 10 a.m. for their annual Thanksgiving game.

“Thanksgiving will be a different story,” Stoehr said.