Center Stage

Furtado ready to lead Falcons, continue upward trend

Posted 8/20/14

Back in 2012, Steven Furtado was thrust into action for the Cranston West football team on a rainy night at La Salle Academy. The sophomore quarterback didn’t complete a pass and watched as the …

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Center Stage

Furtado ready to lead Falcons, continue upward trend

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Back in 2012, Steven Furtado was thrust into action for the Cranston West football team on a rainy night at La Salle Academy. The sophomore quarterback didn’t complete a pass and watched as the Rams came back from a 10-0 halftime deficit to hold off West’s upset bid.

Despite that humble beginning, West head coach Steve Stoehr regularly talked up Furtado’s potential last season. When he got another chance to show it, he did a little better than that first appearance.

Furtado took over the starting job at mid-season last year and helped lead the Falcons’ late resurgence, which took them from 0-4 to 3-5 and the brink of the Division I playoffs.

Furtado will have the keys to the offense again this season, and he’s hoping to drive even more success.

“We’re very anxious to get out there on the field,” Furtado said. “Everyone here thinks it’s our year. Every practice, we come out and try to be perfect.”

The Falcons are carrying that mindset over from last year, when they nearly crashed the postseason after they’d practically been written off. Furtado was by no means the only spark to the turnaround, but his solid play helped set the stage for it.

He had a 50-yard touchdown run in a one-point loss to La Salle, just before the win streak. On Homecoming against South Kingstown, his long touchdown pass to Olusayo Banjo cut a 14-0 lead to 14-7 at halftime and paved the way for the comeback to be completed, as West picked up its first league win.

After a victory over Tolman, West set up playoff stakes for Thanksgiving when it beat East Providence behind Furtado’s best game. He ran for 38 yards while completing 5-of-8 passes for 144 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

West’s playoff bid ended with a loss to Cranston East on Thanksgiving, but Furtado was a bright spot again, leading the team in rushing on his way to offensive MVP honors.

“It was a great feeling coming out there for the first time,” Furtado said. “It was a challenge getting used to everything, but it was good way to end the season.”

Stoehr, who demands a lot from his quarterbacks, was pleased.

“He did a nice job, and he’s a great kid,” Stoehr said.

Now it’s about hitting the next level. Furtado and the Falcons don’t want to settle for solid performances and near-misses. They want to contend, and their first week of practice has reflected that.

“It’s a lot different,” Furtado said. “I think coach knows we have something special here. The tempo is different the knowledge is different. We’re starting off with different things. Last year, we started off with this play. This year, we’re on much more advanced plays. We’re capable of a lot of good things. Our line is great. If not for them, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything last year and a lot of them are coming back.”

Furtado will be a key. West knows what it’ll get from its always dangerous running game, with veterans like Raekwon Kisilywicz leading the way. Furtado’s legs will be a weapon, too – “He’s a hard runner and a tough runner,” Stoehr said – but it’s his arm that could allow the Falcons to take a leap.

“If he hits the right guy, going up to the line of scrimmage, it’s going to be a lot easier to run the ball if they aren’t stacking the box,” Stoehr said. “That’s going to be a key for us.”

Furtado is doing what he can. He worked hard in the off-season and ran track in the spring to stay in shape.

“I trained a lot,” he said.

Stoehr wants to see work off the field, too.

“I really want him to be a student of the game, not just a player,” he said.

Together, they’re hoping it all comes together this season. The Falcons have something to build on, and Furtado, for one, doesn’t plan to lose it.

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