“It was a good day for Falcon football tonight,” Cranston West head coach Tom Milewski said.
In its 51st edition, the Cranston Thanksgiving Classic between crosstown rivals Cranston East and Cranston West produced a historic result. The Falcons dominated its way to the largest margin of victory ever in the series with a 47-0 win.
“Our goal was to come out and have a great day from start to finish,” Milewski said. “I’m happy for the seniors, I’m happy for the team, the program, I’m happy for all aspects of the game today.”
Prior to the game, both teams paraded into Cranston Stadium joined by an array of school groups. East entered with the JROTC and Color Guard, Thunderbolt Cheerleaders, The Thunderbolt Band, and the Emeralds Flag Corps. West came in with the Falcon Cheerleaders, That Falcon Band, the Cranston West Falconettes and Westernettes.
Kelan Cornell returned to quarterback the Falcons for the first time since being injured early in Cranston West’s final regular season game against La Salle.
“I broke my wrist the game before playoffs,” Cornell said. “Getting out here was super important to me. I needed to play with my brother one last time, I needed to play this game with my best friends one last time, I needed to compete with some of my other best friends on the other sideline one last time.”
Cornell showed he was back in playing shape with a 36-yard completion to Ethan Parent up to the one-yard line. He followed up with a keeper to score the game’s first points, Joseph Manzi added the extra point.
Cranston West went through the air for its next score. Cornell rolled out and found Ariel Ochoa for a two-yard touchdown. The PAT gave the Falcons an early 14-0 lead.
East earned its first stop of the game with Cornell looking to the end zone. Gavin Boylan intercepted his pass to give the Thunderbolts possession.
The Falcons were fully in control for the rest of the first half. Cornell connected with his brother, Charlie Cornell, for a 48-yard touchdown. Charlie rolled out on the fake PAT and converted the two-point try with a pass to Daniel Mojica.
Anthony Salas became the next Falcon on the scoreboard with an eight-yard touchdown on the ground. Parent picked up the final touchdown for Cranston West on a 24-yard pass to hold a 35-0 lead into halftime.
Most of the groups that paraded in pregame had performances during halftime, showcasing various talented groups within the Cranston community. Also during the break, PA announcer Ken Simone served up “The 3rd Annual Cranston Stadium Press Box Turducken.” Media members as well as former members of Thunderbolt Sports Media and other special invited guests were all welcomed to enjoy the growing tradition.
East’s best chance to get on the board came at the start of the third quarter. Caleb Xum lined up for a 36-yard field goal, but the Falcon defense got through and blocked the try.
David Boscia scored a one-yard rushing touchdown and Manzi missed the extra point before Cornell connected with his brother one last time to finish West’s scoring. The 27-yard touchdown and the failed fake PAT left Cranston West with a 47-0 win.
West picks up its 27th Thanksgiving win, and the team’s sixth in a row. Cornell ends his career undefeated against his crosstown rival since making a name for himself when he led the Falcons to a comeback victory in the matchup his freshman year.
“This game was big for us,” Cornell said. “This win was awesome to come out here and end on a high note, but we were definitely chasing that 4-0 on Thanksgiving.”
After the game, Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse presented Cranston West with the Superintendent’s Trophy, and Mayor Ken Hopkins presented the Falcons with the Mayor’s Cup.
Both teams also named Team MVPs on offense and defense postgame. East selected Saqari Monroe for its offensive MVP, and Gavin Boylan received defensive MVP. West chose David Boscia as its offensive MVP, and Zachary Petrella for defensive MVP.
Next year will look different for the Falcons without Kelan Cornell, but freshman Jonathan Leroux got a taste of varsity action while Cornell was injured and is expected to slot in under center next season.
“No steps will be taken back,” Cornell said. “This team is just a building block for our end goal which is to win a State Championship.”

Charlie Adams is a staff writer for the New England Football Journal and is also a contributor to the Good 5 Cent Cigar at the University of Rhode Island. Check out his work on X @CharlieAdams43_