The rain couldn't stop Juanita Sanchez. Neither did North Smithfield.

PROVIDENCE – The performance was three years in the making.Max Tuthill has been the starting quarterback for Juanita Sanchez since his sophomore season and has flashed his athleticism and throwing ability. In the biggest game of his career – at least to this point – the senior put it all together.As the rain came pouring down, Tuthill and the Cavaliers only played better. The offense put on a dazzling display in the first half and took away any doubt of the result by halftime before finishing off a 41-6 win over North Smithfield to advance to the semifinals of the Division IV playoffs.“This is our first playoff win since I’ve been here,” said Tuthill, who attends Providence Country Day, which plays with Juanita as a co-op. “It’s a huge momentum shift for me and my team so hopefully we’ll keep going.”Talent is something Juanita Sanchez has, but consistency is something its lacked this fall. The Cavaliers three wins came against two of the bottom feeders in D-IV, which forced them to beat Exeter-West Greenwich in the regular-season finale to make the playoffs.That means they walked into Conley Stadium on Friday, November 6, without a win over a team with a record of at least .500. This was a prove-it game, and the Cavaliers did just that.Watch RI high school football on NFHS Network!The defense struck the first blow, creating a fumble short of the goal line to end a North Smithfield scoring threat and get the ball in the offense’s hands. The first play went for minimal yardage, but the next went to the crib as a pass tipped by a North Smithfield defender was corralled by Adam Sackor, who raced up the left sideline for a 76-yard score.“I was just playing football,” Sackor said. “I saw the ball in the air and I had to grab it. I felt like I was going to get hawked down, but I just gave it my all and ended up scoring.”A lucky play? Yes, but North Smithfield returned the favor when its fourth-and-eternity pass near midfield was tipped by a Cavalier and caught by Landon Kraczkowski for a touchdown.There was no luck with anything that happened after that.Despite rain falling faster than Sackor ran up the sideline, Tuthill ran the offense with confidence. A wet football can lead to problems, but Tuthill never looked affected by the weather. Snaps were clean. Handoffs were cleaner. Passes were smart and to the point.Tuthill made plays by extending them. He dodged Northmen like it was elementary school recess, kept his eyes upfield and found receivers in space. He threw a short touchdown pass to Zakhi Hightower with 8:08 left in the second quarter that broke the tie for good, then zig-zagged his way around the North Smithfield defense on a 2-point conversion for the 14-6 lead.With the defense getting stops, Tuthill continued to produce points. He threw another short touchdown pass to Hightower – who, along with Jon Richardson and Jmil Taylor, helped pace the run game – and got the lead up to 20-8 before scoring a rushing touchdown of his own to take a 28-6 lead into the half.“Speed kills,” Tuthill said. “I know I have the speed to do it and I saw that left side a little crowded. I had to take it right and I scored.”The offense was the Cavaliers’ best defense. By putting points on the board, it forced North Smithfield’s hand offensively and the rain didn’t make that any easier. Juanita Sanchez continued to put in work on offense and got a second-half touchdown from Jancarlos Perez before getting a defensive score to close the night out.“Pressure makes diamonds,” Tuthill said. “I feel like we put the pressure out tonight.“… Those boys are strong.”The boys will have to be stronger in the semifinals. Juanita Sanchez will take on top-seeded Central Falls next Friday and the performance put forth on October 23 clearly won’t cut it. The Cavaliers didn’t take care of things the way they needed to, but the game served as a wakeup call that they’re closer to being No. 1 than they aren’t.“We just need to keep the same mindset we brought to this game,” Tuthill said. “We need to keep playing smashmouth football.”“We just have to stick together and stop arguing,” Sackor said. “We just have to stick together and play football.”This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The rain couldn't stop Juanita Sanchez. Neither did North Smithfield.Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.