Fitchburg vs. SJ should be Super
Friday, September 29, 2000

By Rich Garven
Telegram & Gazette Staff 

FITCHBURG-- It's still September, but whether Fitchburg or
St. John's is playing in December will likely be determined
tonight.

 The two gridiron behemoths tangle at 7 p.m. at Crocker
Field with the winner taking a giant step toward capturing
the Division 1 title and the automatic Super Bowl berth that
goes with it.

 "It's a huge game, a league game," St.  John's coach
Tony Wood said without a hint of hyperbole in his voice.

 When Central Mass. football realigned last season few knew
what to expect. With a year to reflect, though, one thing is
clear -- lose a division game and forfeit your shot at
postseason play.

 In 1999, all six division winners went undefeated in league
play. Four teams finished second with one loss apiece.

 Neither Ray Cosenza, who has coached Fitchburg for 12
seasons, nor Wood, now in his 16th season at St. John's,
feels that trend will change.

 "I think the team that wins (the division) will be
undefeated," Cosenza said, adding, "although there's a
little more parity this season." "I don't think you can
afford a loss in the league," Wood confirmed.

 Both teams enter the game unbeaten thanks to a 7-2 edge in
the all-important takeaway-giveaway department.

 The Red Raiders are 3-0, having topped D1 foes
St. Peter-Marian, Nashoba and Milford by a combined 103-34
score. Led by seniors Tim Roy, Mike Thomas and Josh Raboin,
the first-team defense has allowed seven points.

 After opening the season a week later than most, the
Pioneers routed Wachusett, 35-0, before pulling away from
Nashoba for a 21-6 win last weekend.

 Fitchburg is riding a nine-game winning streak dating back
to last season. St. John's has won 10 straight and 12 of 13
going back to '99, the loss being a 3-0 setback to Nashoba
that effectively decided the division title.

 The two teams met last season with the Pioneers posting a
28-14 victory as Fitchburg was limited to 179 yards total
offense. The game was tied, 14-14, at halftime before St.
John's pulled away with two second-half touchdowns, the
first coming after a blocked punt.

 Meanwhile, the Red Raiders were twice denied after driving
to the St. John's 8- and 24-yard lines.

 "They were just a much better football team than we were
at that time," Cosenza said.  "Having Frank (McDonald)
this year has obviously made a difference, but I just think
we're a much more experienced team with more depth."

 McDonald, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound tailback, missed most of
last season, including the St. John's game, with a leg
injury. He's fully recovered and has rushed for 463 yards
and 6 touchdowns while averaging 10 yards a carry.

 "He worked real hard all summer to get in shape and to his
credit he got into great shape," Cosenza said.
 
McDonald is part of an all-senior backfield that includes
6-foot, 195-pound fullback Norman Cole (340 yards rushing, 3
TDs) and 6-foot, 200-pound quarterback Jason Twomley (5
TDs).

 "They've got great backs," Wood said.  "The quarterback is
a heck of a competitor. He stretches you (defensively), runs
the option and the quarterback keeper well. He's tough, just
a heck of a player."

 The Pioneers counter with senior split end Joe Okrah, one
of the fastest players in the state. Okrah has caught six
passes, four for TDs. He's averaging a stunning 39.2 yards
per reception and has also returned a punt 64 yards for a
score.

 Sophomore Peter Wood, Tony's son, directs the offense,
which features tailback Jeff Marrone (207 yards rushing) and
6-foot, 215-pound fullback James Abosi. Okrah, Marrone and
Abosi formed one of the region's fastest 400-meter relay
squads last track season.

 "They're not a one-man team by any meams," Cosenza
said. "You've got to defend the whole field against them."

 Defensively, Abosi is listed as an end, but will be moved
around as the Pioneers seek to take full advantage of his
disruptive nature.  Fellow senior captains Kevin Golden, a
linebacker, and Joe Fontecchio, as good a cover corner as
you'll find, have been outstanding thus far.

 "They create a lot of problems for us with their size and
their speed," Cosenza said.  "We feel this will be the
toughest game to date and obviously the most important. The
winner puts himself in great position to win the league."

 One added note: Leominster will certainly have a say in how
this all plays out, but everyone else, including defending
champion Nashoba and '99 runner-up St. Peter-Marian, have
been effectively knocked out of the title hunt. And that's
what makes Fitchburg-St. John's the game of the year in
Division 1.

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