Raiders surprise depleted Devils
By Chad Garner
Staff Writer
LEOMINSTER -- So much for being the underdog.

The Fitchburg High football team played more like the
clear-cut favorite in its annual Thanksgiving Day gridiron
clash with Leominster, who were playing without the services
of junior running back Kevin L'Ecuyer due to mononucleosis,
Thursday morning.

The Red Raiders, who trailed 14-13 in the decisive fourth
quarter, got the biggest lift from one of their seniors --
fullback Norman Cole -- who rumbled for a 50-yard TD to put
the Red Raiders ahead for good en route to the 26-14 upset
victory over the Blue Devils before almost 5,000 people at
Doyle Field.

"There's been times when we've been the favorites, we were
definitely the underdogs, but once the game starts it
doesn't mean anything," said Fitchburg coach Ray
Cosenza. "The kids don't buy into it because this game has a
life of its own. This is like a season in itself. I don't
think there are any favorites or underdogs, but I'll tell
you if we were I love the way our kids played in that role.

"We had a good game plan. We worked all week on it and our
kids bought it and they just played a great football game
against a great team," he continued.

"We just beat a great football team who had a great
season. We struggled this season, but our kids never gave up
and the staff never gave up on them. I'm so proud of these
kids and our staff at the high school right now I can't even
explain it."

This was the 118th meeting between Fitchburg and Leominster,
and the 96th confrontation on Thanksgiving. The Red Raiders
made it four straight over the Blue Devils and 10 out of the
last 11 meetings. Fitchburg currently holds a narrow 56-53-9
edge over the Blue Devils.

The biggest story heading into the contest was that
L'Ecuyer, who led Central Mass. in rushing with 1,882 yards
and 21 TDs, didn't suit up because he was diagnosed with
mononucleosis earlier in the week.

"We knew going in it was going to be a tough game because of
the situation," said Leominster coach John Dubzinski, whose
team ended its season at 8-3.

"But we're not going to make any excuses. That's part of the
game. Kids get hurt and they get sick. Fitchburg played very
well. They made plays when they had to make them ... they
deserve to win."

The Red Raiders (5-6) took advantage of that on Leominster's
first possession of the game. After the Blue Devils drove
from their own 13 to the 35 on six straight running plays,
Pat Moran was rocked by the Red Raider defense and coughed
up the ball. It was recovered by Cole at the Leominster
33-yard line.

Fitchburg went right to work. The Red Raiders drove down to
the 6 on seven plays, keyed by a 15-yard option run by
freshman sensation William Early (33 carries, 117 yards,
TD). From the 6, Earley took an option right from senior
quarterback Brian Bouvier, and got a great block from
fullback Cole, to scamper into the end zone. Ryan Logan
added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 4:37 left in the
first quarter.

The Blue Devils continued to struggle on offense and were
forced to punt on their next two possessions.

With just under two minutes left until halftime, Leominster
caught a big break when junior quarterback Kevin Barnaby was
intercepted by Dwayne Tiggs, but after a bone-rattling hit,
he fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Eddie Ceric at
the Fitchburg 44.

The Red Raider defense was keyed by the outstanding play of
junior linebacker Steve Marella, who was instrumental in
holding the Blue Devils' high-octane offense in check for
most of the game.

"I thought Steve Marella played unbelievable. We ran a
defense that we hadn't run before," explained Cosenza. "We
just moved some people around and we ran man out of it. We
kept running what we normally run back to that. We put our
nose guard back and I think that kind of mixed them up a
little bit because we've never done that before."

Leominster capitalized as running back Tom Fallon (18
carries, 98 yards, TD) motored 17 yards off right tackle,
and slithered left for a 10-yard pickup down to the
17. Barnaby (4 for 14 passing, 36 yards, 3 INT) connected
with tight end Bobby LeBlanc for 16 yards down to the 1, and
senior fullback Bill Gabriel capped off the drive by
plunging into the end zone with 47 seconds left in the half.

On the 2-point conversion, Barnaby rolled right and hit
tight end Mark Daigneault for the conversion, giving
Leominster a 8-7 halftime edge.

But Fitchburg responded on its first possession of the third
quarter. Earley made two nifty juke moves to pick up 23
yards, Bouvier (2 for 7 passing, 38 yards, TD) hit Cole in
the flats for 28 more, and four plays later on
fourth-and-goal, Bouvier rolled right and found Cole (12
carries, 90 yards, TD, 2 receptions for 38 yards, TD) for
the 10-yard scoring strike.

The 2-point conversion failed, but Fitchburg led 13-8 with
8:08 left in the third quarter.

Leominster eventually took the lead with 40 seconds left in
the third for a 14-13 advantage. Starting from the Fitchburg
44, the Blue Devils went nine plays, capped off by Fallon's
5-yard TD run off right tackle.

Key plays in the drive included: four runs by Fallon for 28
yards and two carries for nine yards by Gabriel (7 carries,
25 yards, TD).

"I thought our kids played great," said Dubzinski. "We had a
little adversity, Kevin L'Ecuyer didn't play and Jose
Navarro sprained his ankle the second or third play of the
game. But I thought Tommy Fallon played a fabulous game."

Fitchburg, backed by senior leader Cole, quieted the Blue
Devil faithful on its next drive, however.

Six plays brought Fitchburg from its own 35 to midfield, but
the big bang came on the next play via the power running of
Cole.

Cole took a simple quick dive play through the line and
outran the secondary for a 50-yard TD run and a 19-14 lead
with 9:51 left.

"It felt really great," said Cole. "Before the play Brian
Bouvier came up to me and said 'This is probably your last
run. It's your senior year and your last play probably. Make
it a good one.' He really pumped me up. It was
great. Hearing the crowd and everything ... I can't even
speak about it. It just felt great."

Leominster, after being forced to punt on a three-and-out
series, got the ball back when Earley fumbled at the
Leominster 46 and Kyle Clarke recovered.

Leominster marched from its own 46 down to the Fitchburg 40
on two key plays -- an 11-yard pass play from Barnaby to
Blake Curry and a personal foul call on the Red Raiders. On
fourth-and-10 from the 40, Barnaby hit Curry on a quick out,
and after eluding one defender Curry came up one yard short
of the first down.

Fitchburg had to punt with just over a minute and a half
remaining, but the Red Raiders sealed the game when senior
strong safety B.J. Fitz picked off Barnaby over the middle
and ran it all the way back for a 21-yard INT return for a
touchdown en route to the 26-14 final.

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