Crossman points way for Colonials
Saturday, October 13, 2001

By Jay Gearan
CORRESPONDENT 


Shrewsbury 32 Fitchburg 31

FITCHBURG -- With five minutes to play against Fitchburg
last night, the outlook for the Shrewsbury football team
was, in the words of coach Terry Walles, "gloomy".
     "We were down by nine points. It wasn't looking too
good", Walles said.
     Enter Shrewsbury senior Tom Crossman. His team needed
10 points and he provided them all.
     With Shrewsbury trailing, 31-22, Crossman returned a
kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown, kicked the extra point to
pull the Colonials within two, and won the game with a
24-yard field goal with 10 seconds to play.
     Using his soccer style, Crossman lined up his winning
field goal from the left hash mark and easily split the
uprights for the victory, Shrewsbury's fifth in six games.
     "This is a huge win", Walles said. "To win at Crocker
Field. And what a kick.  He's 4 for 4 in field goals."
     The Colonials, who are ranked fifth in the Telegram &
Gazette Top 10, are now 8-1 over the last three years in
games decided by seven or fewer points.
     "We know how to win the close games", Walles said.
     "We just kept fighting the whole game", said Shrewsbury
workhorse running back Billy Orfalea, who rushed for 223
yards on 29 carries and scored a touchdown. To win at
this field means so much.
     Added Crossman, who was a cool customer in the game's
final seconds, I knew my blockers would hold the line.
     Crossman also credited the outstanding blocking he
received on his dramatic kickoff return.
     "Our special teams coach, Jay Costa, put that play in
and we got great blocking", Walles said.
     The teams traded first-quarter touchdowns. The Raiders
struck first with an eight-play, 75-yard drive capped by
Norman Cole's 1-yard TD plunge and Ryan Logan's kick.
     Shrewsbury answered at the end of the quarter, marching
64 yards in seven plays, keyed by a 40-yard pickup by
Orfalea.  Fullback Shawn Weigold scored from the 1, and
Crossman booted the first of his three PATs.
     Fitchburg, hurt by four failed conversions after
touchdowns, scored again early in the second
quarter. Freshman halfback William Earley sliced 3 yards off
tackle, ending a short drive that was set up by B.J. Fitz's
40-yard kickoff return.
     The Raiders jumped to a 19-7 lead just 1:53 before
halftime when quarterback Brian Bouvier hit Cole for a
5-yard TD strike.
     Back came the Colonials before the break, though. 
Orfalea bounced off tacklers for gains of 21 and 27
yards as Shrewsbury marched downfield. From the Fitchburg
16, quarterback Billy Moynihan found Bryan Anderson open in
the left corner of the end zone for a TD. That cut the
Raiders' lead to 19-14 at the half.
     Fitchburg pulled ahead, 25-14, midway through the third
quarter when Earley (22 carries, 183 yards) pulled up on an
option pass and tossed a TD strike to Ryan Davenport.
     On their next series, the Colonials tightened the game
again when Orfalea scampered 23 yards around the left end to
make it 25-22.
     When Cole blasted up the middle from 11 yards out, the
Raiders owned a 31-22 lead with 5:17 to play. It looked as
if Fitchburg would snap its three-game losing streak.
     Crossman, however, soon made Crocker his home for
heroics.
     Said Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza: "Shrewsbury played a
great game. Orfalea just ran through our tacklers. I'm very
disappointed. Shrewsbury won the battle of the special
teams".

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