End zone unkind to Raiders
By Chris Maza
FITCHBURG -- There must have been something very scary
lurking in the end zones at Crocker Field, because the Red
Raiders just didn't seem to want to go there.

The Fitchburg football team moved the football, but
squandered four prime scoring chances in the red zone and
fell to Eastern Mass. power Xaverian, 31-2, Friday night.

"We couldn't finish it," Fitchburg head coach Ray Cosenza
said. "I think three times, in the first half, in the red
zone we came away with nothing. You can't do that against a
team like this."

Xaverian had no trouble crossing the goal line.

Hawks running back Matt Shea rushed for 93 yards on 14
carries and scored twice, while quarterback Greg Hyman
completed nine of his 12 passes for 150 yards and a
touchdown.

Wideout Kevon Mason hauled in four of those completions for
116 yards and the touchdown.

Fitchburg's Jeremy Kimber wasn't as effective. Victimized by
five drops, he connected on only four of his 12 attempts for
90 yards and an interception.

The sophomores were the bright spots for the Raiders.

Isiah Ford rushed 10 times for 53 yards and Greg Mendez
added 63 yards on three carries in the second half.

Sophomore Orlando Anderson caught two passes for 63 yards.

"Our young kids really stepped up," Cosenza said. "The kids
I was concerned with throwing them into this situation
performed great."

Jon Gomez added 53 yards on 17 carries.

Xaverian wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as
Hyman hooked up with Mason for a 41-yard touchdown in which
Mason simply jumped over some good coverage and came down
with the ball.

Three plays later, the Hawks scored again.

Kimber threw a pick to Shea on the team's first play of the
ensuing drive, then after losing a yard on the first try,
Shea took it in for a 7-yard score to the right side.

Fitchburg's lone score came late in the first when Dan
Minichiello sacked Hyman just behind the goal line.

But that was the only real moment of joy for the Raiders.

Shea rolled up the middle for a 6-yard score late in with
3:29 left in the half.

Paul Asack notched a 22-yard field goal four minutes into
the third, then the Hawks put the final nail in the coffin
during Fitchburg's ensuing possession.

After going three-and-out on the Raider 21-yard line, punter
Juan Colazo saw the snap sail over his head and bounce
towards the end zone.

He tried to recover, but Eriks Reks instead gathered the
ball on the 1 and fell into the end zone for the final
score.

Despite the difficulties, Consenza said there's no reason to
start panicking.

"For sure we're not going to say, 'The season's over,'"
Cosenza said. "That's a great team and we have 10 more games
to play. We'll just regroup and we'll get better."



Fitchburg High School Athletics and Competition Home Page