LHS wants a seat at the table
By Brendan Hall
Article Launched: 11/24/2007 10:21:45 AM EST

LEOMINSTER -- Underneath the scorn, squalor and century-old animosity,
the Twin Cities' two most popular football stars are actually good
friends off the field. And Leominster's Alex Rivera has a
two-inch-long papercut on his left bicep -- playfully delivered early
last week by Fitchburg's Johnny Gomez -- to prove it.

Still, it's that time of the year. And on the field, Rivera knows
what's up.

"They think they're ..." he said, holding his tongue before
finishing. "They think they're the best."

True, the Fitchburg Red Raiders have punched their ticket to the
postseason, and arguably haven't had a backfield this talented since
the days of Frank McDonald, Jason Twomley and Norman Cole. But the
road to a Division 1 North title still goes through the familiar Blue
and White.

As is almost always the case with these two squads, there is something
besides bragging rights on the line this season when the archrival
Blue Devils and Red Raiders meet for the 124th time this
Thanksgiving. In fact, the last time there wasn't anything beyond
pride on the line in this series, computer software was being
Y2K-proofed. Nashoba Regional had already wrapped up the 1999 Division
1 title -- its fourth league crown in five years -- before that year's
Turkey Day.

Having lost a crucial Division 1 tilt at home to St. John's, the Blue
Devils (7-3, 1-1) need a win over the Red Raiders (9-1, 2-0) to have a
chance at the postseason. A Leominster win would force a three-way tie
atop Division 1 North, which would lead to power rankings deciding the two
playoff participants. In the current power rankings, Leominster holds
a slim, one-point advantage over St. John's, which plays non-league
St. Peter-Marian on Thanksgiving.  Either way, Fitchburg is in. The
Red Raiders enter this contest with a 9-1 record, their best since
2000, and league wins over St. John's and Wachusett Regional.

When asked about the postseason implications, Leominster coach John
Dubzinski was blunt.

"To be honest with you, and I can't speak for (Fitchburg coach) Ray
(Cosenza), this game's more important than a Super Bowl," he said. "A
Super Bowl's nice to have, and it's a nice thing to go to, but this is
a far more important game for both teams. There's more emotion,
there's more enthusiasm, more fans, more significance. This is a huge
game for both teams."

Said senior tackle Kyle Salisbury, "Fitchburg-Leominster's one of the
oldest rivalries in the state, so just the opportunity to play in the
Turkey Bowl, it's just a huge motivational game."

Members of the Dubzinski coaching tree are famous around these parts
for their reliance on the running game, and this year's Leominster
squad is no different. However, there is no Jon Hernandez in the
backfield this season, with the carries mostly being split up between
Rivera and Alex Medina.

One week, it's Rivera (741 yards, 7 TDs) striding gracefully to 200
yards. The next, it's Medina (779 yards, 13 TDs) bulldozing his way to
120 on 20-plus carries. And on Thanksgiving, who knows? Maybe fullback
Dan Creed, tailback Corey Mastrapasqua or even quarterback Justin
Kittredge -- who broke a keeper up the middle 67 yards for a score
earlier this year -- will end up being a hero.

When you're running behind an offensive line anchored by Chris
Daigneault, Matt Whitney, Mike Amico, Derek Boucher and Salisbury, any
back can feel like he's a home-run threat.

"Our overall speed this year is greater than it has been. That's what
I believe, personally," Salisbury said.

Historically, Dubzinski isn't inclined to the pass. Statistics haven't
been kind, but when they take to the air, Kittredge has some good
hands to look for in Mike Szajner, Joe Gannon and deep threat Bobby
Goldsby.

The tall task comes in creating space against a superb secondary. In
Week 4, Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza decided to make quarterback Jeremy
Kimber and wideout Orlando Anderson two-way starters, deploying them
as cornerbacks. The decision has paid off, as Kimber and Anderson have
provided lock-down coverage.

On the other side of the ball, the run defense has been suspect at
times this year, but has shown improvement as of late. While the
Milford Hawks played well in the air on Nov. 9 at Doyle Field, the
Blue Devils were able to keep running backs Tom Kane and Steve
Strapponi from breaking loose, holding each to under 50 yards. In that
game's most critical play, with just one linebacker in, the front four
stopped the Hawks from running for a first down, sealing the 14-13
win.

The front four of Whitney, Daigneault, Salisbury and Goldsby have
stepped it up, but it's hard to forget about the Blue Devils' two
machines in the middle, linebackers Alex Alcala and Mike
Pedreira. They both have shown a nose for the ball, seemingly always
involved in a created turnover.

Medina and Rivera key the pass defense, which will be in for a
whirlwind of a time against the receiving corps of Orlando Anderson,
Josh Less and tight end Tim Douglas -- once again, a tall task. But
Rivera took his lumps last season behind his mentor, Jon Hernandez,
and thinks he is geared up for this.

Hernandez's parting words are the ones Rivera holds closest.

"The most important thing he told me, when he was leaving, was don't
listen to anyone," Rivera said. "Do what you guys have to do. There's
always going to be doubters."

And Rivera says he hears those doubts from friends in Fitchburg all
the time.

True, the road to the title ends at high noon, Wednesday at Crocker
Field, but for the Red Raiders, there's still a wall of blue stalling
traffic.

Fitchburg High School Athletics and Competition Home Page