Fitchburg stages comeback
By Brendan Hall Article Launched: 10/21/2007 10:05:56 AM EDT
SHREWSBURY -- Just when it seemed like the game was getting out of hand, it switched hands. Trailing St. John's of Shrewsbury 21-6 with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Fitchburg Red Raiders rallied behind their star running back, Johnny Gomez, to rattle off three unanswered touchdowns. They then made a crucial stop in the red zone at the end of the game, clinching a 25-21 comeback victory, Saturday. The game also marked the Red Raiders' first win over the Pioneers since 2000. "It was a character win," Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza said. "Our kids just hung in there. Every part of our game, our kids just dug in -- defensively, special teams. I can't say enough how happy I am, how proud I am, of our kids." Gomez (31 carries, 198 yards, three touchdowns) rumbled in from 2 yards out to give the Red Raiders their first lead of the game at 1:07. Luke Arno's point-after kick was good -- after the kicker missed his first two attempts on the day -- to make it 25-21 and force the Pioneers to score a touchdown. On the Pioneers' ensuing drive, four completions from quarterback John Andreoli to wideout John Perron brought the ball down to the Fitchburg 13 with enough time for two more plays. First, with seven seconds on the clock, Andreoli overthrew his intended target in the end zone. With two seconds left, Andreoli rolled left and fired toward the end zone, only to be picked off by Gomez. The team ran onto the field and mobbed him as time ran out. "We knew we could come back and win this thing," Gomez said. "We were beating ourselves. I knew we could do it." Through the first three periods, the Red Raiders struggled on defense, falling prey to shifty running back Evan Wheeler (20 carries, 138 yards, touchdown) and the clock-management skills of Andreoli. But in the fourth quarter, Fitchburg was suddenly more aggressive, and was able to get the Pioneers off the field in successive three-and-outs. The difference? "We really tackled better," Cosenza said. Also credit sophomore Orlando Anderson, with his tight coverage on Perron, the Pioneers' top receiving threat. The 6-foot-2 senior got his lofty stats (seven receptions, 84 yards), but they came at the bookends of the game. He made three catches on the game's first drive, including a 9-yard touchdown grab, but didn't haul in another pass until the final drive. "Orlando can cover anyone, he's such a great athlete," Cosenza said. "We play him on defense for that reason -- he makes the team do other things that they may not want to. And Jeremy (Kimber) can do it on the other side, he's just as good. So, that allows us to do a much better job inside." Josh Less capped off an eight play, 82-yard drive with eight and a half minutes left in the fourth when he hauled in a 21-yard pass from Jeremy Kimber. Curling toward the right sideline, Less (five receptions, 93 yards) turned toward the ball and got both of his feet down before falling out of bounds. The two-point pass was incomplete. Arno booted the ensuing kickoff over the heads of the Pioneers' back line, resulting in St. John's starting its drive at its own 7. The Pioneers went three-and-out, and gave the Red Raiders good field position when a high, wobbly punt landed at their own 25. Gomez capitalized four plays later with a 14-yard score. On the ensuing drive, Greg Mendez sacked Andreoli for a 10-yard loss on second down. St. John's was forced to punt two plays later, giving the Red Raiders the ball at their own 47 with just under three minutes to go. Gomez did the rest. He had four carries for 33 yards on his scoring drive, which was aided by a pass interference call. "In the second half, with the lead, we have to find a way to come out and make plays," St. John's coach John Andreoli said. "We didn't do that today, and I give (Fitchburg credit) for hanging in there. They're a well-coached team, they deserve a lot of credit and they're a fine football team."
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