Fitchburg pounds North Middlesex
By Dean Glanzman
Article Launched: 09/29/2007 10:10:19 AM EDT
TOWNSEND -- Riding on a night train.

The Fitchburg Red Raiders got on the Johnny Gomez express line en
route to their 55-28 win over North Middlesex Regional High School,
Friday night at John E. Young Memorial Field.

"They (the offense) played great," said Red Raiders head coach Ray
Cosenza, "and we needed them to. In the first half, we struggled a
little bit defensively, but our offense was the key today, no doubt."

On the shoulders of Gomez, the Red Raiders (4-0) galloped all over the
Patriots. Gomez ran for 274 yards on just 21 carries, a career best
that even Cosenza acknowledged as "a special night."

"Our offensive line blocked a lot," said Gomez. "Everybody blocked and
did their job."

The two teams were locked in a back-and-forth battle, but it was the
Patriots (0-4) who were left playing catch-up all game.

Gomez ran for his first of four touchdowns at 8:04 and, although the
Patriots responded on the ensuing possession with a Leo LeBlanc (199
yards on 13 carries) 1-yard touchdown run, Gomez continued to rack up
the miles and tack on the scores. He found the end zone with a 69-yard
touchdown run on Fitchburg's next play from scrimmage with 3:07 left
in the first quarter, and again on a 1-yard run at 8:59 in the second
quarter after the Red Raiders defense held the Patriots to a
three-and-out.

Fitchburg quarterback Jeremy Kimber (3-for-7, 63 yards) continued his
excellent play with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tim Douglas with 1:17
remaining in the second to give the Red Raiders a commanding 28-7
lead.  The Patriots responded quickly on an 81-yard drive that
finished with an Alan Ericson 1-yard touchdown run to pull North
Middlesex to within 14 points. But Kimber struck again, this time as a
receiver. After backup quarterback Eric Dion returned the Patriots'
kickoff for 46-yards, he tossed an 18-yard lob to Kimber in the corner
of the end zone to give the team a 35-14 lead at halftime.

Gomez added another score in the second half alongside teammate Matt
Fraticelli's 49-yard rushing touchdown to blow open the game at 42-14
in the third.

Byron Teague chipped in to put the icing on the cake with a 64-yard
touchdown run with 3:53 remaining in the game.

"We are psyched to be where we are, we are thrilled to be 4-0," said
Cosenza.

The undefeated Red Raiders host perennial powerhouse Brockton at
Crocker Field next Friday.

"Now the competition has just jumped up in a huge way, but we like to
play big teams like that and hopefully we will have a great week and
we'll be ready," Cosenza said.

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