Boxers score KO over Fitchburg

No. 2 Red Raiders fall on the road
Saturday, October 11, 2008
By John McGuirk CORRESPONDENT

BROCKTON: There were many who felt this might be the year that
Fitchburg High finally would beat perennial powerhouse Brockton High
for the first time since 2000, the same season the Red Raiders
went unbeaten and won the Central/Western Mass. Division 1 Super Bowl.

The Red Raiders, ranked No. 2 in the T&G poll, were off to a terrific
start at 4-0 and were on a roll as they prepared to play the Eastern
Mass. titans.

But Brockton had other ideas. Reeling from losses in three of their
first four games, the Boxers had a season-changing victory over
St. John's Prep last week and their play - much to the
disappointment of Fitchburg - carried over into last night.


Brockton (3-3) scored the game's first 28 points and blew past the
Red Raiders, 34-14, here at Rocky Marciano Stadium.

"We played hard, but I don't think we executed very well,"
Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza said. "But we played a great team
tonight and all the credit goes to them."

Senior running back Khalil James-Offley led Brockton’s offensive
attack by rushing for three touchdowns. Offley finished with 119 yards
on 15 carries while the Boxers, as a team, amassed 330 yards on
offense. The Red Raiders’ defense couldn’t stop the vaunted
Boxers’ rushing attack all night.

Fitchburg turned the ball over twice in the first half, both of which
led to Brockton touchdowns. The Red Raiders gained 205 yards on
offense. Tailback Greg Mendez did much of the work, rushing for 124
yards on 21 carries.

"Those two turnovers hurt us," Cosenza said. "Brockton was
able to capitalize on them."

Fitchburg's touchdowns came on Stephfon Teague's 1-yard
plunge before halftime and Kyle Phillips' 51-yard scoring strike to
Quinton Perkins in the closing minutes against the Boxers' second
defensive unit.

"For us, it's two in a row now," Brockton coach Peter Colombo
said. "Last week (the St. John's win) was huge for us and all
we're looking to do is get better every week. I think this team
needed to have their backs against the wall. We challenged them and
they've responded the past two weeks."

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