Fitchburg suffers heartbreaking loss
By Sean Sweeney
Article Launched: 10/18/2008 06:12:54 AM EDT

			
MILFORD -- A 30-yard field goal by Milford's Maycon Malon split the
uprights as time expired to give the host Scarlet Hawks a 23-20
victory over Fitchburg at Milford High School, Friday night.

The 4-2 Red Raiders, who suffered their second defeat in a row
following last week's loss to Brockton, "self-destructed," according
to a disappointed Fitchburg football coach Ray Cosenza.

The Red Raiders had tied the score at 20 with 1:21 remaining as
quarterback Kyle Phillips plunged in from a yard out on Fitchburg's
final possession. Luke Arno's kick tied the score at 20. Milford then
ran off four plays, the second of which saw a 15-yard unsportsmanlike
penalty called on the Red Raiders, to move the ball into Fitchburg
territory.

Milford quarterback Thomas Leung completed a pair of passes on the
drive to Brett Kane to set up Malon's third field goal of the
game. The kick went over the Fitchburg line and split the uprights to
give the Hawks the victory.

Before setting up the game-tying touchdown, Fitchburg made a move to
score midway through the fourth.

An off-right-tackle play by Greg Mendez brought the ball down to the
Milford 8. On fourth-and-goal from the 5, Phillips play-faked, rolled
to his left and hesitated as he came toward the goal line. He was
swarmed by three Milford tacklers, ending the drive inches from
paydirt.

Fitchburg took a 13-7 lead into the locker room as Mendez (19 carries,
138 yards) scored twice in the final two minutes of Advertisement the
half. The Red Raiders had to deal with a stingy Milford defense,
especially in the third quarter, which kept the Red Raiders off the
field for about seven minutes as Milford's Manny Lopez scored from 6
yards out before Malon hit a 30-yard field goal to make it 17-14 in
favor of Milford. The kick came on the heels of a successful onside
kick.

On Milford's next possession early in the fourth quarter, Malon made
it 20-13 with a 35-yard field goal that would have been good from at
least 45 yards out.

Milford is now 4-2. Fitchburg opens its league schedule next Friday,
hosting St. John's of Shrewsbury.

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