Red Raiders pile up the points
Saturday, October 4, 2008
No. 2 Fitchburg unloads offense in first half
By John McGuirk CORRESPONDENT


FITCHBURG: The numbers don't lie. When a team that's
averaging just under 30 points a game goes against one that is
allowing 24, the matchup is seldom favorable.

Such was the case last night as second-ranked Fitchburg High continued
its early-season rampage by pounding North Middlesex Regional, 41-7,
at Crocker Field.

The Red Raiders (4-0) scored all of their points in the first half on
just 12 offensive plays and a couple of gems from special teams. A
26-yard scoring strike from quarterback Kyle Phillips to Orlando
Anderson put Fitchburg on the board early. Luke Arno's first of
five PATs put the hosts up, 7-0, with 5:46 remaining in the first
quarter.


Just four minutes later, sophomore Quinton Perkins returned a punt 65
yards to make it 14-0.

As the Red Raiders' defense (8.9-point average allowed) continued
to stymie North Middlesex's uncharacteristically limp single-wing
offense, it put its offense in good field position. Anderson's
interception of an Evan Woollacott pass at the Patriots' 29 was
soon followed by Greg Mendez's 3-yard scoring plunge.

Moments later, another Woollacott pass was picked off, this time by
Anthony Colon, who darted down the left sidelines 39 yards into the
end zone, putting Fitchburg up, 27-0.

"Things went right for us," said Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza,
whose team piled up 259 offensive yards. "Very seldom do you have
so many things go right as it did for us in the first half. It was fun
to be a part of. I thought our defense and our special teams made some
big plays for us tonight. (North Middlesex) had an offense I was
worried about because you can't simulate it in practice and it was
something we hadn't seen before."

Perkins set up Fitchburg's next score after returning a punt 50
yards. Needing just two plays, Byron Teague got into the scoring act
with a 25-yard run.

On the other side, the Patriots' turnover woes continued. Junior
linebacker Tim McNamara stepped in front of a Woollacott pass to give
the Red Raiders the ball at the North Middlesex 45. Following a
23-yard run by Noah Marceau, Mendez (six carries, 106 yards) went on a
32-yard touchdown run to put Fitchburg ahead, 41-0.

The Patriots (137 offensive yards) finally got on the board midway
through the fourth quarter on T.J. Schools' 5-yard run.

"They were better than us," said North Middlesex coach Sandy Ruggles,
whose team dropped to 0-4. "They beat us in every fashion and showed a
lot of class by not punching it in late and leaving us with some
respectability. We are a work in progress and we know that."

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