Fitchburg's Osby runs to the rescue
 
By Sean Sweeney,
Correspondent Posted: 11/07/2009 07:02:22 AM EST

FITCHBURG -- Red Raider running back Tyrie Osby certainly had his time
to shine under a harvest moon that hovered over Crocker Field Friday
night.

The junior torched the visiting Algonquin Regional defense for four
touchdowns to the tune of 204 yards on 18 carries as Fitchburg snapped
its two-game losing streak and returned to its winning ways with a
well-earned 34-12 victory over the Tomahawks.

Osby was making his first start as the Red and Gray's (5-4) primary
ballcarrier; injured Byron Teague only played three snaps against
Wachusett Regional last week. Osby -- usually Teague's blocking
fullback -- made the most of his opportunity in the spotlight.

"It's great to get a win; we've been struggling," Red Raiders head
coach Ray Cosenza said. "But we'll take this, we needed it. Our kids
responded to what we asked them to do, and Tyrie, he's a great back.

"Byron's been hurt the last three games, and with Tyrie, we knew he
was a great back. He's that good. That doesn't surprise us at all."

Osby scored each of the first four Fitchburg touchdowns -- three in a
first-half shootout that saw the Red Raiders enter the locker room
with a 20-12 lead -- and nearly had a fifth, which was called back for
a block below the waist. Steph'fon Teague added a 40-yard score in the
fourth quarter.

"Coach told me to run hard and see what we could do with it," Osby
said following the game.

While Osby was running hard to stay warm on the frost-bitten night
on the corner of Circle and Broad, the FHS defense stepped it up in
the second half, including a hearty fourth-and-goal stop as time ran
out on the Tomahawks (1-8).

"We couldn't stop them (in the first half), and that was the bottom
line. We made some adjustments at halftime, and I think it paid off,"
Cosenza said. "The kids rose to the challenge. We wanted to shut them
out (in the second half), and that's what they did because we felt
they weren't able to stop our offense."

That pretty much happened, as Fitchburg jumped on the board
immediately, ending a 94-plus-minute scoreless streak with Osby
scoring from 4 yards away. Setting up the run was FHS' first play from
scrimmage, a 19-yard carry by Wesley Colon. Then, on third-and-4, Osby
gained enough to give the Red Raiders the first down.

Osby took quarterback Kyle Phillips' next handoff for a gain of 32
yards to set up first-and-goal. He plowed in off the right tackle on
the next play.

"My line blocked good, I hit the holes full-speed and got in the end
zone," Osby said. "I thank my line for all of that. We had tough
practices, everything full-speed. We had a great mental week getting
ready for the game. We knew we had to win to keep our possibilities
open for the playoffs, so we had to perform. We did a good job."

Tim McNamara's kick was blocked, leaving the lead at 6-0.

Algonquin responded immediately, as the T-Hawks needed nine plays to
score on a drive that began at the FHS 37. A Kyle McGinnity completion
on third down extended the drive, and McGinnity plunged in on a
quarterback sneak from the 1 to tie the score. Kyle Vaccaro's kick was
also blocked.

Osby then gave Fitchburg the lead again, as he slipped through the
right side of the T-Hawk line and scored from 5 yards away. The Red
Raiders had several key plays of 10 yards or more, with Phillips
connecting with DJ Wilson for a 12-yard gain on second down before
Osby followed with a 17-yard sweep.

Two plays later, Osby took the toss through the left side for a
15-yard gain to the 5 before scoring on the first play of the second
quarter. The conversion pass failed.

The Tomahawks answered with a long scoring drive, a 13-play, 67-yard
drive that ended with a 3-yard TD pass from McGinnity to Adam
Scopetski. McGinnitity had the long play, a 14-yard draw, and Brian
Keville did a bulk of the work, but the drive was aided by two
Fitchburg offside penalties.

FHS needed four plays to reclaim the lead for good in this first-half
shooting match, as Osby, on his 10th carry of the first half, scored
his third TD on a 14-yard toss to the right that saw the junior go in
untouched. On the previous play, Osby ran for 27 yards.

Phillips found Eric Comeau on the conversion pass, giving FHS a 20-12
lead with 2:42 left in the first half, before the Red and Gray forced
Algonquin to turn the ball over on downs.

Osby added his fourth TD of the game in the third quarter, as he
literally carried the Tomahawks' defenders into the end zone off the
right end from 4 yards out. McNamara's booming kick gave Fitchburg a
27-12 lead.

Red Raiders 34
Tomahawks 12
Algonquin (1-8) 6 6 0 0 -- 12
Fitchburg (5-4) 6 14 7 7 -- 34
First quarter
F -- Tyrie Osby 4 run (kick blocked), 8:16
A -- Kyle McGinnity 1 run (kick blocked), 2:52
Second quarter
F -- Osby 5 run (pass failed), 10:55
A -- Adam Scopetski 3 pass from McGinnity (run failed), 4:27
F -- Osby 14 run (Eric Comeau pass from Kyle Phillips), 2:42
Third quarter
F -- Osby 4 run (Tim McNamara kick), 4:47
Fourth quarter
F -- Steph'fon Teague 40 run (McNamara kick), 4:42

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