Red Raiders commit six turnovers in loss to St. John's
By Sean Sweeney, Correspondent
Posted: 10/04/2009 06:52:17 AM EDT

SHREWSBURY -- The best teams know what to do with the football when
you give it right back to them.

Six Fitchburg turnovers turned into 21 St. John's points on Saturday
morning, as Pioneers quarterback Griffin Murphy threw for two
touchdowns and Robert Rodgers ran an interception back 75 yards en
route to a 28-0 St. John's win over the Red Raiders at Pioneer Field.

The loss drops Fitchburg to 3-1 overall, and it doesn't get any easier
for the Big Red Machine as Eastern Mass. power Brockton is slated to
come to Crocker Field next Friday evening.

St. John's, who kicked Western Mass. juggernaut Longmeadow around a
few weeks ago, is 4-0.

"That's a team that scored 21 points on our defense," said Fitchburg
head coach Ray Cosenza, "but I thought our defense played very well
against a very good offense. But when we have those turnovers... our
offense sputtered. We had a few drives but couldn't finish them, but
that's what happens."

St. John's jumped right on top and didn't look back, as Murphy (10-15,
160 yards, INT) handed off to unheralded running back John Vasser
rumbled for an 18-yard touchdown run to put the Pioneers up, 6-0.

"They have so many weapons," Cosenza said. "We came up with a scheme
that we thought would be best, and obviously that gave (Vasser) a
little more room. I don't think we did a good job in the middle; we
knew we were giving up some space there. We had to come up with
something to do other things."

Keying the scoring drive was the play previous: Murphy -- who is
looking at several Division 1-AA schools including Holy Cross, Harvard
and Fordham -- connected with Dan Light in stride on the right hash
for a 30-yard completion, breaking two tackles before being hauled
down by Fitchburg's Tevin Moore.

The Raiders drove the ball downfield on the ensuing possession, with
Byron Teague's 24-yard run up the middle on a draw brought FHS into
St. John's territory. A pass interference penalty shortened the field
even more, but the Pioneer defense held firm, leading Fitchburg to
turn the ball over on downs.

The two teams then exchanged fumbles -- Jamison DiGeronimo coming up
with a recovery for the Red Raiders -- before Murphy was picked off by
Tyrie Osby. Fitchburg then went to Teague for four straight plays to
gain a first down, before Fitchburg quarterback Kyle Phillips dropped
back and tried to connect with DJ Wilson in double coverage at the
Pioneer 25.

Rodgers ended up out-leaping Wilson for the ball, picking it off and,
with a stiff-arm and a few cuts toward the middle of the field, was
off to the races en route for the 75-yard pick-six.

"We had some drives; I just think we made some poor decisions with the
ball," said Cosenza. "We threw the ball up a few times with Rodgers
back there. You just can't give them more chances. They are going to
have enough chances on their own, and we just gave them a few too
many."

Murphy's conversion run made it 14-0 St. John's with just over 3:10
left in the first half.

Fitchburg was only able to run two plays to open the third quarter
before Phillips fumbled on third-and-7 from the FHS 23, only to have
St. John's pounce on the loose ball at the 20.

On the first St. John's snap of the half, Murphy dropped back and
found Will Feraco in the left flat behind a Fitchburg defender that
slipped on the wet turf, then went into the end zone untouched for the
score.

St. John's made it 28-0 only 1:16 into the fourth, as the Pioneers
recovered another fumble at the Fitchburg 16, two plays after the Red
Raider defense stopped St. John's two yards short of a touchdown.

Murphy, who caused the Fitchburg defense to bite on several play fakes
to Vasser, had thrown incomplete to Rodgers on first down, but found
Light on the next play for the 16-yard scoring strike to round out the
scoring.

"They have a lot of great players, and (Murphy's) just outstanding,"
said Cosenza.


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