Leominster and Fitchburg to recreate first game, 
leather helmets and all
 By Katina Caraganis,
kcaraganis@sentinelandenterprise.com Posted: 10/18/2009 07:02:34 AM
EDT

LEOMINSTER -- The rivalry between Leominster High School and Fitchburg
High School is like no other. While most fans can't pinpoint when the
rivalry started, any game played between the two schools draws large
crowds and attention.

That rivalry will be celebrated Saturday afternoon at noon when the
historic first Thanksgiving Day football game played between the two
in 1894 will be reenacted with former football players from both high
schools Saturday at the Doyle Reservation on Lindell Avenue at noon.

Each team boasts 20 players, all of whom played high school football
and coached by people who also have local ties to the area and to the
respective football programs.

Mike Austin and Marcos Meza both will coach the Fitchburg side, while
Gil Donatelli is at the helm for Leominster. Ralph Jacques and Larry
Bizzotto, who boast extensive wealth of defensive knowledge, will man
the Leominster side as well, while the teams will get additional
offense help from Rich Mazzefero and Ron Pallazzi.

The game will be played according to the rules used during the 1894
game, according to Meza. That includes, among other things, not
wearing any pads.

"The main difference is in the rules. There's no forward passing, no
equipment, it's more of a rugby type atmosphere, and you have three
downs to get five yards. The rules are different, which makes it
different and competitive, said Meza. "Nowadays the talent you're
looking at is different. You have six foot, 240 pound guys, as opposed
to back then when the biggest kid was 140 pounds at 5'9. That's a huge
difference.

Those aren't the only major rule differences, according to
Donatelli. Scoring is drastically different than what football fans
are used to.

"A touchdown is worth four points and then if you go for an extra
point, then it becomes six. The big difference is if you do that
successfully, they kick to you again. They don't get the ball
back. You keep the ball. That's one key thing. The second thing is a
drop kick or a place kick at any time is worth five points. It's worth
more than a touchdown. It's unlike the three points that it's worth
today. Off-sides is loss of ball," said Donatelli.

Despite playing by rules that were long gone when these players were
part of teams, Donatelli feels they are still ready to get out there
and play, while understanding the importance of the game.

"We expect it to be a very serious competition. These guys are
ready. They have great coaches and they have great players, as do
we. We're all set on that part of it. We just need to execute. It's
trying to make them understand that the whole spirit of this game from
1894 is really what we're after," he said.

There will be two EMTs on site during the game, according to Meza, who
also said the referees have been made aware of the rules and are set
to enforce them. Any rough play between the former football players
will result in an ejection, he said.

While the game is being used to exhibit the long standing rivalry
between the two cities, the teams aren't divided down the middle, said
Meza.

"My team has 10 Leominster players who graduated from Leominster High
School and have Leominster ties. Then we do have some Fitchburg. It's
not really a Leominster/Fitchburg rivalry. It's the uniqueness of the
rules and how the game was played back in 1894. You see the rivalry
and how to prepare for it," he said. "When I was asked to coach the
Fitchburg side along with Coach Austin, we both have Leominster
ties. We both graduated from Leominster. When I was asked to coach,
Fitchburg was the team I was offered and I said fine."

Meza's son plays for the Razorbacks and he was able to help recruit
players from the team. Meza also has ties with coaching Pop Warner in
Fitchburg and Leominster.

"We did a lot of recruiting ourselves. As people heard about it, they
inquired. Once you get one person, you get their friends," he said.

Jacques, the head coach of the Razorbacks, said that he was honored to
be asked to participate but has a unique situation that the other
coaches don't: his own players on both teams.

"I've been in other rivalries that have been this long but it was an
honor when they called me and told me who I would be coaching with and
against. I said they were all great coaches and it would be an honor
to coach with these guys. I jumped at it," he said. "It's like a
reunion. I have all my guys here. What's funny is come game time,
they're gonna be split. I'm gonna be coaching against some of these
guys.

Pete Angelini of Leominster will be the oldest player on either side
at 53, but he said that his age isn't going to deter him from playing
the sport he loved and played at Leominster High School.

"I love playing football and someone told me they were playing this
game and I was asked to be involved. It's a good time. There are a lot
of great people I've met. I'm sure it's the probably gonna be the last
time I play football in my life so it's a melancholy point in my
life. It's gonna be a lot of fun," said Angelini, who will play for
Leominster.

Shaun Jordan, Tom Pievmarni, and Jarrod Boyden all are playing on the
Leominster side, and for them, playing together is nothing
new. They've been playing together since they were in Pop Warner.

While Boyden became involved in April when practices started, both
Jordan and Pievmarni said they were late recruits and the history was
the main reason they wanted to get involved.

"I think the history of the game says it all," said Pievmarni.

Despite the excitement the three feel as they prepare to step on a
football field again, there is some anxiety over not wearing pads.

"I'm a little nervous. There's going to be god players on both sides,
which makes it a problem," he said. But he's still confident the right
team will prevail.

For Harrison Ingles, Christopher Wells, Kyle Desrosiers, and Eric
Maynard, playing for the Fitchburg side doesn't bother them, despite
not having many ties to the Fitchburg area. Maynard played football at
Fitchburg High while the rest played for other area schools.

"Most people can't look past the rough exterior in Fitchburg but we're
ready to play," said Harrison. "It's going to be an exciting
game. We're ready to play."

They said that while many of the rules will take a little time to get
used to, the one that worries them the most is not wearing any pads.

"There's always the chance you're going to get hurt. You do have a
little bit of concern," said Maynard.

For now, both teams will fit in more practices this week before
revisiting a game that sparked an intense rivalry in high school
sports.

Fitchburg High School
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