Teague, defense carry Fitchburg past Nashoba
By Sean Sweeney Correspondent
 

BOLTON -- If at first you don't succeed with one type of play, try
again with another. Hard-pressed to find running room up the middle,
the Fitchburg football team had to do something else to get its
yardage.

Tom Oliver then added an 11-yard run on a sweep, before the Chieftains
wore the Red Raiders' defense down with short-yardage plays en route
to the end zone.

Fitchburg's defense shut the door for most of the remainder of the
game save Nashoba's final drive, which saw Hurley connect with Tyler
Sullivan for a 27-yard completion in the left flat that set up the
Chieftains' final set of downs.

"We bent, but we didn't break," Cosenza said. "I thought I our defense
came up with some big plays. (Jones' interception) was huge."

After Nashoba's touchdown, the two teams exchanged punts before the
Red Raiders were able to answer with a touchdown drive of their own.

With FHS facing third-and-6 at its own 39, Eric Comeau hauled in an
11-yard pass from Phillips, stretching across the 45 to get the first
down. Two plays later, Fitchburg changed its running strategy: Teague
took a toss for a sweep to the right for 43 yards, moving the ball
deep into Chieftain territory to the 9.

Three plays later, Fitchburg converted a third-and-goal play as
Phillips tossed left to Teague, who ran into the end zone untouched
from 9 yards out.

"My offensive line is pretty good," Teague said. "(Jeff) Fanelli,
Jamison (DiGeronimo), Tremayne Teague, they all did a good job
blocking today."

Tim McNamara's conversion run off a high snap made it 8-7, Fitchburg,
with 10:32 left in the first half.

Red Raiders 8

Chieftains 7

Nashoba (0-1) 7 0 0 0 -- 7


Fitchburg (1-0) 0 8 0 0 -- 8

First quarter

N -- Billy Lombardo 5 run (Jim Garvey kick), 8:03

Second quarter

F -- Byron Teague 9 run (Tim McNamara run), 10:32

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