Fitchburg has holidayagainst Mountaineers
By Sean Sweeney
Correspondent
FITCHBURG -- It's not a real holiday weekend, but
Fitchburg High played like it was Thanksgiving morning.

The Red Raiders were going up against the Wactusett
Mountaineers on Friday night and since their opponents head
coach has the last name Dubzinski, FHS treated their
opponents like they were wearing blue shirts with the word
Leominster across the front as Fitchburg disposed of
Wachusett 44-12 at Crocker Field.

"Well we only play one more (Dubznski).  This was a good win
for us, and we're going to get ready for Algonquin now.
I'm very happy wiith the way the kids palyed, a lot of kids
got to play and the younger kids did a good job when they
were in there as well," said Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza.

Fitchburg (4-4) played like they were undefeated,
performing flawlessly thoughout the contest.  After Derek
Johnson recovered a Wachusett (0-7) fumble on the third play
of the game, it only took the Red Raiders five plays to put
the ball in the end zone.  Jason Quinn rumbled for gains of
11, 4, and 9 yards on toss sweeeps to set up first down,
before Quinn (171 yards on 12 carries, three touchdown runs)
took a handoff from Jason Twomley.  On the handoff, FHS took
a play out of Fitchburg State's playbook from last Saturday
with Quinn sending it back to Twomley for a four yard gain
for second and six at the Mountaineer 13.

Quinn then took another toss from Twomley and darted off the
right tackle, hopping over a downed tackler before cutting
to his left at the 8 and hitting paydirt for Fitchburg's
first touchdown of the game.  Quihn added the conversion
run, 8-0 Red and Gray.

On the ensuing drive, a 40 yard pass from Mike Janosco to
Ned McTigue on a deep post pattern aided the Mountaineer
effort before they ran the football.  A pair of ten yard runs
by Mike Peterson (116 yards on 22 carries) and Dave
Beaudreau set up first and goal on the Fitchburg 2.
Wachusettt had to run three plays to put the ball in the end
zone, with Peterson jumping in from a yard out.  The PAT was
blocked by Fitchburg's Chris Lamoreaux.

"(Peterson) is a good tough kid.  He gets better every single
day," said Wachusett coach Mike Dubzinski.

From there is was all Fitchburg, with Quinn scoring on the
next drive from five yards out, following the block of
Norman Cole into the end zone.  After Wachussett punted on
its next drive the Red and Gray only needed one play to
score with Quinn taking the handoff at his own 36, going up
the middle before darting out to the right sidline and
sneaking inside the pylon for the touchdown.  Twomley's
conversion pass to Jim Alexander was good.

After that, Wachusett ran a pair of plays before backup
signal caller Kevin Massey tried to find Garret Bombard,
instead finding Fitchburg's Harold Mateo at the Fitchburg
45.  Mateo brought it back to the Wachusett 33, and again it
was only a one play affair as Twomley hit Dan Ortiz on a
post pattern for a toucheown.  Freshman Josh Wallace added
the kick, 31-6 at the half.

Quinn scored on the first play from scrimmage in the third
quarter on a 55 yard touchdown run before Cosenza called off
the dogs, sending the jayvee unit in.  Three plays into
Fitchburg's next drive, backup quarterback Brian Bouvier
handed off to B.J. Fitz and he rumbled 56 yards before John
Staudinger tackled him at the 7.  Fitz then ran it in from
there for the score.

Peterson scored Wachusett's last touchdown with 22 seconds
left in the game from two yards out.

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