This time, it's really for all the marbles
By Eric Avidon
When the Fitchburg and Leominster football teams match up on
the football field each Thanksgiving morning the stakes are
already high.

Bragging rights for the next year in the most heated rivalry
in all of Massachusett are on the line for the players on
the two teams, students at the two schools, and really,
residents of the two cities. And for the seniors playing on
Thanksgiving, bragging rights for a lifetime are at stake.

But this year there's more.

This year, the right to go to the Central/Western
Mass. Division 1 Super Bowl will be on the line.

Leominster (8-1-1, 6-0) comes into Thanksgiving undefeated
in Central Mass. Division 1 play. Fitchburg (7-3, 5-1),
meanwhile, has one loss against a Central Mass. Division 1
opponent, a 6-2 loss to St. John's.

If the Blue Devils win, they will have run the table in
conference play. If the Red Raiders win, both teams will
have one loss, but because Fitchburg beat Leominster
head-to-head the Red Raiders would win the tiebreaker and
represent Central Mass. in the Super Bowl.

But despite what's at stake, a possible second straight
Super Bowl win for Leominster and the first for Fitchburg
since 2000, the intensity level will be no different than it
is every year.

It simply can't get any higher than it is even when the game
has no championship implications.

"I don't think it's possible," said Fitchburg coach Ray
Cosenza. "Having been involved in this game like we have, I
don't see anything (that is more intense than Thanksgiving
Day). The Super Bowl is nothing compared to this. I don't
think you can get the intensity any greater than it is
already."

Leominster coach John Dubzinski essentially said the same
thing, that the fact that this year's Thanksgiving Day game
will determine the Central Mass. representative in the
Division 1 Super Bowl has no impact on how badly the
participants want to win.

"It doesn't matter," he said.

A year ago, Fitchburg beat Leominster 28-20, the fifth time
in a row the Red Raiders beat the Blue Devils and 11th out
of the last 12.

But still, Leominster went to the Super Bowl a year ago. The
Blue Devils entered that game against Fitchburg undefeated
in Central Mass. Division 1, losing only to Eastern
Mass. powers Everett and Brockton, while the Red Raiders had
lost to Division 1 rivals St. Peter-Marian and St. John's,
as well as a loss to Brockton. And because Fitchburg had two
league losses and Leominster none, even the win on
Thanksgiving wasn't enough to send the Red Raiders to the
Super Bowl.

But that's not the case this year. This year a Super Bowl
berth can be added on to all else that's at stake
Thanksgiving morning.

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