Bigger Devils deliver
Leominster 24 - St. Peter-Marian 10 Rich Garven TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
LEOMINSTER- Sometimes you can be in the right place at the right time, only to find out it doesn't much matter. That's what the St. Peter-Marian High football team discovered as it was repeatedly clobbered by Leominster fullback Anthony Bizzotto during the Blue Devils' 24-10 Division 1 victory last night at Doyle Field. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Bizzotto rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. He scored on runs of 23, 28 and 15 yards, each time brushing off game - but smaller - Guardians on his way to the end zone. "It takes a couple big people to bring him down," said SPM coach Owen Kilcoyne, whose squad is in short supply of those players. "He runs hard and runs low to the ground. He's aggressive and very strong. His legs are moving all the time. We had people at the point of attack and just couldn't make the tackle." All told, the third-ranked Blue Devils rushed for 323 of their 384 offensive yards. Halfbacks Adam Cordio and Tom Fallon gained 89 and 69 yards, respectively, as the carries were spread around. Bizzotto's final two TDs, both on third-down attempts, came about four minutes apart during a span that bridged the third and fourth quarters. They allowed the third-ranked Blue Devils (3-1, 2-0 division) to pull away to their third straight victory. The No. 7 Guardians (2-2, 1-1) played an outstanding first half and yet trailed, 12-10. But the visitors were held to 24 yards and one first down in the second half. "We did make a few adjustments, but the kids tackled better and played better," Leominster coach John Dubzinski said. "Well, we didn't move the ball, but never really had any field position," Kilcoyne noted. SPM opened the game with an 11-play drive that featured a 16-yard run by Rob Sargent (10 carries, 55 yards) and a 12-yard dash by Mike O'Neil as the Guardians found open spaces thanks to an overly aggressive Leominster defense. The march burned 4:51 and ended with sophomore George Vasiliadis kicking a 32-yard field goal. Although it was still early, the Guardians nearly came up with a momentum-shifting play on the ensuing kickoff. Cordio returned the ball to midfield before fumbling - at least that's what everyone in the stands thought. The Guardians' David Jalkut recovered, but the officials ruled Cordio was already down. Leominster needed but five plays to go 52 yards, Bizzotto covering the final 23 with a tackle-busting run to make it 6-3. The extra-point attempt was snuffed out by a bad hold and, in fact, Leominster wouldn't convert a conversion all night. The Guardians then put on a show for the 1,000 or so fans on hand, embarking on a 16-play drive that covered 70 yards and lasted nearly eight minutes. Joe Shea had gains of 9, 8 and 9 early on to get the ball to the Leominster 30-yard line. Then, two plays after Fallon nearly came up with a diving interception, quarterback Joe Paciello connected with Eric Anderson on a swing pass into the right flat that was good for 12 yards on fourth and 9 from the Leominster 29. Four straight runs brought the ball to the 2, where Sargent scored on a run up the middle as SPM went on top, 10-6, following Vasiliadis' kick. The Blue Devils kept pace, going 81 yards in nine plays to regain the lead, 12-6, with 2:39 left in the half. Swart connected with Cordio for a 19-yard gain from midfield and, following a pair of Leominster illegal procedure penalties, hit tight end Tim DiLillo over the middle for a 33-yard score. "I saw (the space) was open," DiLillo, a senior captain, said. "I told coach, "Those guys are cheating in.' It was a heck of a pass from the quarterback. Me and Chris have been working on (that play) and it worked beautifully." Swart, a senior, finished 3 of 6 for 68 yards. The Blue Devils opened the second half with a long drive that brought them to the SPM 3. Four plays later, they turned the ball over on downs as the Sean Parker-led defense held firm. Soon, though, Bizzotto would delight the home crowd on this unseasonably chilly evening with a rare combination of speed and strength, scoring twice to seal Leominster's win. "You're never satisfied," Bizzotto said when asked if it was his best game. "But I just can't give enough credit to my line. They were amazing." That interior five would be seniors Ryan Bailey, Derek Ashcroft, John Ciccone and Kevin Heinly along with junior Seth Tardiff.
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