Red Raiders throttle Hawks
By Chad Garner
 cgarner@sentinelandenterprise.com
FITCHBURG -- Coming into Friday night's Division 1 showdown
with winless Milford, Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza was
worried about the Scarlet Hawks' hunger to pick up their
first win of the season.

But Fitchburg junior star tailback William Earley and the
offensive line had other ideas.

Backed by the dominant line play of Joe Golden, Matt Lamey,
Austin Douglas, Anthony Murray and fullback Eldred Wright,
Fitchburg racked up 374 yards of total offense -- 211 in the
first half -- and Earley rumbled for 288 yards on 27 carries
and scored four touchdowns en route to a 35-13 win at
Crocker Field.

"I thought we played well in the first half, but the second
half we got sloppy," said Cosenza. "That's a concern, but
you have to give Milford credit. That's a team that's 0-6
coming in and they kept battling and didn't quit. I really
give them and their staff a lot of credit."

Milford (0-7), which was forced to punt on its first three
possessions without recording a first down, stopped
Fitchburg (5-2) on its opening 10-play drive. But it took
only one play on Fitchburg next possession to take the lead.

Earley took a handoff up the gut with Milford stacking the
line of scrimmage and bolted for an electrifying 48-yard TD
run. Tom Benoit, who was a perfect 5 for 5 on PATs, made it
7-0 with 56 left in the first quarter.

"William is a great back," said Milford coach John
Dagnese. "He's going to be the best anybody sees I think
this year. You've got to (stack the line of scrimmage). We
felt that was our shot, but he was still able to get
outside. But that's what good kids are going to do to you."

Fitchburg came back moments later and went up 14-0. On a
10-play, 63-yard drive, sophomore quarterback Raymond Earley
connected with tight end Matt Thibeault who was wide open
over the middle for the 17-yard TD hookup on first down.

Milford finally picked up its first first-down of the game
with 3:19 left in the second quarter on Conor Quinn's
four-yard run off left tackle.

Quarterback Kevin Casey hit Matt Anza for six yards on
second down, but Casey's floater to the near sidelines on
third down was picked off by W. Earley who returned the ball
20 yards to midfield.

The Red Raiders continued to roll on offense as R. Earley
found W. Earley on a 27-yard screen pass, and three plays
later W. Earley ran in untouched for the 5-yard TD.

Milford, which recorded 40 yards of total offense in the
first half, got its biggest gain of the half with seconds
left on running back Jabari Prince's 21-yard run.

W. Earley made it 28-0 early in the third quarter as he
exploded off the left end and outran the secondary for a
56-yard jaunt.

Milford added two late TDs for the 35-13 final.

Fitchburg outgained Milford, 374-158.

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