LHS: All or Nothing -- Sentinel & Enterprise Article
By Chad Garner
cgarner@sentinelandenterprise.com
LEOMINSTER -- Leominster football coach John Dubzinski's
play-calling was far from close to the vest.
He pushed the button on fourth down three times, elected to
abandon the running game for the aerial attack, and even
tried a bit of trickery.
You could tell this game was gigantic. It was the
season-opener against the defending Eastern Mass. Super
Bowl champion and powerhouse Everett High.
But one play call proved to be the difference.
After fullback Anthony Bizzotto hauled in a 7-yard TD pass
from quarterback Kevin Barnaby to pull within one point late
in the third quarter, Dubzinski elected to go for the lead
instead of the tie.
With starting kicker Garrett Donatelli carted off the field
during the game with an undisclosed ankle injury, Leominster
sent out backup Adam Cordio to attempt the PAT.
Instead of the kick, the Blue Devils went for the fake PAT
two-point conversion. But a fumbled exchange squashed the
bid and Everett eventually escaped with a 14-13 victory
Saturday afternoon at a crowded Doyle Field.
"It was a great game," said Dubzinski. "I thought it was two
very good teams playing that went nose to nose the whole
way. We had a couple of chances, but they made the plays. We
still have a ways to go, but we're going to build on this
effort tonight. Playing a team like Everett is only going to
make us better."
Everett (1-0) led 14-7 at halftime, but the Leominster (0-1)
defense stepped up early in the second half to stop two
Crimson Tide drives. Everett's first drive was slammed shut
on a Chris Cote fumble recovery, but Leominster returned the
favor as Barnaby was picked off in the end zone by Ross
Pietrantonio. The Blue Devils hung tough, however. On
Everett's third play from its own 29, Bizzotto pounced on a
loose football, giving Leominster the ball at the Crimson
Tide 30.
Barnaby connected with senior Blake Curry for 24 yards down
to the 6 on a sparkling one-handed grab by the 6-foot-3,
195-pound wideout. Two plays later, Barnaby capped off the
drive with a rollout right pass into the arms of Bizzotto
for a 7-yard scoring strike with 2:52 left in the third
quarter.
Then the decision came. Go for the lead or tie?
Dubzinski elected to pull the string. With backup kicker
Cordio lined up to kick the PAT, holder Cote flicked the
ball up to Pat Moran on an attempted rush off the right end,
but the ball was fumbled and Everett clung to a one-point
lead.
"(Donatelli) hurt his ankle earlier in the game," said
Dubzinski. "We called a two-point conversion there. We
thought it was a pretty good call. I think we would have got
the corner there, but we fumbled the ball."
However, Leominster would have three more drives for the
win. Cote intercepted backup QB Pietrantonio at the Blue
Devil 49 and brought the ball down to the Everett 19.
Barnaby picked up seven yards on two keepers to the 12, and
senior tailback Kevin L'Ecuyer was held to one yard down to
the 11. Leominster went for it on fourth down, but Barnaby
was sacked by end Danny Sullivan at the 19.
Leominster got the ball back with 6:34 left at its own
20. But a six-yard sack and two running plays that gained
minus two yards forced a punt.
"With six minutes to go we had a chance to win the game so
we feel pretty good about it," said Dubzinski. "We're
disappointed we lost, but we played a great team right down
to the wire."
With 20 seconds left, the Blue Devils used two plays -- an
8-yard pass from Barnaby to L'Ecuyer and a 19-yarder to Mark
Daigneault -- to get to the Everett 49. But the final play
-- a pass to Curry down the middle of the field -- was
incomplete and Everett escaped with the win.
"We definitely escaped with one," confirmed Everett coach
John DiBiaso.
Everett got on the scoreboard first after Leominster fumbled
a punt at the Blue Devil 41.
Junior tailback Frank Nuzzo capped off a Crimson Tide
11-play, 41-yard drive with a two-yard TD plunge up the
gut. Ryan Rendon blocked the PAT as Everett led 6-0 with
3:53 remaining in the first quarter.
Everett turned the ball over on its next possession as Tom
Fallon picked up a fumble at the Everett 29.
Leominster capitalized to take a 7-6 lead. A QB draw by
Barnaby picked up 18 down to the 11-yard line, and Bizzotto
took a handoff up the middle and bounced off a host of
tacklers before bulldozing his way into the end zone for the
11-yard TD run. Donatelli added the PAT with four seconds
left in the quarter.
Everett came back with an 11-play, 81-yard drive that chewed
up 5:08. Workhorse running back Nuzzo (26 carries, 155
yards, 2 TD) back did the honors with a two-yard TD run, and
brother and quarterback Matthew ran in the two-point
conversion option for a 14-7 halftime lead.
The Leominster defense forced four turnovers -- three of
which came in the second half, while the Blue Devils turned
the pigskin over twice.
The Everett defense keyed on superstar back L'Ecuyer,
limiting the senior to eight yards on five carries.
"(Everett's) did a good job, but we have an inexperienced
offensive line," said Dubzinski. "We knew we were going to
have a little trouble against a real good Everett defense
running the ball. But we thought we could throw the ball and
I thought we did a pretty good job of that."
Barnaby was 11-for-14 passing for 181 yards with one TD and
one INT. His main target was Curry, who hauled in six passes
for 124 yards.
"Those kids had a great game," said Dubzinski. "Curry is a
great receiver for us and Kevin throws the ball very well."
Curry's performance didn't go unnoticed by DiBiaso, either.
"If (Curry's) not an all-scholastic receiver I don't know
who is? The kid was catching over the top, one hand and we
had guys all over him," he said. "The kid looked
fantastic. He had a great game."
Everett outgained Leominster, 233-198, for the game.
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