Football Teams - And Fans - Ready For Opening Night

By Eric Avidon and Chad Garner

Tonight the middle of the state -- in particular,
Leominster's Doyle Field and Fitchburg's Crocker Field --
will be the hub of the high school football universe in
Massachusetts.

Fitchburg, which beat Leominster on Thanksgiving in order to
play in last year's Super Bowl before losing to Longmeadow,
hosts traditional Eastern Mass. power Xaverian Brothers,
which beat Fitchburg in Westwood on opening night last
September.

"It's just an exciting time," said Fitchburg head coach Ray
Cosenza. "I don't know of anything better than Friday night
at a high school football game. For a lot of people in the
area, that's entertainment. People love to get out and watch
high school sports, specifically high school football. It is
exciting.

Leominster, which two years ago won the Central/Western
Mass. Division 1 Super Bowl and last year was beaten by
Fitchburg for the right to represent Central Mass. at
Springfield College, will host Everett High, which has won
the last three Eastern Mass. Division 1 Super Bowls and was
undefeated each year, including two wins over the Blue
Devils.

"It's always exciting to start the season," said Leominster
head coach John Dubzinski. "That never changes. The kids are
excited to start the season against a great team and I'm
excited to open at Doyle against a great team. "We look at
this game as an opportunity."

"You look at (to)night and we've got Fitchburg vs. Xaverian
and Leominster against Everett. Within a couple of miles of
each other, people can pick to see some pretty good
football. That's great for this area," Cosenza said.

Former Fitchburg High quarterback Jason Twomley, a 2001
graduate who is currently a senior at UMass-Amherst, has
fond memories of his football days with the Red Raiders.

"For the seniors it's the beginning of the end and it's
their last chance to play high school football," said
Twomley, who plans on attending Fitchburg's
home-opener. "People are in awe of the atmosphere and how
many students show up to the games. It's an experience like
no other.

"In the city of Fitchburg, everybody has their lights out at
home because everybody is at Crocker Field. They all come
out and cheer on the team."

But it's not just Fitchburg and Leominster that make North
Central Mass. a hotbed of high school football, particularly
tonight.

Four other local teams play at home tonight, with Lunenburg
hosting Murdock, Nashoba at home against Clinton, Gardner
going up against Hingham and North Middlesex Regional
hosting Dracut. And Saturday the football continues with
Monty Tech at home against Franklin County Voke and Oakmont
Regional hosting St. Peter-Marian.

"There's nothing like Friday night games in Central Mass.,"
said former North Middlesex Regional quarterback and 1996
graduate Scot Ruggles, who is currently the quarterbacks
coach at Central Conn. State. "The towns revolve around the
high school. There's something about playing under the
lights. There's nothing like high school football, because
it's pure."

Only St. Bernard's is on the road this weekend, playing at
nearby Holy Name of Worcester.

"The skill level, the quality of teams -- if I weren't
coaching, I would be somewhere every Friday night watching a
high school game," said Cosenza.


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