Everett too much for Devils
By Eric Avidon 
eavidon@sentinelandenterprise.com

EVERETT - Leominster is the defending Central/Western
Mass. Division 1 Super Bowl champion, but going up against
Everett High - which was undefeated last season and won the
Eastern Mass. Division 1 championship - the Blue Devils were
underdogs.

It showed as the Crimson Tide downed Leominster 35-13 in the
season-opening game for both defending champions.

By going head-to-head with the team many consider to be the
best in all of Massachusetts, the Blue Devils, who know they
are among the best teams in Central Mass., found out where
they stand overall in the state. They found out that they
are not quite in the elite class of a team like Everett.

But another thing Leominster did by challenging the best was
to better prepare to go up against the best of Central
Mass. The theory goes that a team can't improve by playing
inferior opponents and must move up in the class of
competition in order to get better. The Blue Devils did
that, and when good teams like rival Fitchburg come calling
later in the season, Leominster won't be caught off guard by
anything it sees.

"We like to play the best teams that we can play," said
Leominster head coach John Dubzinski. "I have the philosophy
that playing against a team like this is going to help us
down the road somewhere. We played against some great kids
today."

Everett jumped ahead 14-0 in the first quarter and led 28-7
at halftime behind the passing of quarterback Matt Nuzzo and
the running of Frank Nuzzo and Tom Lam, but in the second
half Leominster fought back.

On the opening drive of the second half the Blue Devils
notched their second and third first downs of the game, but
were forced to punt. On Everett's first play from scrimmage,
however, Theluxon Pierre fumbled and Ryan Rendon recovered
the ball for Leominster on the Everett 15-yard line.

The Blue Devils took seven plays to move the 15 yards, but
on fourth and goal from the nine-yard line, senior
quarterback Chris Swart hit Adam Cordio in the end zone to
cut the Everett lead to 28-13.

Leominster had a chance to get even closer early in the
fourth quarter, but on the seventh play of a drive that
started at its own 44-yard line, the Blue Devils were
intercepted in the end zone on a halfback option pass, which
set up Everett's fifth and final touchdown of the game.

"I thought we played a lot better - I don't know if we were
tentative or nervous coming in here - but I thought our kids
played a great second half," said Dubzinski. "I told the
kids that we have something to build on now. We were very
pleased. We're disappointed that we lost the game, but we
saw a lot of positives coming out of this."

In his first game as Leominster's starting quarterback,
Swart connected on two of seven passing attempts for 44
yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

"I thought he did a great job," said Dubzinski. "I think he
was a little nervous starting out but I thought he threw
some nice passes and was very pleased with him."

Meanwhile, the backfield of Cordio, Anthony Bizzotto and
Rendon combined to rush 25 times for 116 yards, including 16
times for 98 yards in the second half.

"I thought all three of the kids ran very well. I was very
pleased with our offense in the second half," said
Dubzinski.

While Leominster got rolling a bit in the second half,
Everett owned the first 22 minutes. In fact, in the first
two quarters, the Crimson Tide ran 44 plays to just 17 for
the Blue Devils. Matt Nuzzo connected on seven of 13 passes
before the intermission for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He
added one completion in the second half for 32 yards.

The running attack, meanwhile, combined for 110 yards in the
first half and another 110 in the second half.

"We didn't run the ball as well as we like to run the ball,"
said Everett head coach John DiBiaso, Jr. "They were tough
on defense and they put 10 guys in the box, so they forced
us to pass the ball. I thought our quarterback and our
receivers responded. Our receivers made some great catches.

"Being able to pass the ball with Matt allows us to open up
some other things and then we were able to run the ball."

DiBiaso added that while his team won handily, he wasn't
completely satisfied with the effort.

"We're not happy with the penalties and the turnovers, but
it's understandable because it's the first game of the
year," he said. "I was pleased we were able to put 35 points
on the board, but on the other hand I was upset that we
fumbled the ball and had an interception, which are things
we normally don't do. Hopefully we'll iron it out during the
week.

"The good part is that we came away with a win against a
quality opponent."

Leominster, which later in the season plays additional
Eastern Mass. Powers B.C. High and Brockton, will try to
even its record next week at North Middlesex Regional.

Fitchburg High School Athletics and Competition Home Page