Hawks Asack Raiders
Xaverian QB tosses three TD passes
By Chad Garner
cgarner@sentinelandenterprise.com

FITCHBURG -- Lights, camera, action.

The Xaverian Brothers High School football team put on quite
a show Friday night At Crocker Field to kick off the 2004
football season.

Backed by strong-armed senior quarterback Zachary Asack who
completed 11 of 17 passes for 170 yards and three
touchdowns, the Hawks went up 27-0 at halftime and cruised
to an easy 41-7 victory over Fitchburg High.

"We got beat in every facet of the game," said Fitchburg
coach Ray Cosenza.  "They are a very good team and they were
definitely better than us.  We have to get better but we will.
We're not going to panic.  We came out fairly healthy which
is the only plus I can come out of this with."

After Xaverian forced Fitchburg to punt on the opening
series of the game, the Hawks went right to work via a
deadly passing game.  Asack orchestrated a six play, 50 yard
drive by connecting on three passes -- the clincher a 4 yard
TD strick to Sean Fitzpatrick in the back of the end zone.

In the second quarter, Xaverian would find the end zone on
three consecutive possessions.

Starting at their own one after Chris Fox returned a punt 39
yards, the Hawks' Brian McDonough plunged in from one yard
out, giving the Hawks a 14-0 lead.

Asack, Xaverian rout Red RAiders in opener

After a Fitchburg punt, it only took Xaverian three plays to
claim a commanding 21-0 advantage.  Asack scampered 25 yards
down to the 13, and hit solid wideout Edward Sciaba on a
comeback route for a 13 yard TD.

The final score before the half came with 1:58 left as Asack
fired a bomb to Sciaba, who got behind the Red RAider
secondary for the 46 yard TD hookup.

"We played very well," said Xaverian coach Charlie
Stevenson. "We had some big plays and we executed. Asack's
a good one.  He had a great night."

Fitchburg's offense, which managed just four first downs in
the first half, had only 64 yards of total offense in the
half, compared to Xaverian's 196.

Xaverian marched 70 yards on 10 plays to open the third,
highlighted by a 7-yard TD run by Asack.  With 4:22 left in
the third, Mark Webber rumbled seven yards for another TD,
giving the Hawks a 41-0 lead.

Fitchburg broke up the shutout late in the third quarter,
however.  Full back Eldred Wright carried twice for 21
yards, while sophomore Brett Barrows added five carries for
14.  But the big play came on third down as quarterback
Brian Ricciuti lofted a pass near the sidelines to Josh
Mathieu, who made a sensational grab for a 25 yard pickup.
Barrows scampered in off the right side for the 4 yard TD
run.

Saverian outgained Fitdchburg, 330-156 in the game.

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