Raiders learning the hard way
By Rick Eggleston
Correspondent

WEST ROXBURY -- It wasn't the stirring, season opening
shocker that the Fitchburg High football team was hoping
for.

Because had the Red Raiders come out and toppled Eastern
Mass. strength Xaverian atop the artificial playing surface
at Catholic Memorial High School on Saturday, that's exactly
what it would've been -- a stunning, perhaps season-defining
triumph on just the first day of the schoolboy football
season.

Instead, however, it was the Hawks who served notice that
they'll be a force to be reckoned with in thesse parts this
season, soaring to a 30-0 win over the Raiders, who watched
their rookie quarterback sophomore Raymond Earley get his
feet wet in his first varsity start.

Meanwhile, Earley's older brother -- junior tailback William
-- checked in with a 20-carry, 102 -yard effort.

And as decisive as the shutout may have appeared on the
scoreboard, it wasn't all that bad for Fitchburg, which
trailed the vaunted Hawks just 16-0 at halftime.

"We were fortunate to be down only 16 at the half," noted
FHS head coach Ray Cosenza.  "We just weren't able to change
the momentum in the second half.  We made too many
mistakes."

That against a team polished as the Hawks spelled certain
doom for the Raiders, as Xaverian junior quarterback Zach
Asack threw the ball for 91 yards, including a 23 yard
touchdown toss to senior wide receiver John Barder that put
the game away for good with 8:05 remaining in the third
quarter.  The one play strick came on the heeels of a
Fitchburg jumble, and after the Hawks opened the second half
with a crisp, 8 play 65 yard march capped by senior running
back Matt Kelliher's (17 carries for 127 yards and three
touchdowns) 1 yard TD run and catch of an Asack conversion
pass for a 24-0 lead.

"We got beat in every aspect of the game today -- on
offense, defense and special teams," Cosenza said.
"Xaverian came out ready to play."

Initially, so did the Raiders, who despite allowing Xaverian
to score on its first offensive series -- a 19 yard TD run
up the right side by Kelliher on third down -- held back the
Hawks offense on their next two possessions, forcing them to
punt and then getting the ball back again on a nifty
interception by junior Matt Thibeault with 4:01 to go in
the first quarter.  The Raiders' momentum push was short
lived, however, as Xaverian's Dan O'Shea recovered a FHS
fumble that four plays later saw Barker boot a 27 yard field
goal for a 10-0 edge.

The Raiders opened the second quarter with the ball, and,
behind solid gains by William Earley and a 5 yard reception
by senior Matt Vieira, pushed the ball into Xaverian
territory for the first time, before being forced to punt on
fourth down.  Fitchburg's defense -- led by Joe Golden,
Anthony Murray, John Fanelli, Matt Lamey, Rayan Meehan,
Gumba Payton, Kyle Scachetti, David Garay, TJ Loughlin, Sean
Thomas, Deashawn Perkins and Adam Wouti -- got the ball back
on a fumble recovery by Scachetti to set up first down at
the FHS 28.

But the Hawks'defense -- limiting the Raiders to just 40
yards of total offense in the first half -- stepped up
again, and swiftly returned the favor when Boston College
bound back Keith Willis pounced on a loose ball at the FHS
44.  Asack and the Hawks went to work from there, manning an
impressive eight-play touchdown drive capped by Kelliher's 7
yard run up the middle.  Barker missed the extra point, but
he Hawks led 16-0 at the break.

"We mad too many mistakes with the ball," Cosenza said.  
"We coughed it up at some key times when we shouldn't have."

Fitchburg closed out the third quarter and went into the
fourth with its best offensive series of the day, marching
the ball out to the Xaverian 26 before turning the ball over
on downs.

 Fitchburg High School Athletics and Competition Home Page