Fitchburg can't finish it
Cathedral ends Raiders' unbeaten run at 11 
Sunday, December 6, 1998

By Jennifer Toland
Telegram & Gazette Staff 

Cathedral 28 Fitchburg 21
WORCESTER --It took 12 games, but Fitchburg High finally met its match.
          The Red Raiders, who won 11 straight games this
year while dominating Central Mass. opponents, had their
dreams of an undefeated and Super Bowl championship season
dashed yesterday by Springfield Cathedral, a team with lofty
dreams of its own.
          Mike Buoniconti, Vin Buoniconti and Will Torres --
the stars of unbeaten Cathedral's three-back attack -- each
scored touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a 28-21 victory in
the Central-Western Mass. Division 1 Super Bowl at WPI's
Alumni Field.
         
 Cathedral finished 11-0 while Fitchburg finished 11-1.
          "It was a great season," Fitchburg coach Ray
Cosenza said. "They outplayed us. You have to give them
credit. It's tough to swallow, but I told my players if this
is the most disappointing moment they ever experience,
they're very fortunate. In time, they'll be able to put it
in perspective. After falling behind, we could have just
given up. I'm still very proud."
          The Red Raiders forged a furious fourth-quarter
comeback that fell short.  Trailing, 28-14, with just over
six minutes left, they moved all the way to the Cathedral
3-yard line before committing their second costly turnover
when defensive end Tim McQuade stripped the ball from Andy
LeBlanc, who was trying to power his way over the goal line.
          Fitchburg got the ball back once more and scored
on a 2-yard run by Dustin LeBlanc with 1:49 left, but the
Red Raiders' attempt to recover the ensuing onside kick
failed and Cathedral ran out the clock.
          Cathedral's 28 points were the most scored against
Fitchburg this season.  Likewise, the 21 put up by the Red
Raiders were the most yielded by the Panthers, whose defense
had allowed just 56 points all year entering yesterday's
game.
          The Panthers' defensive line provided few holes
for Fitchburg senior running backs Andy and Dustin LeBlanc,
who both rushed for well over 1,000 yards this season. Andy
was held to 22 yards in the first half, Dustin 30.
          Fitchburg did strike first, however, when
sophomore quarterback Jason Twomley completed a 28-yard
touchdown pass to Dallas Heckel in the right side of the end
zone with 9:38 to play in the first half.
          Senior David Masciarelli, hampered by a left hip
pointer the last four weeks, started but came out during
Fitchburg's second possession. He was brought down hard on a
face-mask penalty by Cathedral's Sam Scott and limped off
the field after reaggravating the injury. Twomley completed
14 of 22 passes for 173 yards.
          Cathedral wasted little time coming back, scoring
on its next possession when Mike Buoniconti (9 carries, 100
yards) scored from 15 yards out.
          With just over a minute to play in the first half,
Heckel intercepted a Lawlor pass at the Fitchburg 25. Two
Twomley passes moved the Red Raiders to the Cathedral
47. With 18 seconds to play, a Twomley pass intended for
Heckel was picked off by Lawlor, who ran up the right
sideline and into the end zone, putting Fitchburg in a very
unfamiliar position -- trailing at halftime, 14-7.
          "That hurt," Cosenza said. "But we still
had plenty of time to recover."
          After Cathedral scored on its first possession of
the second half on a 31-yard TD run by Torres, Andy LeBlanc
keyed Fitchburg's next scoring drive as the Red Raiders kept
it close. He picked up 42 yards during the 10-play, 78-yard
drive, which Twomley finished off with a 1-yard TD run.
          Andy LeBlanc finished with 61 yards on 24 carries,
well below his average of 124 yards a game. Dustin LeBlanc,
who suffered a separated left shoulder on the last play of
the third quarter, had 10 carries for 63 yards. He had
averaged 107 yards a game. Dustin did return to the game
just five plays after suffering the injury and scored the
game's final touchdown.
          "It's unbelievable he came back," Cosenza
said. "I feel for the seniors. Not to finish with a win
is tough."
          Cathedral went up, 28-14, on a 38-yard burst up
the middle by Vin Buoniconti.
          Cathedral, which last won a Super Bowl in 1991,
completed an amazing turn of events with yesterday's
victory. The Panthers were 1-8 just two years ago.
          "To go from the most abysmal feeling to walking
off the field as undefeated Super Bowl champions is
thrilling," said Cathedral coach Matt Ballard, a former
assistant at WPI. "It hasn't sunk in yet. These kids
suffered and they worked hard.  They've gone from being the
worst to the best."

Copyright 1998 Worcester Telegram & Gazette

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