Unbeaten Raiders clinch Super Bowl berth
 
By Dave Nordman 
Sports Editor
 
Fitchburg -- The 'Burg is back -- in the Super Bowl,
that is.

The Red Raiders (9-0) rolled past 5-3-1 North Middlesex,
26-0, Friday night before 1,500 chilled fans at Crocker
Field.

The win guaranteed Fitchburg its seventh Division 1 Super
Bowl berth in the last eight years.  The win also helped the
Red Raiders erase memories of two straight losses to the
Patriots.

Fitchburg is ranked eighth in New England by NESN (The New
England Sports Network).  The Red Raiders are listed fifth
in Massachusetts by the regional cable service behind
Everett, Bridgewater-Rynham, Xaverian and Springfield
Cathedral.

The Red Raiders got off to a very inauspicious start.
Filling in for the injured Dave Masciarelli (hip pointer),
sophomore quarterback Jason Twomley saw his first pitch of
the game sail out of the reach of Andy LeBlanc, who fell on
it for a nine-yard loss.  That first drive ended two plays
later with a Zack Sicard 34-yard punt.

More than made up for it
 
However, Twomley more than made up for it on the Red
Raiders' next possession.  AFter a North Middlesex punt,
Twomley capped an 11 play, 10 yard drive by calling his own
number on first down from the Patriots' 20 yard line.

Rolling to his left, Twomley looked for Tom Snow in the back
of the end zone, but the senior wide receiver was well
covered.  After a quick pump fake, Twomley calmly tucked the
ball under his right arm and sprinted untouched into the
left corner of the end zone.  Sicard's point-after kick with
9:23 left in the second quarter gave Fitchburg all the
points it would need.

"It was intended for a roll out pass and I had the open lane
and Dustin (LeBlanc) and Tom (Snow) made great blocks for me."

On the game, Twomley completed 4 of 6 passses for 70 yards.
he also ran five times for 75 yards.

Only a pophomore
 
"Jason's only a sophomore, and this was probably the
toughest game for him to start with, but he led our team
tonight,"  said Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza.  "Everyone
responded to him.  I can't say enough about what a great
job he did."

Fitchburg threatened to pad its lead on its next trip down
field, but saw its drive stall at the Patriots' 15.  On
fourth and four, Andy LeBlanc took Twomley's pitch and
rambled off right tackle, but was stopped just short of a
first down by Patriots' linebacker Brian Bigwood.

Dustin LeBlanc led all first half rushers with 90 yards on
seven carries.  He finished with 102 yards on 10 carries.
Andy LeBlanc also rushed seven times before intermission,
picking up 32 yards.

While Andy LeBlanc was held in check through the first half
-- his longest run was just 12 yards -- it didn't take him
long to explode in the second.  On the first play from
scrimmage, the speedy tail back snuck through the center of
the line and raced 67 yards down the right sideline for the
Red Raiders' second touchdown.  he finished with 132 yards
on 14 carries.  Sicard's kick sailed wide right as the score
remained 13-6.

But it didn't stay that way for long.  After three straight
punts -- one by Fitchburg and two by the North Middlesex --
the Red Raiders made it 19-0 on an 11 yard touchdown pass
from Twomley to senior tight end Andy Roy.  Towmley's
conversion run was stopped short of the goal line.

"At first I was nervous," Twomley said.  "But once I got
into a rhythm, I was fine.  I give my teammates all the
credit.  They just did a great job tonight."

35-yard keeper by Twomley
Following a 35-yard keeper by Twomley and a 19-yard run by
Andy LeBlanc, Twomley took a three-step drop and tossed a
perfect spiral to Roy, standing all alone in the back of the
end zone.  The touchdown was the first of Roy's career.

"Andy's the type of kid you don't hear much about," Cosenza said.
"He just does an unbelievable job blockijng.  He's always on the field,
he plays offense, special teams.  He does it all for us."

Still nursing a knee injury he suffered against St. John's
three weeks ago, Noth Middlesex quarterback Andy Jastrab
appeared to have gotten the Patriots on the board with 7
minutes left in the game, but his 26-yard touchdown run was
called a back on a holding penalty.  Two plays later
Jastrab's third down throw was intercepted by Saul Sicard
at the 10.

Dustin LeBlanc closed out the scoring for the Red Raiders,
plunging over the top from 3 yards out with 2:11 left.
Sicard's kick accounted for the final score, 26-0.


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