8 years ago... 
Leominster stunned nation's best
Thursday, October 29, 1998

Editor's note: Many will argue which is the greatest high
school football game ever played in the Montachusett Region,
but Leominster-Brockton 10 years ago ranks near the top of
everyone's list. The Blue Devils were tops in Central Mass.,
but the Boxers reigned the nation. The following is a look
back to how the game was reported in the Sentinel
&Enterprise 10 years ago today, Oct. 29, 1988.

By Chris Daly
Sports Editor

LEOMINSTER -- The king is dead. Long live the king.

Leominster High laid claim to the top high school football
ranking in country by defeating Brockton in convincing
fashion, 27-12, before a crowd of 11,000 at a noisy and
jubilant Doyle Field Friday night.

The Blue Devils entered the game unbeaten and rated first in
Central Mass., while the Boxers carried a 26-game winning
streak and USA Today's blessing as the top team in the
nation.

Brockton coach Armond Colombo praised the Blue Devils
 for a job well done.

"They played great football and we didn't," he said. "I'm
glad a Massachusetts team is the team that beat us. They
played very aggressively and we didn't do the things we
usually do, but that's what happens when you don't win."

This was a game for the ages, ranking with the greatest in
Leominster High history. Leominster saw a great opportunity
and seized upon it.

"We went into this feeling that they were No. 1 and we were
950," said Leominster High coach John Dubzinski, whose club
ran its record to 7-0. "We felt that this was the perfect
situation to be in. They're No. 1. They had won 26 in a
row. It's so hard to keep that thing going. We had
everything going in our favor. It was our last home game,
the last home game for the seniors, a big crowd. We figured
if we could get out to a good start we had a shot."

And they did get off to a good start, breaking out the gate
fast by scoring 15 unanswered points. Senior fullback Brian
Picucci set the tone for Leominster by receiving the
Brockton kickoff from Jim Butler and returning it 25 yards
to his own 47.

It was an omen of things to come from Brockton, as Picucci
had a superb game, rushing a game-high 109 yards on 15
carries. Defensively he made 10 tackles, and assisted on
several others from his safety position.

The Blue Devils began by treating Brockton's highly touted
defensive line with little respect, as Leominster
consistently chewed up yardage, driving 53 yards for a
touchdown with almost eight minutes left in the first
quarter.

Picucci burst up the middle for 18 yards on the game's
second play to get the LHS offense in gear. Paced by the
rushing of Picucci and Jason Caouette (18 carries, 91
yards), Leominster cut through the Brockton defense. After a
nine-yard Picucci run to the Brockton 1-yard line, Spinelli
took it in from there.

Then Dubzinski pulled a bit of trickery by making it look as
though Picucci would attempt the extra-point kick. Instead,
Picucci took a pitch and cut off left end for the conversion
and Leominster was quickly ahead, 8-0.

Credit Leominster's offensive line for meeting the
challenge. Tight end Chris Cutter, right tackle Steve
LeBlanc, right guard Gary Fitzgerald, center Grant Thomas,
left tackle John Carr, left tackle Jim Gingras, and split
end Jim Kartanos can all take a bow.

Enter the Leominster defense, with defensive ends Dave
Gendron, Frank Iacaboni, and Steve Santucci, tackles Daryl
Robichaud and Fitzgerald, nose guard Craig Martin,
linebackers Rick Caponi and Jason Carr, and the secondary of
Dough Derry, Dave Proietti, Rusty Frederick and
Picucci. They, too, met the challenge.

Dubzinski had said the matchup between the Brockton
offensive line and Leominster's defensive line would perhaps
be the key to the game, and the Leominster defense made a
statement from the outset. It was three plays and out for
the Boxers.

Once again, the Blue Devils proved they could move the ball
against the Boxers on their next possession, marching 87
yards to score again. Picucci again sparked the drive,
bursting through the line for a 44-yard gain to the Brockton
35. Cornerback Jay McGillis made a touchdown-saving tackle,
showing sprinters speed.

Three plays later, Spinelli went to the air, connecting with
Santucci, who caught a pass that was deflected by a nearby
defender. Santucci grabbed it and Gendron added the extra
point and suddenly the Blue Devils were ahead, 15-0, to the
delight of the Leominster crowd.

After that play, Dubzinski thought it might be Leominster's
night. "Last year, when we played down there, they dropped
the ball four times and every time it bounced right back to
them. We felt we were due for a few breaks."

But it was Brockton that got a break that would lead to the
Boxers' first touchdown. An errant Leominster pitch from
Spinelli was recovered by the Boxers at the Leominster
9. Halfback Rudy Harris ran off right end to score from the
8, but Fitzgerald stopped Harris cold on the 2-point
conversion attempt to leave it at 15-6 with 31 seconds left
in the first quarter.

Harris gained 103 yards on 18 carries, but Leominster made
him work for everything he got. Darnell Campbell, was held
to 64 yards on 12 carries.

The Boxers struck back to tighten the game further, driving
82 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. A
47-yard pass play from quarterback Bob Zurinskas to split
end Steve Marciano and a 25-yard Campbell run were key plays
in the drive, which was capped by a two-yard run by
Campbell. Butler failed to convert on the kick, leaving it a
15-12.

Things looked grim for the Blue Devils after Harris' punt
pinned Leominster back at its own 3 early in the third
quarter. One sensed that this would be where the game was
won or loss. Not only did Leominster break out of the danger
zone, but it marched 97 yards to score with Caouette, who
had 66 second half yards, rushing through the heart of the
Brockton defense for a 12-yard TD run. Spinelli's run for
the conversion failed, but the Leominster crowd could smell
victory and was turning up the noise level.

The Blue Devils didn't allow the LHS fans to quiet down
much, as senior cornerback Berry stepped in front of a
Zurinskas pass and then outran the Brockton quarterback to
score, giving Leominster a commanding 27-12 lead with 39
seconds left in the third quarter.

There was no question that Leominster was not to be
denied. Leominster's defense shutout Brockton in the second
half, just as they had done at Rocky Marciano Stadium a year
ago. Only this time the Devils were lead at halftime.

As the crowd streamed onto the field, one second remained on
the clock. It was a moment frozen in time that Leominster
fans won't soon forget.



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