As has been the case the past few seasons, North Middlesex earned its biggest win of the season against Fitchburg. An up and down season reached a dramatic peak for the Patriots as they shocked the previously unbeaten Red Raiders, 28-14 at Crocker Field.
True to form in this series, the outcome wasn't sealed until Adam Woolacott turned a 32 yard intercepton return into his second touchdown of the game with 2:04 to play. Sophomore Andy Jatrab had the biggest night with 120 yards on 13 carries, including the 62 yard touchdown run that put the Patriots ahead to stay with 10:48 left in the game.
"They beat us up front," said Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza. "The absolute way I saw it is, they beat us up front. They had their way with us running the football. They deserve the credit."
Outside of Jastrab, the Patriots got yeoman work out of senior Jeff Greider (75 yards), Woollacott (58 yards) and sophomore Matt Jeannotte (52 yards). Meanwhile, they wer abot to shut down Fitchburg's running attack to the tune of only 126 yards. "They've come together and worked hard. The kids believed in themselves," Margarita said.
North MIddlesex came out firing and took the lead twice in the first three quarters, but Fitchburg answered both times. When senior quarterback Devin Gates scored on a sneak from 13 yards, the Red Raiders had a 14-13 lead with a minute to go in the third quarter.
But Jastrab came up with the big play three plays later. On the opening snap of the fourth period, Jastrab tucked the ball in and swept around the left side. Getting past the defense, Jastrab never stopped until he got into the end zone for a 62 yard touchdown run, giving the Pats a 21-14 lead with 10:48 to go. "It was an option to the left, and Mr. Mararita said for Mark Hill to come in and take out the outside linebacker," Jastrab said. "He was gone and I cut up the middle, and it was off to the races."
The biggest play was yet to come, though, after Fitchburg (7-1-1) forced a North Middlesex punt to the 28 with 2:13 left. But on the first play, as Gates again tried to find Roy, Woollacott stepped in front of the pass and raced 32 yards down the right sideline for the clinching score. "I knew that play was coming. I was supposed to key on Roy, I was there at the right time," Woollacott said.
Woollacott had given the Pats a 7-0 lead with 1:49 left in the first half capping a 12 play deive with a 10 yard burst up the middle on fourth down. But Fitchburg, which had its best chance of the half stall on downs at the 6, responded when Gates hit Robbie Seguin with a quick dump over the middle and Seguin went 64 yards. Roy's conversion run sent the Raiders into the locker room with an 8-7 lead.
The Fitchburg offense suffered a blow, however, when senior Ricky Morales left the game late in the half with a apparent illness. Morales had just 9 yards on 5 carries.
"We know they were banged up," Margarita said. "Morales went down, and you hate to see that."
"We're not going to make excuses. That's what happens in football," Cosenza said.
North Middlesex used another long drive to take the lead to start the second half, a dozen plays and 72 yards capped by Jeannotte's 3 yard run. A couple of runs by Roy (11 carries, 60 yards), a big completion from Gates to Sequin on third down, and a pair of runs by Gates (9 carries, 55 yards) had the Raders back on top heading into the final 11 minutes.
But thanks to Jatrab, Fitchburg's last lead wuld be shortlived. "When we had to, we couldn't stop them," Cosenza said.