"Whenever you have five turnovers and win the game, you are very fortunate," said Fitchburg coach Ray Cosenza. "We have battled three excellent teams and we are thrilled to be 2-0-1."
"Our defense really was outstanding but our offense didn't do their job. We have to get better on offense," added Cosenza. "When we needed it though, our offense found a way to win. Our defense was really the key, especially Freddie Robinson. He has been unbelievable for us on defense through three games. I don't know how many tackles he had today but he had 16 in each of the first two."
Fitchburg trailing 13-12 midway through the fourth quarter, capitalized on the Hawks' second fumble of the half to take the lead for good. After taking over on their own 47-yard line, the Red Raiders marched into the end zone in just seven plays, taking over six minutes of the clock.
Chris Roy and Ricky Morales shared the ball carrying duties for the first six plays but it was Devin Gates' 16-yard option right that gave the visitors the lead with just over two minutes to play. Roy's run on the conversin play was stuffed by a host of Scarlet Hawks at the goal line.
Fitchburg jumped out to an early sixpoint lead midway throught the first quarter. Morales capped a three-play drive with a 5-yard run. Chris Roy set up the score with a 45-yard scamper up the middle on the first play of the drive. Tom Embeley's PAT sailed wide.
Milford tied the game three minutes later, taking advantage of the Red Raiders' first turnover of the game. Jeff Kenny picked off Gates' second pass of the game at the Red Raider 40 and returned it all the way to the 2-yard line. Kenny finished the job on the first play, taking the ball in unmolested. The Hawks conversion pass fell incomplete to leave the score knotted at 6.
MIlford took the first lead of the game on the last play of the third quarter as Kenny capped a three yard drive with a 4-yard plunge. The score was set up by a Fitchburg fumble on their own 13-yard line.