FHS gets tough, topples Oakmont
By Jim Clark
Sports Editor
FITCHBURG - They're not related, even if they share
the same last name, and the same type of game. "We're the
'Bash Brothers,'"said junior fullback Dustin LeBlanc of he
and his Fitchburg High backfield mate, junior Andy LeBlanc,
who have been punishing opponents with their ground work the
last month or so.
Never was that more evident than in the fourth quarter
FRiday night at CRocker Field. In a pure display of power
football, each scored a touchdown in the final eight minutes
as the Red Raiders rallied for a 21-14 win overf Oakmont.
It was Dustin LeBlanc's score with 15 seconds to play that
finally put the Red Raiders (5-2) over the top, closing out
a game that had the visiting Spartans doing their share of
bruising running at times.
In fact, the Spartans controlled the play up front for much
of the first half, despite takng a 7-6 deficit in the locker
room, and took a 14-7 lead on Jimbo Witzgall's 36-yard
touchdown run late in the third quarter.
"At the half, we told the kids if they don't start playing
up front, we're in trouble," said FHS coach Ray Cosenza.
"The second half we started playing much better on defense,
and the offensive line started getting after it."
What resulted were a pair of 11 play drives, neither doing
much more than running between the tackles. LeBlanc, or
LeBlanc? NO. 45 in you program, or 40? Both were getting
the job done.
"We had to pick it up," Dustin LeBlanc said. "They went
ahead, but the line picked it up and started blowing people
off the ball."
"The line's been doing a great job this year," Andy LeBlanc
added. "We're just folling them."
So with Matt Bourgault, Matt Hudwon, B.J.Keenan, P.J.Roy,
John Rodger and Rob Seguin leading the way, the Raiders
started to take control. Dustin set the tone with a 22-yard
burst up the middle, just caught from behind by Justin
Astor, and Andy had a key 12-yard gain on second down after
a procedure penalty.
The Spartans nearly got a break when, on third-and-three
from the 14, quarterback David Masciarelli fumbled the snap,
but it was ruled that he was down before the ball squirted
loose and Oakmont recovered. Andy LeBlanc got the first
down on the next play, then three plays later scored from
the 2. Zack Sicard's extra point tied it at 14-14 with 7:27
left.
Raiders push past Spartans
At that point, it was looking like the last team with the
ball was in good shape. Oakmont (3-3) was capable of
running the clock, as it did on a couple of occasions in
last week's win over St. Peter-Marian, but the Raiders
stiffened and forced a punt, taking over at their own 41
with 5:28 left.
"We just couldn't get the ball back in the second half,"
said Oakmont coach Doug White. "Their line took over the
game in the second half."
The LeBlancs continued their power play, with a slight twist
on a key third-and-four when Andy took a nice pitch from
Masciarelli for 10 yards and a first down. Finally, it was
Dustin LeBlanc getting the call from the 3-yard line,
bulling over in typical fashion for the winning score.
"Again, it was just a matter of the people up front getting
after it a little," Cosenza said. "Dustin LeBlanc and Andy
LeBlanc did a great job running the football."
Andy finised with a game-high 140 yards on 22 carries, while
Dustin chipped in with his workmanlike 77 yards on 15
rushes. That was all but 24 yards of Fitchburg's total
offense.
"They came out and just outweighed us and went right at it,
hard-nosed football," White said.
The start was a much differnt story, Fitchburg using the
big play after Sicard hit an Oakmont lineman with the squib
kick and recovered it himself. After a 13-yard completion
from Masciarelli to Tom snow, Andy LeBlanc broke free for a
38-yard score and a quick 7-0 lead.
But that would be the best of Fitchburg's first half
offenses, the Spartans getting strong defensive play from
Brendan Sullivan (10 tackles) and Bob Burrage, among others.
Meanwhile, the spartans had their own power going wih Jimbo
Witzgall (9 carries, 119 yards), Tom Roy and Nick Schulz
setting up Chris Shank's 20-yard touchdown pass to Steve
Anderson in the back of the end zone. The kick missed,
however, allowing Fitchburg to hold the slim lead at
halftime.
Two big plays
But Oakmont would take the lead late in the third quarter,
moments after stoping FHS on downs at the 20. Despite a
holding penalty on the first play, the Spartans got a pair
of big runs from Witzgall, who broke one for 52 yards into
Raider territory and then scored two plays later on a
similar play. Shank's conversion run made it 14-7 and
stunned the Raiders a bit.
"Give Oakmont tremendous credit," Cosenza said. "They
dominated the first half. They took the whole frst half to
us and beat us up front."
But Oakmont ran only five plays the rest of the way as
Fitchburg was making its comeback, led by the defensive
effort of Sesguin (11 tackles), the LeBlancs, Jeremy
Saucier, Steve Bean and Keith Leavitt.
"Keith Leavitt really picked his game up in the second half,"
Cosenza said.
"Our kids played tough, their kids played tough," White
said. "We didn't give up. We needed the big play and we
couldn't get it."