By Mike Leonard
WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Blame it on the full orange moon. Or maybe on Friday the 13th.
Whatever the cause, Clark Field was the scene of a fast, furious, and downright exhausting high school football game decided in the last nine seconds where the visiting Red Raiders of Fitchburg outlasted the West Springfield Terriers, 35-28.
What will be remembered most by the boisterous gathering will be the never-ending line of yellow flags from start to finish.
Officials penalized the two teams a combined 38 times totaling 303 yards (190 on Fitchburg, 113 on West Side).
While the infractions created a wave of frustration on both sidelines and throughout the stands, the two schools combined for over 740 yards total offense and a frenetic final five minutes leading to a fantastic finish.
Trailing 28-20 with 4:51 remaining, the Terriers were gifted great field position at the Red Raiders 40 when 33 yards in penalties pinned the visitors deep in their own territory forcing a short punt.
A diving catch for 11 yards by Aidan Landers from junior quarterback Ryan Russell (14 of 27, 225 yards, three touchdowns) brought the ball to the 24. However, three straight flags against the Terriers pushed them all the way back to the 49. Included in that trio of infractions was an offensive pass interference negating a 30-yard completion.
After an offsides penalty against Fitchburg and an incomplete pass, Russell launched a beauty of a release to the speedy Chris McMahon to 20. On the next snap, Fitchburg was cited for pass interference in the end zone moving the rock to the five yard line. Russell then connected with Ben Green on a quick slant for the touchdown (28-26). The two-point conversion was a lightning-quick strike from Russell to Alex Cunningham in heavy traffic to force the tie at 2:19.
Fitchburg, which pounded out 480 yards rushing, refused to panic and unleashed another volley on the ground behind splendid sophomore Anthony Oquendo (22 carries, 233 yards, three touchdowns). On the decisive 75-yard march, Fitchburg rolled through the West Side defense on carries of 13 and 22 yards by Dunkin Poytress (6 carries /51 yards), and Oquendo (12 and 20 yards).
A face mask penalty against West Side put the rock at the six with 27.5 seconds to go. Oquendo scored what appeared to be the winning touchdown on the next play. But a holding penalty moved the ball back to the 16 and quarterback Montgomery Graham (9 carries/95 yards, two touchdowns) connected on just his second pass of the night, a nine yarder to fullback Devon Barisano (16 seconds).
On a sweep right, Oquendo reached the pylon before the wave of defenders for his third touchdown with 9.3 seconds remaining. Kicker Justin Comesana drilled his fifth straight extra point and the celebration on the Fitchburg sideline began.
West Side lead at the half, 20-14.
Chris McMahon electrified the partisan crowd on the opening kick by sprinting 90 yards to pay dirt. McMahon watched the ball bounce away from him on the kick, calmly picked it up, cut into the middle, and then shot untouched down the right seam for the 6-0 lead.
Fitchburg answered late in the quarter when the slippery Graham wiggled and waggled on a 25-yard keeper to pay dirt to complete a seven play, 72 yard drive.
McMahon continued his specials team playmaking when he recovered a fumble on a Fitchburg punt at the 30 early in period two. West Side pushed the rock to the one but fumbled on third and goal, forsaking a golden opportunity to cash in.
The Terriers forged ahead on Russell’s 22-yard completion to older brother Mike Russell (5 catches/66 yards) in the left corner of the end zone on their next series. A perfect dart from Russell to Green for the two-points followed, handing them a 14-7 advantage at the 3:41 mark.
Fitchburg’s response came less than a minute later when Oquendo burst through the line and raced untouched down the right sideline for a 70 yard six-pointer and a 14-14 deadlock.
However, the Red Raiders were forced to kick-off from their own 25 due to a 15-yard penalty assessed after Oquendo’s touchdown. West Side was back in business at the Fitchburg 45. On the sixth play, Russell found Cunningham all by himself in the middle of the end zone from 11 yards and the 20-14 edge at the half.
Before all the craziness in those last few minutes of the fourth quarter, Fitchburg imposed its will on the West Side defense on a 10-play ground and pound drive that consumed 79 yards to open the second half. Graham’s one-yard keeper climaxed the ball control march and Comesana’s kick lifted the visitors to the 21-20 lead.
A short Terriers punt of 18 yards late in the third quarter placed the Red Raiders offense at midfield. On the second snap of period four, Oquendo exploded up the gut en route to a 36-yard six-pointer to expand the visitors advantage to 28-20.