Historic Fenway Park has seen the likes of such giants as Babe Ruth, Carl Yastrzemski, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Tim Wakefield. Last Wednesday night, the historic 143rd football game between rivals Leominster and Fitchburg had the chance to bathe in the light of the Citgo sign and the shadow of the Green Monster as Fenway hosted the Turkey Day Classic on Yawkey Way.
The League A Champion Leominster Blue Devils beat the Fitchburg Red Raiders in a lopsided victory at Fenway that ended with a score of 59-7.
The teams have been competing for over 128 years, making it one of the oldest rivalries in the nation. Leominster leads the series.
The first touchdown was on the Blue Devils’ first play of the game when LHS Sophomore Osiris Lopez threw a deep ball downfield to LHS Sophomore Ryan Ricker for a 72-yard touchdown. From there the team did not take their foot off the gas as they rolled to a 39-0 lead by the end of the first half.
Coming back from halftime, Blue Devil Senior Jaden Jenkins went on to score on a Fitchburg turnover putting Leominster up 53-7 at the end of the third quarter.
By the time the play clock hit zero, Fitchburg had only managed to score one touchdown in the third.
When asked how it felt to play at Fenway, Senior Captain Braden Martin said, “It felt surreal. Being able to play my final game on Fenway was the greatest experience I could have asked for.”
“It was an unreal experience stepping out on the field that isn’t normally a football field,” Senior Captain Tyler Witzgall said. “Playing in this game and making history in doing so was so surreal. It was something that not many people get to experience doing but being able to play football at Fenway Park is something I never thought we, as a team, would be able to do. I’m glad my football career ended with playing our rivalry game at Fenway.”
The team worked incredibly hard throughout the whole season to have the winning record they achieved.
Senior Captain Anthony Kendall said, “As I came out of the locker room and took my first steps onto the field, my stomach dropped. Seeing the Leominster v. Fitchburg scoreboard on the jumbotron, and the amplified crowd noise made me a little nervous to be honest. Once I ran out of the tunnel and onto our sideline, the nerves stopped. I blocked out all the noise and just played my game. As we scored touchdowns, celebrating with the crowd roaring was the best feeling of my life. Being able to say I played my last high school football game at Fenway Park is truly something to remember”.
Pictured from left Braden Martin, Tyler Witzgall, Anthony Kendall, Dominic Swaine (Victoria Miele)
It wasn’t just a big night for the football team, the Leominster Marching Blue Devils were also able to share the memorable night by being able to perform Fenway’s crowd favorite song “Sweet Caroline” on the field during halftime along with the Red Raider’s band.
Talya Crowden, a Sophomore in LHS recalls the performance, “The night at Fenway was an amazing experience. Being a part of the Marching Blue Devils, I was so excited to step foot on the field and play for an amazing community.”
Blue Devil fans filled 4 buses and had a lot to say about the ambiance at Fenway as well.
“The Fenway game was a great experience for me because I got to see our football team win at a historic park and I spent the night there with my best friend which was really fun,” Sophomore Gianna Tucker said.
The Blue Devils were one of 8 teams to play in the Fenway classic, closing the series on Wednesday night at 7 pm.
