By Michael James LeClair

Last Wednesday night the Lunenburg football team put the finishing touches on its 2011 season when it hosted annual Thanksgiving rival St. Bernard's.
    The meeting marked the 15th time these two rivals have faced off the night before Thanksgiving and for the second year in a row the Blue Knights walked off the field victorious hammering the Bernardians 48-25.
     The St. Bernard's (4-6) were unable to avenge last year’s loss, a game in which the Blue Knights cruised an easy 42-22 win. With the win the Blue Knights finish the campaign with a 3-8 record and end a five-game losing streak.

Entering the game the visiting Bernardians boasted the leading rusher in all of Central Mass. in Cody Titus. The senior running back entered Wednesday's game with just over 1,800 yards on the season and 20 rushing touchdowns. Titus battled through an injury to compete against Lunenburg finishing with 168 yards rushing on 19 carries and four touchdowns however it wasn’t enough.
    Blue Knights senior running back Josh Trainque was just a little better, turning in a big night on his way to 242 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Trainque was named offensive MVP for his efforts in Wednesday night’s game. Lunenburg quarterback Tyler Mathews also had a solid evening. The mobile signal caller racked up 105 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
    The two squads traded touchdowns in the first quarter. First it was Titus from 13 yards out with 8:40 remaining and then Mathews found paydirt from 31 yards away with 6:30 showing. Both kickers were successful on the extra point attempt as St. Bernard’s Sean Maki and Trainque split the uprights.
    Lunenburg took a 14-13 lead into halftime. Both teams again found the end zone in the second quarter. Titus gave the visitors a temporary lead with a two-yard run early in the stanza before Trainque knotted the score at 13 with a 20-yard touchdown run with two minutes left. Trainque then tacked on the extra point, something Maki failed to do on the earlier Bernardians score and the home team enjoyed a one-point lead heading into intermission.      
    In the second half it was all Lunenburg as the Knights outscored St. Bernard’s 34-12 during the final two quarters. The Blue Knights opened a 28-13 lead after three quarters thanks to a pair rushing touchdowns during the 11-minute stanza. Harrison Arciprete and Sean Cooney each took turns crossing the goal line, Arciprete from 11 yards out with 7:39 showing on the scoreboard and Cooney with 1:28 to play. Trainque hit both extra point attempts in the quarter.
    Titus and the Bernardians chipped away with a touchdown in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, a 25-yard run to inch within 28-20 but the two-point conversion was stopped.
        That was as close as St. Bernard’s could get the rest of the way as the Blue Knights offense went back on the attack and put the game away with three of the next four touchdowns.
    Two more scores by Trainque and one by T.J Curran put the contest on ice as the Blue Knights ended a frustrating season with a solid win.
        After the game an offensive and defensive MVP award was given out to both teams. Along with Trainque receiving the offensive award Nate Long was awarded the defensive award for his stellar play all evening long.