Franklin Tech quarterback Tyler Yetter throws a pass against McCann Tech on Friday in Turners.
STAFF PHOTO/JEFF LAJOIE
The two local football teams that reached the state tournament last fall looked the part in their season openers on Friday.
Athol, which earned the No. 14 seed in the MIAA Div. 8 state tournament a season ago, opened its campaign with a 48-16 rout of Murdock while Franklin Tech, the No. 15 seed in the Div. 8 playoffs, rolled to a 42-6 win over McCann Tech.
While the competition for the Bears and the Eagles is sure to ramp up after week one, you can only play the team in front of you, and both Athol and Tech handled business as they should have.
On the road, the Bears scored 21 points in the first quarter and 27 in the second quarter to all but put the game away by the halftime whistle, leading 48-0.
Aidan Melanson, taking on the full time quarterback role as a senior, threw three touchdowns to three different receivers (Logan Cormier, Raydin Sousa and Ethan Goodwin), showcasing both the signal caller’s arm talent as well as the plethora of weapons he has to work with on the outside.
In the run game, Hayden Barrieau led with 101 yards and two scores while Cormier added a rushing touchdown. Defensively, Athol forced five turnovers.
It was a similar story in Turners Falls on Friday. Franklin Tech took a 28-6 lead into the intermission before cruising to a 42-6 triumph over the Hornets.
If there were any concerns about replacing Gabe Tomasi at quarterback, Tyler Yetter showed he can get the job done under center. The senior completed five passes for 117 yards, with three of those tosses making it into the end zone. Like with Athol, it was three different receivers (Nolyn Stafford, Hunter Donahue and Ethan Smarr) who found the end zone in the win.
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Josiah Little is trying to become one of the rare high school football players to run for 1,000 yards in four different seasons and is well on pace to do so after game one, running wild for 181 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries against McCann.
Defensive leader Madix Whitman led with 16 tackles while Tucker Hicks had two tackles for loss.
If Friday is an indication of how the season will go, both Athol and Franklin Tech will be legitimate threats to dethrone Ware from its Intercounty League North title.
What’s next for both? Athol will take on Pathfinder, with the Pioneers coming off a 40-7 loss to Palmer in their opener on Friday.
It’ll be fascinating to see if Franklin Tech can carry the momentum of its opener into Friday’s showdown against Frontier in South Deerfield. Last year’s game between the two was one of the best games in the area, as the Eagles took the lead with just over two minutes to go but Redhawk Kaden James skied up for the game-winning score with 40 seconds to go, giving Frontier a 27-22 victory.
The Redhawks fell to a tough Lunenburg team in their opener on Sept. 6, and needed the two weeks up to heal up after some key injuries. If Frontier is at full go, it’ll be a great non-conference test for both teams.
■ It was always going to take some time for a young Greenfield team to find its footing, with a number of players seeing the field significantly for the first time. It’s also a challenging non-conference slate for the Wave. Chicopee looked far improved from where it was last year and this Friday, Greenfield goes on the road to face South Hadley. After that comes a showdown against Frontier before league play starts.
■ Like Frontier, Mahar played on Sept. 6 and has two weeks off to reset before facing McCann this Friday. If the Sens handle the Hornets the way they did Drury (a 44-0 win), Mahar will be unbeaten when it faces Northampton in its final non-conference game.
■ How did other Intercounty North/South teams do on Friday? Ware, the three-time defending North champion, beat Easthampton (14-12) while Palmer, as mentioned above, rolled to a win over Pathfinder. Until knocked off, Ware is the favorite to win the league while the Panthers seem to be much improved after a 2-9 season a year ago.
In the South, Hoosac — the Intercounty South defending champs which reached the Div. 8 semifinals last year — opened with a 51-14 win over Taconic. Belchertown fell to Northampton (16-13), Commerce fell to SICS (16-13) and Lee beat Monument Mountain (24-6).
■ If you’re looking to see some players who will be playing their college football at the Div. I level in the near future, get down to Jim Smith Field to watch the Deerfield Academy football team this fall.
DA quarterback Cole Geer and tight end Willem Thurber are the headliners, as both are committed to Virginia next fall while the Big Green are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball.
Banged up in week one, Deerfield fell to a much-improved Williston squad on Saturday. Once the Big Green get fully healthy, they should be a threat in the NEPSAC.
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