Great job boys . You played hard and we are proud of you . Congratulations to Alex Tyson for MVP . Also I would like to thanks the coaches and Paul Worth, . for a great season .. and the boys football mom Deanna Baker... and so many others who devoted themselves to this years games.
In what appears to be one of the most evenly matched local
Thanksgiving Day high school football games, Pioneer Valley Regional
School will travel to Turners Falls for a 10 a.m. kickoff against
Franklin County Technical School for their 12th annual Turkey Day clash.
The
Eagles hold a slim 6-5 edge in the series and have won each of the last
four meetings. Both teams are coming off successful 2016 campaigns and
will be looking to add another game to the win column to close out of
the season.
“This matchup may not have as long of a history as
some of the other Thanksgiving Day games, but the series has had its
fair share of close games and I think this year the teams match up very
closely,” said Eagles coach Joe Gamache.
Pioneer has experienced
its best season since winning the Division IV Super Bowl in 2011. Under
first-year head coach PaulWorth, the Panthers come into the final game
of the season with a record of 5-4, having qualified for the Division
IV-A playoffs before bowing out against eventual WMass champion Turners
Falls High School. Although the first season under a new head coach can
be a learning process, the Panthers quickly picked up new offensive and
defensive schemes, leading the coaching staff to see potential in the
team from the start.
“The first year for a coach and his new team
always has a period where each side sort of feels the other one out,”
said Worth “We seemed to get that done very quickly this year and that
is a credit to the players. They responded to our coaching very well and
I think we could start to see the potential in the team almost right
away.”
After jumping out to a 2-2 record, Pioneer used a three-game
winning streak during the back half of the regular season to vault
itself back into the playoff picture. Leading the way for the Panthers
during the win streak was junior running back Bryce Dobosz. The
versatile back averaged just over 191 yards per game and scored 8
touchdowns to help the Panther offense average 36 points a game during
the win streak. Dobosz comes into Thursdays contest as one of the area’s
leading rushers at 1,167 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. The work the
junior back has put in this year along with the numbers Dobosz has
recorded drew high praise from the coaching staff.
“Bryce has a
few keys that make him a great runner — he runs hard and he has no fear
to go along with a strong work ethic and the desire to get better and
learn how to become a better player,” said Worth.
Lining up under
center at quarterback will be Alex Tyson, a senior Worth identifies as
one of the best receivers in the league who stepped into the quarterback
roll to fill a void for the Panthers. Tyson totaled 405 yards passing
and added 75 yards rushing while scoring three touchdowns. Tyson’s main
target in the passing game is Jake Wallace, the sophomore snagged 13
receptions for 250 yards and a score. Other Panthers who figure to see
touches in the ground game will be senior Josh Baker, who has racked up
228 yards and a rushing TD during the campaign, along with junior
Tristan Dresser, who added 205 yards rushing to go along with a
touchdown.
Although he Panthers offense was nearly unstoppable
during the aforementioned three-game win streak, they were slowed to
seven points in their playoff loss to Turners Falls and week were
shutout the next week against Lee High School. Getting off to a fast
start and putting points on the board is something that the coaching
staff is keying on heading into Thursday’s showdown with the Eagles.
“We
have to find ways to score points because we’ve struggled offensively
the last two games,” said Worth. “We need to eliminate turnovers, which
have plagued us in some of our games, and we must find a way to control
the ball and put up points offensively.”
The Panther defense has
been solid all year and will be a key factor in determining the outcome
of today’s game. As a unit the Panthers haven’t allowed more than 30
points in any game this season and currently sport one of the best
point-per-game averages in the area, holding foes to just under 11 per
game on the season. The defensive statistics are even better for the
Panthers in the games they have won. During their five wins, the Panther
defense gave up a stingy 26 points (5.2 points per game) to opposing
offenses, and the defense figures to be a major factor against the
Eagles.
“Our defense is really a credit to the players. They came
in and understood quickly the new scheme and the players immediately
started to believe in each other,” said Worth “We know Franklin Tech is a
big powerful, run-oriented team, so on defense we have a big challenge
ahead of us but we must find a way to slow down their running game.”
On
the opposing sideline, the Eagles endured a rough start to the season,
losing five of their first six games, but fought through a brutal
schedule, opening the season by traveling to the eastern part of the
state in Weeks 1 and 2 before returning to the area to face the top
three teams in the Intercounty League. Things started to change for the
Eagles in late October, when players started to gain experience and key
players started to get healthy to help the Eagles finish the regular
season with a record of 5-5.
“Our turnaround is really a credit to
the players,” said Gamache. “We’ve had guys start to get comfortable
playing at the varsity level and then we had guys get healthy and back
on the field. Between the experience and the return of a few guys we
have been able to play much better on both the offensive and defensive
sides of the ball.”
One of the main reasons for the turnaround in
Eagles success is the high level of play from senior running back Dylan
Mailloux. The premier back missed time early due to an ankle injury but
has come back to compile one of the finer seasons in the area, rushing
for 1,094 yards on 173 carries while scoring 13 touchdowns. The ankle
injury is still an ongoing issue for the senior back, who was unable to
play Saturday in the Eagles’ State Vocational Tournament game against
Blue Hills Regional Technical School and is questionable to play in the
matchup against the Panthers. Mailloux did dress for the game against
Blue Hills and will test the ankle in pre-game warmups in hopes of
getting back on the field. If Mailloux is able to suit up for his final
game in an Eagles uniform it will provide a big boost for the Eagles.
While
Mailloux has been the lead back when healthy, the Franklin Tech offense
has found other key backfield contributors in junior Spencer Telega and
senior Tyler Sakowicz. Both backs experienced solid seasons running the
football, as Telega finished with 514 yards on 91 carries to go along
with five scores and Sakowicz added 385 yards on the ground with three
scores. It has been rare that all three feature backs for the Eagles
have been healthy, but when they are is when Franklin Tech’s offense has
been at its best.
“I think when all three running backs have been
healthy our offense has been very versatile,” said Gamache “It hasn’t
happened too often, but when we can get all three players out on the
field it opens up the passing attack with play action and we can do a
bit more in the sense of misdirection plays and spreading the ball
around.”
The passing attack is another reason the Eagles found
the win column towards the back half of the season. Junior quarterback
Seth Aldrich found his stride as leader of the Eagles offense,
completing 47 of 126 passes for 490 yards and six TD passes. Aldrich’s
main target has been senior Caileb Milton, who comes into the game with
22 catches for 283 yards and four touchdowns. If the Eagles are going to
beat the Panthers, Gamache knows that being able to rely on the passing
game in different situations will be crucial.
“The improvement of
our passing game has been huge for us,” said Gamache “Seth has really
gained experience to the point where he is now going through the proper
progressions, making the right reads and using his athletic ability to
make plays. The passing attack has really given us another offensive
weapon and helps open up our running game.”
On the defensive side
of the ball, the Eagles’ theme of improvement as the season progressed
holds true. After surrendering 57 points in a loss to Turners Falls High
School, the Eagle defense rebounded to allow just under 15 points a
game in their final four regular-season wins. However, the Franklin Tech
defense knows Pioneer will be one of its stiffest challenges, with a
dynamic rushing attack and playmakers all over the field.
“Our
defense is another example of us gaining experience and getting more
comfortable as the season progressed. The guys started to figure out
what it takes to play at the varsity level and started to build
chemistry with one another, and I think we can see the improvement in
play,” said Gamache “With that said, we know that Pioneer will be one of
the best teams we’ve faced. They have great athletes on both sides of
the ball, and on offense they can really hurt you with the athletes they
line up at multiple positions.”
Although both teams seem to
match up evenly, the Eagles feel this will be a good test going up
against a playoff-caliber team in the Panthers, who provide a measuring
stick for how far they have progressed this season.
“Overall we
are excited to play,” said Gamache “Everyone is excited for the game and
this is a tough test for us. Pioneer is a playoff team and we were
unable to qualify for the playoffs, so we really want to go out there
play well and show that we were a legitimate playoff team. It’s the
final game of the season so it is kind of the Super Bowl for both
teams.”
Turkey Day
Thursday, November 24, 2016
TURNERS FALLS — There was no chance Dylan Mailloux was missing his final Thanksgiving Day showdown.
One
week after not being able to play due to a nagging ankle injury in the
State Small Schools Vocational Tournament loss to Blue Hills Regional
Technical School, the Franklin County Technical School senior tailback
came back with a vengeance on Thursday. Mailloux motored behind a
dominating offensive line to the tune of 186 yards and five touchdowns
and the host Eagles made it five Turkey Day wins in a row with a
convincing 50-30 thumping of Pioneer Valley Regional School.
“It
felt great,” said Mailloux of his return. “Last week (against Blue
Hills) was tough. I tried to get ready but I came out in pregame and (my
ankle) just wasn’t feeling good. I did what I thought was best for the
team (in not playing) but it was really hard for me not to be able to
go.”
Mailloux’s return sparked a Tech rushing attack that went
for 307 yards on the ground against Pioneer. In his last game as an
Eagle, the bruising back toted the ball 28 times en route to his five-TD
performance.
“Dylan wasn’t 100 percent but he definitely gave us
110 percent,” said Tech head coach Joe Gamache, who improved to 7-5
all-time on Thanksgiving against Pioneer. “Our hope was to try and play
more physical up front than (Pioneer). They didn’t have a ton of depth
so if we were able to wear them down, I felt good about us moving the
football.”
FC Tech scored its most points ever in the 12-year series with
Pioneer, storming out to a 30-6 halftime lead and extending the
advantage to 50-14 early in the fourth quarter before sending in the
JVs.
Despite the combined 80 points, the teams played a scoreless
first quarter and things were shaping up to be a defensive battle. But
Mailloux scored his first TD on the second play of the second quarter,
bulling in from 2 yards out to put the Eagles up 8-0 after quarterback
Seth Aldrich ran in the two-point conversion.
While the Panthers
offense struggled to move the ball consistently against Tech, the
visitors did showcase some big-play ability. That was indeed on full
display on the ensuing kickoff. Alex Tyson returned the ball 78 yards
for a touchdown, pulling Pioneer back within 8-6.
The rest of the
first half belonged to the Eagles however. Ripping off big chunks of
yardage on the ground with Mailloux, Spencer Telega (6 carries, 69
yards) and Tyler Sakowicz (7 carries, 39 yards), Tech scored on its next
two offensive possessions – a 6-yard Mailloux score and a 15-yard
Telega TD. The backbreaker came on the strength of a defensive touchdown
however, as senior Caileb Milton got his hands on a tipped pass from
Tyson, intercepting the ball and rumbling the other way for a 59-yard
touchdown return. Thanks to 30 points in the second quarter, the Eagles
took a commanding 30-6 advantage into intermission.
“We played a
good team (Blue Hills) last week and to be honest I think that helped
prepare us on a short week this week to come out and set the tone,”
Gamache explained.
Tech’s success on the ground continued into the
third quarter, when the team marched 75 yards on the opening possession
of the half in 12 plays. Milton caught a pair of passes from Aldrich on
the drive for 51 yards, but Mailloux closed things out with five
straight runs — the fifth extending the lead to 37-6 on a 1-yard TD.
The
offensive line of Mike Dobias, Kurtis Kuenzel, Dan Momaney and Deven
Goshea along with center stalwart Sam Trudeau earned their Thanksgiving
feast with arguably the team’s best performance up front all season. The
quintet of underclassmen had the Panthers moving backwards all morning
and into the afternoon.
“Our offensive line has been building all
season and they’ve really come together,” lauded Mailloux. “This game
just capped it off the right way for us.”
Tyson brought the
Panthers back on his team’s next possession, scampering 52 yards on the
ground to set up a 10-yard TD toss to Bryce Dobosz that pulled Pioneer
back within 37-14. But Mailloux responded with his fourth and fifth
touchdowns of the day to put things out of reach up 50-14.
Credit
Pioneer (5-5) for playing until the end however, as Dobosz (20 carries,
133 yards) scored a 2-yard TD with 2:57 left in the fourth quarter, and
he added a 31-yard rushing score with 18 seconds remaining.
It was
a fitting end to the season for an Eagles team that survived a
difficult early portion of the schedule (1-5) to rebound with wins in
five of their last six games. The jump up in class from the Tri-County
League to the Intercounty League this year was worth the difficulties,
said Gamache.
“We played some really tough teams in the early part
of our season, but the kids never quit,” he said. “They dedicated
themselves to improving and just stayed with it. The focus was to end
the season on a high note.”
The Eagles dominated in time of
possession, holding the ball for 26:30 of the 44-minute tilt. They
churned out 17 first downs and were forced to punt just once while
forcing four Pioneer turnovers on the other end (two interceptions, two
fumbles).
Mailloux and Tyson were tabbed MVPs of the contest in
the post game awards ceremony, with Tech moving to 7-5 in the series
against Pioneer that dates back to 2005.
