Athol Daily News – HS Football: Franklin Tech defense thwarts Mahar in 21-0 shutout



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Posted: 10/01/2021 23:15:18 PM

Modified: 1/10/2021 23:15:25

ORANGE – Mahar’s opening possession on Friday night ended with his Franklin Tech defense stuffed offense on quarterbacks and inches, and the Eagles left little room for the Senators to breathe from there.

With seven sacks, a salvage fumble and an interception, Franklin Tech’s defense imposed their will and flew over the Woodward compound. The visitors left town with a 21-0 victory in the Intercounty League North.

Eagles head coach Joe Gamache said his defense was on display the entire game and he hopes the trend continues for the rest of the game.

“They’ve increased dramatically,” Gamache said. “We still preach the physical and try to bring the fight and they did it tonight. I hope it’s contagious and that is how we will play the rest of the season.

The Eagles offense fought to start the game with two back-to-back turnovers on downs, but the defense forced two downs to turn over. Franklin Tech quickly found the end zone on his third possession on a 29-yard touchdown by senior running back Chad Adams with 2:50 left in the half.

Franklin Tech’s defense forced a punt to open the second half and the offense immediately doubled their lead on a four-minute, nine-game touchdown topped by an 8-yard touchdown on a right-side sweep. by running back Josiah Little.

The Eagles coughed the ball on a fumble in the fourth quarter, but the defense quickly forced a fumble on the next play, which led to another sustained touchdown that ended on second-year quarterback Gabriel Tomasi to put Franklin Tech up to 21-0.

Franklin Tech’s offense split the ball between his backfield with Adams rushing for 29 yards, Little with 21 yards and junior backer Ryan Demers with 45 yards in the second half alone.

“Much better than what we did, we put a lot of effort into training and it shows in the game,” said Demers. “It was a team effort as a whole. The line made a very good block, it was everyone.

The Senators offense has been threatened on several occasions in Eagles territory, although starting quarterback Kaleb Lemcke missed a few possessions after taking a hit on the sidelines. First-year quarterback Morgan Softic came off the bench, made several passes and orchestrated the offense on the field until Lemcke could return.

“Morgan is ready to go. He’s a youngster, he’s a freshman, ”said Mahar head coach Chris Bailey. “Morgan had actually been sick all week – today was his first day back to school – so he did it without a ton of practice, which is good. It’s a testament to him for doing his job as a replacement.

Mahar threatened late in the fourth quarter with the ball at the 9-yard line, but a block from the blind side and an interception ended the game for the Senators.

“We didn’t play like we can play,” Bailey said. “When that happens, you won’t win a lot of football games.”

Franklin Tech returns home to face Ware on Friday at 7 a.m. while Mahar will stay at the Woodward Complex to welcome rival Athol.

Chris Larabee can be reached at [email protected] or 413-930-4081.



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