Football is back!
The leagues across western Massachusetts all have different looks, and teams are more ready than ever to kickstart their first season competing against new foes in 2025. We’ll take you through each league to catch you up to speed, and then go in-depth on what to know about each Hampshire County team and their expectations this fall.
Starting with the Intercounty League South, it’ll be Northampton and Frontier joining Chicopee, Commerce, Ludlow and SICS. In the Tri-County, Smith Vocational and Belchertown will compete against Monument Mountain, Pathfinder, Drury and McCann Tech.
In the Suburban South, Amherst is the lone local team as the ‘Canes draw Wahconah, Putnam, Pittsfield, Agawam and Chicopee Comp. Lastly is the Suburban North, as South Hadley, Easthampton and Holyoke join Lee, Hoosac Valley and Taconic.
There are no Hampshire County teams in the AA Conference (Springfield Central, Westfield, Minnechaug, Longmeadow, West Springfield, East Longmeadow) or Intercounty North (Franklin Tech, Athol, Greenfield, Mahar, Ware, Palmer).
Each team will play three independent games before competing in five league contests.
Here’s a closer look at each program:
Amherst
It’ll be Jack Putala’s first season as a high school head coach in 2025, as he replaces Vinny Guiel who had been there for three years. Putala is taking over a very young Amherst squad, but one that has plenty of potential across all positions in each of the three phases of the game.
Amherst’s roster was finalized this week, and there are 36 total kids. It’s not a number that jumps out, but it’s one that Putala can certainly work with so long as it stays there throughout the year.
“We’re young, but kids are stepping up in big ways pretty early here,” Putala said. “We have a lot of new kids in new positions, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Four of our five starting offensive linemen are gone so we’ve got new guys in there. We have a few kids playing out of position just due to depth reasons, but they’re all killing it. Everyone is doing whatever they need to for the benefit of the team.”
Travis Isabelle will be the Hurricanes’ quarterback, as the senior captain is ready for a big year after battling injuries throughout his career. Brady Klaes earned some time at running back as a freshman in 2024, and he’ll be back in the backfield eager for more carries this fall now bigger and stronger according to Putala.
Senior captain Taylor Alfaro Leiva returns in the secondary on defense, playing strong side outside linebacker/safety hybrid. He may be one of the smallest players on the field, but Putala said he is an extremely physical tackler with a nose for the football. Peter Tanguay is an inside linebacker who has taken huge strides now entering his junior campaign. He’s very smart, reads the offense and reacts quickly.
Those handful of players aside, Amherst has a lot of new players who have never been varsity starters. Regardless, Putala still expects them to compete at a high level. His overall goal is to shape these high school kids into young adults ready to take on the world outside of sports. But you’d be lying if you said winning doesn’t matter to him, too.
“Football is always about making young men be better people in life, and teaching life lessons,” Putala said. “But also at the end of the day, we’re playing a game and we’re here to compete. Our expectations going into every single game is to win. I think with the inexperience, it may be a slow start, but I don’t see any reason why our best 11 can’t be better than another team’s best 11. We want to make the state playoffs, we want to win football games and compete in our league.”
He’s ready for game No. 1 as a high school football head coach, which will come on Friday night at home against Smith Vocational at 7 p.m.
“Nerves will always be there, but you just have to look at a challenge in the face and take it on head on,” Putala said. “I’m feeling good. The kids have made a ton of progress early on in the season. They’re starting to execute in practice, fly around on defense. All good things. I’m excited for it.”
Belchertown
It was tough sledding for the Orioles in 2024, as they finished just 1-9 and didn’t get that first win until November — a 46-13 victory over Greenfield. Head coach Keith Lebeau is back for his second season and hopes things are different this time around.
Belchertown has 37 players on its roster, 11 of whom are freshmen that will come in ready to play thanks to the Orioles’ strong youth feeder program. Once you step in between the lines on Friday nights, the age of players goes out the window. You’re either ready to play or you aren’t.
Lebeau said his guys will be ready.
“Expectations are always high,” he said. “You always have high expectations going into the year. We’re going to be a young squad, but we are pretty talented in some key positions. I’m excited about that aspect of it. If we’re able to stay healthy, we should compete week in and week out. Health is always an issue, but we’ve had a pretty healthy camp for the most part.”
It’ll be junior Coleman Longley back at the quarterback position for the Os. He never played the position growing up, but he stepped up to play it last fall after looking terrific in 7-on-7 scrimmages throughout the summer. An injury in Week 1 sidelined him last year and he never fully recovered from it. Another strong summer’s worth of practices and scrimmages has Longley ready to give it another go in 2025, and Lebeau is thrilled to have him back.
Belchertown is always a run-heavy team. Avery Cote is elusive and shifty and will be the Orioles’ speed guy, while Ethan Longley brings a different dynamic as a power back who runs downhill and physical every touch he gets. Adam O’Rourke is another solid option in the backfield as Belchertown will rotate guys in and out to stay fresh with their offensive approach.
The offensive line is on the smaller side in terms of size, but what they lack in that department they more than make up for in strength and intelligence. They’re almost all seniors with plenty of experience, and they will be led by captains Logan Duke (guard) and Eli Grillo (center). Defensively, sophomore Ronan Mosher at outside linebacker is a player to watch for Belchertown this season as well.
“Size isn’t everything at the end of the day,” Lebeau said. “We’re using more talented, quicker and faster guys on the line, and on the defensive side we’re going to be fast too. I’m excited to see what that brings because our camp has been really good with that.”
Last year Belchertown went 1-9 (three losses by six points or less). The year before, they went 7-3 but then graduated a ton of players. After a rebuilding year where the Orioles got a bunch of their players some much-needed varsity experience, they’re ready to stack up some more wins in 2025.
Their first game is Friday on the road against Quaboag at 7 p.m.
Easthampton
The Eagles will look to carry a strong finish in 2024 over into this season in head coach Kyle Dragon’s third year at the helm.
Easthampton won six of its final seven games a year ago and return multiple starters, including senior quarterback Colin Hogan, this fall.
“He’s grown immensely in the last three years since his first start as a sophomore,” Dragon said. “His decision-making for passes is so much better, but he’s a dual threat. He’s a passer and a runner. He had over 1,000 all-purpose yards last season.”
The Eagles went 6-5 last season following a slow start that saw them drop their first four games.
Senior running back Jake Kostek and sophomore cornerback Patrick Larson will likely be key figures within Easthampton’ offense and defense.
Former linebacker Vynce Carr decided to play soccer this year, however Dragon is excited to see junior safety Luis Salgado step into a bigger role in the Eagles’ backfield.
“He’s a hard-hitting player,” Dragon said. “He reflects effort, that kid. He puts everything out on that field, every play of the game. He had a few interceptions last year, 30-something tackles, so I’m definitely looking forward to watching him.”
Junior cornerback Marty Charron is another player to watch, per Dragon.
The Eagles have steadily improved in each of Dragon’s first two years as head coach and Easthampton’s skipper credited former head coach, the late Matt Bean, as being a great mentor.
“He taught me a lot and I just continued on what he was looking to see the focus of the program,” Dragon said. “Our offensive and defensive schemes is what he taught me really well. We’ve stuck with that and it’s really shown because we didn’t have to talk to the kids a lot about what’s new because they jumped right in and knew a lot of the schemes already this year.”
Easthampton opens the season at Ware on Friday at 7 p.m.
Holyoke
The Purple Knights may have been 3-7 last year, but they were much better than their record showed — competing closely for at least three quarters in all but one of their games (Springfield Central). Head coach David Guzman is hoping the energy and effort he saw from his team in 2024 will translate to more victories this fall.
There will be some roster turnover for him to navigate however, as many of his offensive skill positions have graduated. Asa Allen, Jayden Cauley, Jayderson Lugo and Matt Dumoulin all moved on, which leaves plenty of opportunity for those stepping in behind them.
Holyoke’s first opportunity of the 2025 season will come against Chicopee Comp at 7 p.m. under the light on its home turf this Friday.
Note: Roster information on Holyoke was not provided by deadline.
Northampton
The Blue Devils enter the 2025 season with a bit of a blank slate as Rocco Fernandez was hired to take over head coaching duties this past summer following Joe Kocot’s departure.
Northampton went 3-6 last year — an improvement from a 1-8 record in 2023 — however the Blue Devils lost each of their final six games to end the season on a sour note.
Junior quarterback Dion Cadiz highlights Northampton’s returners and Fernandez feels he’s “going to be a weapon” for the Blue Devils on the gridiron.
Fernandez also noted running back Ethan Rivera as a player who’ll be a factor game-in and game-out.
“He had some success last year and we’re going to build on that with him this year,” Fernandez said.
Defensively, Fernandez admitted that roles are still being ironed out, but he hopes to impart a philosophy in the unit where no one player needs to be a star. Rather, all 11 players would ideally fulfill their roles successfully.
Taking over a program that has fallen on hard times of late is no easy task, yet Fernandez has been impressed that his players are buying into his message of establishing a culture, first and foremost.
“I’m trying to slow things down a little bit with them where I can, make sure they understand not just what we’re doing, but why we’re doing it,” Fernandez said. “Everything I’m implementing has a purpose. It may not show itself this year, but it’s setting the groundwork for the future. This year is about building the foundation and we’re going to keep building on it year over year.”
Northampton hosts South Hadley on Friday at 7 p.m.
Smith Vocational
After many seasons of struggling, the Vikings have been one of Hampshire County’s most consistent teams over the past two seasons under head coach Alex Subocz, who enters his sixth year on the Smith Voc sidelines in 2025.
Preseason has gone about as good as Subocz could’ve hoped, as his large chunk of returning players made the playbook installation process much easier than in years past. It’s safe to say the Vikings have a fighting chance at securing a third consecutive season with at least seven wins this fall.
“We returned a decent amount of guys, so that always speeds everything up; the install takes a little bit less time,” Subocz said. “Right now it’s awesome. The vibes — which I almost sound like one of the kids using that word — and overall energy, the focus, the execution day in and day out has been great. The kids are putting the work in and they’re excited to see the results of it.”
Surprisingly, even with the many returners, Smith Voc’s senior class is small. Out of its 44 players, only seven are seniors. It’s the Vikings’ junior class that is huge, and many of them are standout players for Subocz as well.
But let’s start with sophomore quarterback Spencer Warner, who’s a very long, athletic and smart signal caller that rarely puts the ball in danger. Subocz expects him to be Smith Voc’s QB of not just the future, but the now as well. Brayden LaRose and Jameson Tobin are big-time play makers on the outside while Jett Sabourin and Deryk Nuttelman will split carries in the backfield. Offensive linemen LJ Hale and Aiden Houle will create the push up front.
Defensively, Smith Voc preaches its team to “swarm,” and get all 11 hats to the ball. Trenton Clark is a defensive end with lightning-quick hands who is tough to block and can take a whole side of the field away at times according to Subocz. Senior Michael Theriault is a leader at linebacker, LaRose and Tobin are always around the football when they’re in on defense and the Vikings’ defensive line is a huge strength. That unit is led by Jaden Caballero, Ben Raymond and Jayden “Cupcake” Yon.
“I can list off so many names for our d-line,” Subocz said. “There will be games where we’ll be eight deep at that position. Being able to keep the big guys fresh is such a huge advantage for us.”
Subocz’s program has taken off, and they are most certainly on an upward trajectory as they’ve improved every year. With numbers consistently over 40, Smith Voc is building something strong in Hampshire County.
“It’s been awesome, the back-to-back years making the Small Voc [state] playoffs, winning seven games in each season,” Subocz said. “But it really comes down to us having more kids in the program now than when I first started. We’re solidly in the mid-40s every year. The consistency of myself and my great assistants who have been with me for a while has really helped the kids. They know what to expect at this point. The culture is there. Once a culture is there, the football comes next. You need the culture first. And we have that.”
The Vikings hit the road to battle Amherst on Friday at 7 p.m. in a very intriguing Week 1 matchup.
South Hadley
The Tigers will look to make it three straight seasons with a winning record this fall after going 7-4 last year, before a 7-3 record in 2023.
Brian Couture (fourth season) is back in charge of South Hadley and has a couple of important players at his disposal once again in junior running back Noah Hambley and senior quarterback Griffin Soderbaum.
Hambley opened last year’s Thanksgiving Day game against Holyoke with a 75-yard kick-return touchdown, sparking the Tigers to a 16-14 win. Hambley figures to be a dynamic presence for South Hadley again this year.
Soderbaum missed a chunk of last season with an injury, but is back to lead the Tigers under-center in 2025.
Julius Hebenth and Jayden McMains count as two of South Hadley’s biggest losses, but juniors Lincoln Belsky and Chase Pecia will look to fill the shoes of those former teammates.
“I said to them, I’ve been saying it all year, we’re small but mighty,” Couture said after his team’s Turkey Day win last November.
South Hadley will travel to Northampton on Friday at 7 p.m.