HOLYOKE — Holyoke head coach Joe Dutsar doesn’t like worrying about things he can’t control.
The Purple Knights play a rigorous schedule against some of the toughest programs in western Massachusetts, and the team lost a large and talented senior class to graduation after last season.
Instead of dwelling on external things, Dutsar prefers to focus on internal matters.
“The only thing I can control is what’s under our helmets and if we are prepared to play,” Dutsar said.
Holyoke is coming off a 6-5 season that saw the Purple Knights narrowly miss the playoffs. In 2017, the Purple Knights went 6-4 and made the postseason for the first time in over 20 years. This year’s seniors were sophomores in 2017, and they are ready to get back into the playoffs and go out with a bang.
“They want to get into the tournament, but they don’t talk about it,” Dutsar said. “We tend to take things one week at a time. One practice at a time. … This team is very youthful. They are very enthusiastic. They are driven.”
The Purple Knights boasted a potent run-heavy offense last season that featured then-senior running back Leesandro Colon. This year, the team plans on having a more balanced attack that will showcase the arm and fast feet of senior quarterback Gabriel Fernandez.
Dutsar is entering his fourth year at the helm of Holyoke’s football program. He thinks that this year’s team has put in more work during the offseason than any of his teams the last few years.
“Last year we had a good core of kids that did summer workouts, but this year we had considerably more students lifting weights, running, going to 7-on-7, camps and clinics,” said Dutsar. “Is it going to pay off in the win column? That remains to be seen. There is something to be said about youthful exuberance, that is all well and good. But it doesn’t win you ball games. It comes down to the performance on the field.”
Fernandez returns for his senior season and will start at quarterback. The 6-foot-2 signal-caller put in a considerable amount of work in the offseason, notably attending a Peyton Manning-sponsored quarterback camp in Louisiana this summer.
“It just showed how much talent is out there and how much harder I have to work for the team to just get us better in general,” said Fernandez on his experience in Louisiana.
Dutsar is looking forward to watching Fernandez take a leap this fall as a role-model and as a player.
“We’re certainly looking forward to him being a leader on the offense and to have a higher percentage of completed passes,” Dutsar said. “He also runs a good ground game. We expect him to execute like we know he will be able to. … He is pretty geared up and ready to go. Now it is just a question of getting the reps and getting it done.”
Junior William Dumoulin is expected to get a lot of touches out of the backfield for the Purple Knights.
“He’s a really strong kid for his frame; 6-1, about a buck eighty-five. Very strong,” Dutsar said.
Sophomore Joseph Scott-Maille and junior Prince Diaz will be in the mix at the fullback spot.
Holyoke’s wide receiver corps is a group that is collectively going to be quick off the line of scrimmage.
“They are all great athletes,” said senior wide receiver Jacob Swinehart. “We have a really speedy group this year with Jalel Cabrera, Scott Leary and Aiden Consedine, a lot of speed and hard workers there. There is no slow-up ever. Everyone is always pushing each other. If there is ever any drops we motivate each other to keep going and on catches we always get hyped for each other. We are looking good.”
In addition to making tough catches and flying down field, the group is also eager to do some of the dirty work.
“They block pretty well,” Dutsar said.
The team’s offensive line is going to look very different from last year’s unit. A lot of the team’s seniors from last season played on the offensive line. Coming into this season there are some holes that need to be filled, but having a returning player in junior Kevin Jourdain back will help stabilize the group. Sophomore center Aidan Stark has already emerged as a vocal leader and should see a lot of playing time.
“Our offensive line is one of our question marks right now,” Dutsar said early in the preseason. “We are looking to fill holes there. We lost a lot last year.”
Kyle Cavanaugh, Justice Troche Melendez, Elijah Tirado and Isaias Rodriguez will be in the mix for multiple positions.
Alex Hernandez is set to be a contributor at linebacker. Florencio Nieves and Scott-Maille could also see time at the position. Cavanaugh and Jourdain will see time at the defensive end spots.
The interior of the defensive line will be filled in with underclassmen who prove themselves throughout the preseason. Moses Oquendo, Consedine and Cabrera will get playing time at corner back. Adrix Madera and Swinehart will get time at free safety.
Holyoke
COACH: Joe Dutsar, fourth season
LEAGUE/DIVISION: AA/3
LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 6-5
LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2017, lost 26-22 to Minnechaug in WMass Division 3 semifinal
RETURNING STARTERS: Seniors – Aiden Consedine, WR/K; Gabriel Fernandez Jr., QB; Alex Hernandez, WR/DB; Jacob Swinehart, WR/DB; Adam Santos, G; Juniors – Kyle Cavanaugh, G/DE; Prince Diaz, FB/LB; William Dumoulin, RB/LB; Kevin Jourdain Jr., T/DE; Scott Leary, WR/DB; Luca Maisonet, WR/DB; Sophomores – Michael Glasheen, T; Jael Cabrera, WR/DB; Joey Scott Maille, FB/LB;
RETURNING PLAYERS: Seniors – Ryan Asselin, WR; William Cabrera, T; Justice Melendez Troche, T; Feliberto Saez, T; Juniors – William Alicea, G; Cadence Boria, DB; Florencio Nieves, G/T; Tom Taillefer, G/T; Moses Oquendo, DB; Elijah Tirado, C; Sophomores – Adrian Fuller, QB; Dylan Kennedy, WR/DB; Eric Lukomiski, T; Adrix Madera, DB; Christopher Perez, C/T; Benjamin Santos, WR/DB; Aiden Stark, C/T; Quinn Cauley, QB
NEWCOMERS: Seniors – Omaet Maldonado Gonzalez, WR; Juniors – Gabriel Cedeno, LB/DB; Carlos Cruz, DB; Devin Echevarria, DB; Orlando Ledesma, LB/DB; Jacob Rist, WR/DB; Sophomores – Hansel Breton, G/T; Gabriel Cedeno, RB/DB; Zachary Kent, WR/S; Russell Rivera, WR/LB; Avery Rodriguez, QB; Freshmen – Davian Concepcion, RB; Alezandria Dumoulin, DB; Liam Glasheen, LB; Dymetri Gonzalez, QB; Dylan Lubold, LB; Amir Rodriguez, RB; Emmanuel Rodriguez, DB; Isaias Rodriguez, G; David Sicard, DB; Adrian Suarezill, RB; Davonte Westbrooks, DB/WR; Dante Whitley, LB; Khalil Williams, WR; Kameron Kro, WR; Robert Tabin, DB; Jacoby White, LB; Jayden Santiago, T; Omar Gomez, LB; Josiah Vazquez, DB
OUTLOOK: According to Dutsar, this year’s squad has worked harder in the offseason than any varsity team he has coached at Holyoke. Last season’s team was run-heavy, but look for this year’s squad to air it out a bit more coming into Fernandez’s senior season. The program is young in some spots, but the team’s youth is eager to learn and work. The Purple Knights should make a hard push for the postseason.