Thanksgiving tends to draw out family strife.
For the second year in a row, Northampton football coach Joe Kocot will lead his alma mater against Easthampton, the program he started in 1998. The Blue Devils and Eagles will face off at 10 a.m. Thursday at Northampton.
“I started the program. It was my baby,” said Kocot after the Blue Devils beat Longmeadow last time out. “This is my baby now. I’ve got another kid. I’ve got a new favorite. The new one is always the favorite, right?”
Northampton (6-4) and Easthampton (5-4) will face each other for the fifth time on Thanksgiving. The Blue Devils have won the previous four, outscoring the Eagles 145-58 – an average margin of victory of nearly 22 points per game. But the series has gotten closer. Northampton only won by 19 in 2017 and escaped White Brook Middle School with a two-point victory last season.
“Last year we had two special teams mistakes that cost us. Offensively and defensively, we fared well against them,” Easthampton coach Matt Bean said. “I thought that we were getting better and moving in the right direction.”
Both teams fell in the Division 5 Western Massachusetts semifinals before bouncing back with non-playoff wins.
“We reminded the group we didn’t play a good game against them last year,” Kocot said. “We gotta go in and play like we played against Minnechaug and the way we played in the second half against Longmeadow.”
The Blue Devils’ passing game, led by senior quarterback Tom Jacques and receivers Jake Brittain and Jake Delisle, has provided a new dimension for Northampton’s offense. They can also rely on steady ground production from Braeden Tudryn and Brett Holden. Northampton offensive coordinator Rick Rogalski coached at Easthampton prior to joining Kocot’s staff this season.
“The chemistry is better than last year,” Kocot said. “I think our younger guys are better.”
Easthampton and new offensive coordinator Kyle Dragon run a version of the winged-t. Jacob Neumann is a bruising runner that isn’t carrying the ball as much this year because he’s carrying more defensive responsibility. The Eagles build a progression of plays around his ability to gain consistent yardage. Marcus O’Meally and Bennett Kelly are dangerous ends that can run or catch the ball.
“We look at it as a step we need to take in our progress. (Beating Northampton) is something we need to strive for,” Bean said. “As we grow, this is a step we need to take to be able to compete with these teams.”
Holyoke and host South Hadley are each entering Thursday’s 10 p.m. game with different levels of preparation.
The Tigers last played on Saturday in the Division 7 state semifinals. The Purple Knights last played on Nov. 15.
“Today (Monday) we didn’t even put on helmets,” South Hadley coach Scott Taylor said. “We are trying to just get the kids to recuperate. They’re still sore from Saturday. We are trying to use our time wisely.”
Holyoke (4-7), led by quarterback Gabriel Fernandez, boasts one of the best passing attacks in the area.
Fernandez broke the Holyoke record for total touchdowns in a game with eight in a regular season loss to Westfield on Oct. 25.
“The best pass coverage you can have is a pass rush,” Taylor said. “That is the first thing. We have to attack at the line of scrimmage and get (quarterback Gabriel Fernandez) a little uncomfortable back there. He can run as well. You have to account for that. They throw it really well. They have guys on the outside. It comes down to fundamentals and technique.”
The Tigers (7-3) are led on offense by running back Hunter Carey. South Hadley uses multiple formations that put Carey in position to make an impact, sometimes even putting him at quarterback.
“It’s hard to replicate Carey’s speed and versatility (in practice), he’s an impact player,” Holyoke coach Joe Dutsar said. “We have been trying to prepare our kids for what they’re going to see out of their multiple formations and how much of an impact Carey, (Tyrell) Braithwaite and their quarterback play in the whole scheme of things. They have a very capable offensive line. Those kids might not be the biggest kids in the world, but they’re technically solid. Their blocking schemes are well-taught.”
Thursday’s matchup will be the third in the teams’ Thanksgiving series. South Hadley won the first two. The Tigers won last season’s matchup 28-20.
“(The players) are excited to play Holyoke. They’re ready to go,” Taylor said. “Even if we won on Saturday, we probably would’ve played a lot of our kids anyway. This is a game they will listen and hear about for another 50 years. They’ve been really resilient all year. We don’t have to do a lot of pushing them in the right direction.”
“This week we emphasized ball control and managing the clock,” Dutsar said. “We are concerned about South Hadley’s speed and their multi-dimensional attack.”
Smith Vocational began a Thanksgiving rivalry with Franklin Tech last season. The Vikings won last year in Turners Falls on Thanksgiving eve because bitter cold weather moved the game up.
“Having a turkey day game for the first time at home is a big deal,” Smith Vocational coach Keith Lebeau said. “The tradition still goes forward. I’m trying to tell the kids and have them understand when they get older they’ll be part of something that happened for the first time.”
Smith Vocational (0-8) has struggled this season. The Vikings only scored double-digit points once – a 34-32 loss to Athol in early November.
The Vikings were supposed to face Monument Mountain in the second non-playoff week, but the game was canceled. Instead, Smith Vocational played Ludlow in a junior varsity game to stay sharp.
“We’ve been making progress with our squad,” Lebeau said.
The Eagles (3-7) snapped a three-game losing streak in the first non-playoff game but fell against McCann Tech their last time out.
“After going up there last year and winning that game, I don’t know if we shocked or surprised them, but I’m expecting them to be very physical,” Lebeau said. “The hope is to control the ball, put some points on the board and work our butts off to try and end the season with a win.”