Cheering and laughter echoed through the fall air as the Amherst Regional football team went to their home locker room up 34-0 after the first half of the fifth week game against Putnam Vocational. As the team flowed through the doors, granola bars and bottles of electrolyte drinks were handed out. Soon after, first-year head coach Jack Putala entered the room.
The team fell silent, with the only sound being the crinkling of wrappers.
Putala commanded the room, standing between the two lines of benches filled with padded players, sitting shoulder to shoulder.
He was proud of the work the team had done in the first half, but he knew the game was far from over. Putala told the team not to let their guard down and to keep pushing forward until the end of the fourth quarter as if the game was tied at zero.
The Hurricanes would finish the game with two more touchdowns and allow 18 points, winning 48-18.
Despite being a 24-year-old first-year head coach, Putala is no stranger to the football field.
His father, John Putala, was the head coach of the Turners Falls High School team, where he would first walk the sidelines as the water boy, eventually making his way onto the field as a player.
After high school, he continued his education at UMass Amherst. While in college, Putala became a part of the defensive coaching staff at Amherst Regional High School as the defensive coordinator under then-head coach Vinnie Guiel in 2022.
Guiel departed after the 2024 season for a job opening in Connecticut, taking with him offensive coordinator Zach Lebeau. Putala was next man up for the Hurricanes.
Creating a culture
Putala wanted to create a solid culture of football in the Amherst community and to instill a similar “old school football” mentality in his players as his father taught him.
“Working super hard. Playing super hard. Playing mean, but playing respectful at the same time.” Putala said.
Putala selected Mike Isabelle, Noah Lamb, Adam Tanguay, Drew Skelton and Neil Cunniffe to fill out his coaching positions, along with key player captains senior Leo Inoue, senior Travis Isabelle and junior Peter Tanguay. Each would play a key role in upholding Putala’s teachings of working hard and playing hard, being consistent each day and driving to keep moving forward.
“You never know what to expect … especially with a new coaching staff,” Putala said.
Before the season started, Putala knew he had his work cut out for him. His team was undersized, physically and in numbers, and there were rumblings that it was going to be a “down year,” or a low-winning season.
It was going to be a tall order to create a successful football culture. He first worked on selling the foundation to the coaches and players by hitting the ground running. Literally.
Summer weight-lifting began months before the first game, for four days a week. Although it was not required, a solid portion of players made their way to the gym to work on themselves and to help others.
As school started, padded practices soon followed, and Putala started to see what he was working with. However, a problem was very apparent: no one stood out as the starting quarterback.
Senior captain Travis Isabelle had not played the quarterback position since third grade. In the 2024 season, Isabelle was constantly moved around on the field, filling empty gaps. This season, Putala asked Isabelle if he was willing to fill this vital opening, and Isabelle answered.
“It was definitely a challenge in the beginning,” Isabelle said. “But coach Jack and Adam Tanguay … they worked with me a lot. Even after practices. Staying behind and just going over the playbook and going over everything to make sure I have everything down.”
Throughout the entire season, Isabelle would provide the team with the quarterback they needed, showcasing now more than ever his jack-of-all-trades position playing.
Looking at the scores and team record, the first half of the season was better than some thought, with 3 wins and 2 losses. In the first two weeks, the Hurricanes shut out Smith Vocational 10-0 and dominated Greenfield 41-0.
The next two weeks ended in losses against tough opponents. The largest loss of the season happened in week three at Barnstable, a Division 3 powerhouse that would go on to be ranked second in the state playoffs, losing 41-0.
Week four was a closer loss to Agawam, another strong team that should have resulted in a larger win for the Brownies. But the Hurricanes kept the game close, losing 18-14.
In the fifth week, Amherst Regional defeated Putnam Vocational 48-18, the team’s largest score.
“The kids are working hard, trying to get better every week,” Putala said midway through the season. “We all have goals to win football games. I’m happy with it so far.”
Away from the field and weight room, Putala continues to teach and prepare his players with film study sessions. After the games are played on Friday night, Putala sits down over the weekend and views the game, slicing every play into numerous clips. These are utilized to analyze the game, play-by-play, and hash out any details, showing the team what went right and wrong.
After going through their own team’s film, Putala then looks ahead and shows film of a team they are scheduled to play in the future. This is used to take note of any key plays and players.
“Jack honestly would’ve been my first choice to be head coach when there were all the staff changes,” junior captain Peter Tanguay said. “I feel like having a defensive-minded head coach, as a defensive-minded player, it’s super important.”
Putala has helped Tanguay in his roles across the field, assisting him with minor technical changes or with his form. But Tanguay doesn’t believe it was one specific teaching moment that made his time with his coach unique this year; rather, spending time around him has provided much more.
“What really stood out to me was just how over a long period of time I’ve kind of matured more under his guidance,” Tanguay said.
The second half of the season started strong with back-to-back wins against Wahconah Regional (32-20) and Pittsfield (38-6).
The last game of the regular season resulted in a heartbreaking loss. In a constant rainy downpour at home on a field that turned into a mudpit partway through the first quarter, Amherst could not touch the endzone against undefeated Chicopee Comprehensive. However, the Hurricanes managed to keep the game closer than expected, ending with a final score of 18-0.
Had the Hurricanes won, Amherst would have had a high probability of making the MIAA Division 4 playoffs. But, with the loss, the Hurricanes placed 25th in the power rankings, missing the playoffs with a 5-3 record.
The team finished the season with two non-playoff games, both resulting in losses against West Springfield (34-22) and Longmeadow (34-6). This finalized the Hurricanes’ record as 5-5 on the season.
“In terms of wins and losses, it’s not quite where we wanted to be,” Putala said. “But, I’m just proud of the kids. They bought into the culture we were trying to build, they fought hard every single game, and I am proud of their effort. So I think it was a successful season overall.”
With many odds stacked against them, it is not always common for a team to do well with a new head coach. Putala turned a young team, with no starting quarterback heading into the season, and a tough schedule, into a five-win season, a game away from a MIAA state tournament birth.
Despite exceeding many expectations, Putala still wants more. He is hungry for the possibility of more team success and proving Amherst has power and depth.
Senior captain Leo Inoue felt that having Putala as his head coach in his senior season was a full-circle moment. He first began playing football with Putala as his coach on the junior varsity squad. Both eventually made their way to the varsity team in leadership positions.
“Seeing him become the head coach and seeing myself become a captain . . . that was great,” Inoue said. “I think it was a special connection in a way.”
Inoue believed as a whole the team beat a lot of the odds stacked against them, citing doubt cast by seniors the previous year, an overall young team and, of course, a new head coach.
“We haven’t been a big football school for a long time. If ever, really,” Inoue said. “I think we have the ability to keep on building on what we did. Does that mean I think we’ll go undefeated next year? I don’t think so. But I do think we have a strong basis to work with.”
The team hitched their wagon to Putala, whose passion for coaching has already started changing the culture around football at Amherst.
“You don’t do this if you don’t love to do it,” Putala said. “And I do love it.”
