Talk about rising to the occasion.
The Mahar Regional School football team picked up one of the program’s biggest wins in several years a week ago. At home, the Senators moved into the Intercounty League North mix thanks to a convincing 28-8 victory over Greenfield at the Woodward Complex.
While the win was key for league standing purposes, it was also a big one in regards to the postseason picture. Mahar vaulted into the No. 4 spot in the WMass Division 8 Power Ratings, meaning if the season ended today, the Senators would be in the playoff field.
Mahar’s pursuit of a postseason berth takes the program to the Powertown tonight and a matchup with Franklin Tech. The Eagles are looking to climb the Division 8 standings themselves, one week after playing Frontier tough in a 20-8 loss on the road in South Deerfield. Franklin Tech’s defense could make this a low-scoring game, with both offenses struggling at times this season to find a rhythm.
The Week 8 slate features a Greenfield team looking to get right after back-to-back losses, while Athol hopes to spring a home upset. In South Deerfield, Frontier has the chance to make a big statement in a battle against another potential Division 7 playoff team.
Here’s a closer look at the four local games on the schedule tonight (Mohawk Trail has a bye):
The Senators head to Turners Falls, looking to make it two in a row against the Eagles. A year ago, Mahar picked up its first win of the season, 12-6, over Tech in Orange. … Both teams feature quarterbacks with big arms. Mahar’s Noaha Chabot has 459 yards passing this fall, tossing for six touchdown and four interceptions. Franklin Tech’s Owen Bashaw has 420 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions. … Mahar receiver Charlie Barnes has 12 receptions for 261 yards and three scores. … With Franklin Tech tailback Ryan Bergmann injured the past three weeks, Bailey Young has stepped into the featured back spot and racked up 267 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. … The Senators are 1-1 on the road this season, beating Athol and falling to Frontier. … Franklin Tech sits in the No. 7 slot in the current Division 8 Ratings.
Greenfield’s offense will look to right the ship against a Monument Mountain defense that has been anything but stout this season. … The Spartans have allowed 30-plus points in every league game but one, and they’re fresh off a 41-18 drubbing to Easthampton a week ago. … The Green Wave have been saddled with injuries throughout the lineup this season. Quarterback Jake Sak went out of last week’s game against Mahar with an injury, and tailback Bobby Provost has also missed time over the past few weeks. Backup quarterback Drew Conant threw a touchdown pass in relief duty against the Senators, hitting Jared Hart for the team’s lone score in the 28-8 loss. … Hart’s 73 yards on the ground last week put him tops on the team with 329 this season.
This one has huge Division 7 postseason implications. Frontier sits in the No. 2 spot entering tonight’s games, while Chicopee is locked into the No. 4 spot. … The Pacers enter Franklin County for the second time this season. In September, they held off Franklin Tech, 12-0, in an independent game in Turners Falls. … Frontier wore down Franklin Tech in its 20-8 victory last week, as tailback Ito McMillan racked up 97 yards on the ground to give him a Recorder-area leading 721 yards this season. McMillan also six touchdowns for the ground-heavy Red Hawks. … This game was added to the schedule as a replacement for Turners Falls High School.
The Red Raiders look to get into the win column for the first time this season tonight at O’Brien Field, when they welcome a tough Easthampton side that is looking to stay in the IL North race despite a loss to Frontier. … Athol scored a pair of touchdowns last week in a 48-14 loss to Drury, snapping a three-game scoreless drought. … Shea Brennan returned a fumble 50 yards for a score, while Jacob Smith caught a long touchdown pass from quarterback Caleb Cox. … In last year’s meeting, Athol fell behind early and never recovered in a 34-14 loss on the road. … Easthampton pulled away from Monument Mountain a week ago in a 41-18 victory, as Bennett Kelly ran for 128 yards on 13 carries to pace the offensive attack.