2021 Football Preview | Local Sports | sentinelsource.com – The Keene Sentinel

Keene, Monadnock and ConVal all open their season Friday. Fall Mountain has to wait one more week, opening on Friday, Sept. 10.

All four teams — along with many across the state — will be adjusting back to a “normal” season, and the excitement can be felt across the region.

Here’s a breakdown of each of the regional teams:

Head Coach Linwood Patnode comes into his third year at the helm, still working on implementing his system into the program.

This year’s motto: Working as a team to reach a common goal.

Patnode is so focused on that mindset that he did not want to mention any individuals on the roster who he felt would step up this season. Instead, he said it will be up to the entire senior class to be leaders of the program looking for a new identity.

“[The seniors] are going to have to play really well and lead really well,” Patnode said.

With a handful of sophomores and juniors who will see significant playing time, Patnode wants to use this season as a steppingstone as he continues to advance the program forward.

Keene hosts Bishop Guertin Friday in a rematch of last year’s NHIAA Division I playoff first round game.

Last season was not much more than a lost season for Keene, only playing two games, so the Blackbirds hope to get back to some sort of normalcy in 2021.

Last year: 0-2, lost to Bishop Guertin in first round of NHIAA DI playoff

Key losses: Three offensive linemen

Key returners: The entire senior class

First game: Sept. 3 vs. Bishop Guertin

Head coach: Linwood Patnode (third year)

Coach’s thoughts:

“We’re still early in the process. [The kids] are still in a learning phase. We’re still trying to build a program, build a system.”

“We’ve got to play well as a team, that’s the bottom line. We’re not going to play well unless everyone knows the system.”

“The kids are working hard. The kids and coaching staff are doing all they can so that we have a successful season, that’s for sure.”

This year’s Monadnock football team, led by first-year head coach Rob Lotitio, is — for the most part — in the hands of the junior class. The Huskies have talented seniors and talented underclassmen, but the large junior class will ultimately decide how this season will go.

Quarterback Carson Shanks and running back Hayden Haddock — the only two starting seniors in Week 1 — will lead the offense, running behind a junior-heavy line. Junior Zach Phillips and sophomore Ben Dean will likely be Shanks’ main targets throughout the season.

The offensive and defensive lines — anchored by juniors Gabe Sanchez, Jack Lorenz, Joe Lotitio and Luke Weston — have the opportunity to step up and push the team over the hump.

“If those four guys can produce on the O-line and D-line … that’s the core of our juniors that need to step up,” said Rob Lotitio.

After reaching the state semifinals last season and losing a strong senior class, it’s now up to the two seniors and the large junior class to get the Huskies back to the final four — or beyond.

Last year: 4-1, lost to Pelham in NHIAA Division III semifinals

Key losses: Nate Doyle, Victor Lotito, Justin Joslyn, Zion Carroll, Dylan Cashman

Players to watch: Senior Carson Shanks (QB), senior Hayden Haddock (RB), junior Jack Lorenz (OG/DL), junior Joe Lotito (C/LB), junior Luke Weston (OG/DL), junior Gabe Sanchez (OT, DL), junior Zach Phillips (WR/DB), sophomore Ben Dean (TE/S)

First game: Sept. 3 at Laconia

Head coach: Rob Lotito (first year)

Coach’s thoughts:

“We feel good. We’re ready to play.”

“If our juniors can play, we’re going to be a good team. We’re junior-laden. If we can get these juniors to play like they have experience, we should be in good shape.”

“We have to play older than we are.”

Without a season last year, the Cougars want to take this opportunity to “hit the reset button,” as first-year head coach Mike Jillson put it, and rebuild from the ground up.

The foundation of this team will be the seniors — all 14 of them — who will have the task of leading this team after losing out on an entire year of competitive experience. But Jillson knows they are up for the task.

“That senior group is going to have to lead us,” Jillson said. “We’ve got some young fellas as well that’ll be pushing for time.”

Seniors Caleb Sanborn and Jaxson Salamy will be competing for the starting quarterback spot and will likely split time in Week 1, but no matter who’s under center in the long run, both guys will “absolutely play,” Jillson said. The coaching staff just might have to mix and match to see where everyone fits best on the field.

Add in a “nice core of freshman,” with that senior leadership, and ConVal has the talent to put out a winning product on Friday nights.

The Cougars open up Friday against Trinity in Peterborough.

Last year: No season

Key returners: Senior Caleb Sanborn, senior Jaxon Salamy, senior Alex Heck, senior Collin Beauchemin, senior Gareth Armstrong, senior Harrison Clark

Newcomers: Sophomore Cohen Sanborn, junior Noah Lambert, freshman Bishop Benham, senior Deven Eaves

First game: Sept. 3 vs. Trinity

Head coach: Mike Jillson (first year)

Coach’s thoughts:

“They have a great opportunity to hit the reset button given there was no football last year. You don’t always get to do that.”

“I’m guardedly optimistic. We’re just coaching effort and enthusiasm. We’re going to be playing this season by quarter. Control what we can control.”

Fall Mountain

Fall Mountain returns a strong senior class, including quarterback Luke Gay and All-State lineman Quinn Healey.

“[Healey is] going to be a really important piece for us,” said fifth-year head coach Orion Binney. “Excited to see what he can do this year.”

Gay will be leading the offense, with classmates Brady Elliot and Ben Robinson as potential top targets as wideouts.

Senior Josh Dow, set to play his first varsity season in the backfield for the Wildcats, suffered a season-ending injury in preseason, a big loss for Fall Mountain.

Losing three of last year’s captains is a big hit for the Wildcats, but they certainly bring back the talent to make some noise this year.

“Real genuine kids,” Binney said of his graduated captains. “They’ll leave a significant hole, both in talent and in leadership.”

The Wildcats host Raymond Schools on Friday, Sept. 10, to kick off the regular season.

Last year: 1-2, lost to Newport in the first round of the NHIAA Division IV playoffs

Key losses: Alex Flynn, Isaac Westover, Tyler Swain

Key returners: Senior Quinn Healey, senior Luke Gay, senior Brady Elliot, senior Ben Robinson

Newcomers: Junior Max Vogel, junior Zach Patch, senior Josh Dow (injured, out for the season)

First game: Sept. 10 vs. Raymond Schools

Head coach: Orion Binney (fifth year)

Coach’s thoughts:

“I’m impressed with their commitment. Looks like we have the makings of a good football team.”

“It’s a pretty talented group. We bring back a lot of experience. We have some good players coming up.”