Monty Tech will attempt to compete in both the MIAA and Voke tournaments at the end of the regular season
Monty Tech football is operating with a new dynamic this season that is not typical for the program.
While athletes at other public schools have been playing together for years, players at technical and vocational schools typically meet each other for the first time in their freshman year.
Luckily for the Bulldogs, the members of this year’s football squad had the opportunity to grow up together at Wachusett Pop Warner and have the bond needed to play with chemistry on the field.
This season, several of the starters from last year are back, giving them a bit of an experience advantage. Senior quarterback Dylan Hunton is back to resume his role and is excited to lead his teammates.
Other key returnees include Aiden LeBlanc, Michael Duddy, Arthur Walch, Aiden Butler, Charlie Doyle and Caleb Hall.
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“There’s a group of about seven or eight of them that have been playing together since they were kids,” said head coach Anthony Secino. “The core group of our guys this year have been playing together forever at Pop Warner, so this is kind of a new dynamic, something we don’t see very often.”
Secino hopes that bond and experience, along with the hard work of the freshmen competing for a big spot, will propel his team forward this season. Last year, Monty Tech finished 5-6, which he believes has tremendous room for improvement.
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“We seem to be on a good path right now, so hopefully we can get them prepared and step up when it counts,” Secino said. “The big message I’m giving to the guys is we have to show up every day and work hard, we can’t take anything for granted. That’s pretty important for us.”
With many great teams on the schedule and a goal of competing in both the MIAA state tournament and the national vocational school tournament, the Bulldogs have a lot of work to do.
“The goal is to go to the Voke Bowl or even the MIAA,” Hunton said. “I think we’re improving really well every day and we’re just looking forward to week one against Gansett and hoping to beat them. That’s the expectation.”
