At the first night game in Franklin County Technical School’s history, there was a light dedication ceremony before the game for Connor Powers, a 17-year-old electrical student who died from injuries following a car accident last year. Powers’ family was invited on the field to receive a plaque and turn on the lights.
At the first night game in Franklin County Technical School’s history, there was a light dedication ceremony before the game for Connor Powers, a 17-year-old electrical student who died from injuries following a car accident last year. Powers’ family was invited on the field to receive a plaque and turn on the lights. Credit: Contributed Photo

MONTAGUE — With the press of a button, new lights at the football field illuminated the first night game in Franklin County Technical School’s history — and it was Tammie Powers who did the honors in memory of her son Connor Powers, a senior at the high school who died last November.

“It was a nice way to start the evening, it was a great community event and I have to applaud the committee here,” Superintendent Rick Martin told the Franklin County Technical School Committee Wednesday.

Powers, an electrical student, died of critical injuries received in a car crash on Nov. 6. He was a senior baseball player at the high school and was an apprentice electrician with Steve Keyes Electric of Whately.

In the spring of this year, the baseball team honored Powers by painting his jersey number, 3, on the field, in a ceremony where people told stories about him and his character, among other activities.

The lights were dedicated in Powers’ memory at the start of the inaugural football game last Friday, which drew the largest gate in the sport’s history, according to Athletic Director, Joseph Gamache. Martin said he was glad the dedication ceremony was done on such a historic evening.

The parents – at midfield – were presented with a plaque in memory of their son, who school officials said was an integral part of all of the light installation projects at the school.

He “was really looking forward to completing the football lights before he passed away,” said Martin.

While Powers wasn’t a football player, Martin said, the light dedication honored the hard work of the former student’s peers in the electrical program as well as his work with other lights installed at the school. “This plaque is given to the Powers family in honor of the hard work and dedication of their son while being a student athlete at Franklin County Technical School,” Martin said at the dedication. “Every time these lights go on, on every football game and we look up at these lights, it will be a symbol remembering Connor and what he has meant to the Franklin County Tech community.”