And just like that, the regular season was halfway over.
With four of the eight-week slate in the books, things are beginning to take shape on the local high school football front. Same goes for the world of fantasy, where top players at each position are starting to stake their claim to the throne of season champion.
With that in mind, we’re going to use this week’s space to hand out some mid-season awards. When all is said and done at the end of the fall, there will be a lavish awards ceremony (editorially speaking, of course), but for now, we offer a halfway to the finish line look at things.
Let’s call it, The Fantasy Awards: 0.5 edition.
Garrett DeForest, Frontier (108.3 points): The tailback barely edged out Turners Falls’ Wyatt Keith (107.4) for the most fantasy points through the first half of the 2018 campaign. How did he do it? Back-to-back monster games in Weeks 3 and 4. DeForest put up identical tallies of 32.2 points each of the past two weeks, toppling the 200-yard rushing mark in wins over Palmer and Mahar, moving into the top overall spot in the rankings.
Other nominees: Keith (107.4), Mason Barrieau (99.3), RJ Byrd (98.7), Kyle Dodge (92.8)
Bailey Young, Franklin Tech (58 points): You’ve got to go all the way back to Week 1 for this performance, when the Tech tailback put together the highest-scoring fantasy outing of the entire season so far in a 44-6 win over Mohawk. Young ran for 260 yards and five touchdowns for the Eagles, adding a two-point conversion run to get to the ridiculous 58-point total.
The Tech offense has struggled since that Week 1 performance, to say the least. In fact, the squad hasn’t scored an offensive point since then in three straight losses. Young hopes he can get back on track Friday against Frontier.
Other nominees: RJ Byrd (46.2 in Week 1), Wyatt Keith (41.5 in Week 3), Mason Barrieau (39.5 in Week 2), Kyle Dodge (37.6 in Week 2).
Caleb Cox, Athol (38.4 points): The freshman quarterback has been a bright spot for the Red Raiders this fall, including a breakthrough fantasy scoring outing in Week 4. The southpaw threw for his first two varsity touchdowns and totaled 24 fantasy points in a loss to Easthampton. Through four weeks, he’s completed 14 passes for 236 yards, and he’s completed at least one pass in each of his team’s four games.
Other nominees: Josh Semaski, Frontier (19.5).
Tyler Lavin, Turners (14 of his 27.1 points): The senior placekicker offers a little bit of everything for the Turners offense, as he can catch passes (four receptions, 36 yards, TD) and run the ball (four carries), but his scoring prowess shows particularly with his precise extra-point kicking. For the season, Lavin has connected on 14 of his 15 attempts (93-percent), with the lone miss coming in Week 4 against McCann Tech. Having an almost guaranteed point after touchdowns is another benefit for a Turners team that boasts the top scoring offense and defense in the area this fall.
Other nominees: Matt Hildreth, Frontier
Something to watch Friday is the quarterback situation in Orange.
A week ago, Mahar’s Noaha Chabot came on in relief of Ayden Sevigny who exited the game with an injury. Chabot tossed two touchdowns to Charlie Barnes, who continues to score well as the No. 2 ranked receiver through four weeks despite an unstable QB situation.
Mahar tailback Jon Gariepy, a 1,000-yard rusher a year ago, missed last week’s game against Frontier with an injury. In his absence, backs Joey Brozell and Lucas Seney combined for 21 carries for 88 yards on the ground. I’ll be in Orange for the Senators’ game against Turners.
In Greenfield, Wave receiver Danny Vega has been quite a playmaker since he missed Week 1 with an injury. Vega has touchdowns in all three games he’s played in, totaling four scores in that span. Can he keep it going against Easthampton Friday in a rematch of a wild game a year ago that saw the teams trade blow after blow in a shootout?
QB: 1. Kyle Dodge, Turners — 92.8 points; 2. Owen Phelps, Greenfield — 67.4; 3. Shawn Davenport, Mohawk — 49.1; 4. Caleb Cox, Athol — 38.4; 5. Noaha Chabot, Mahar — 24.2.
RB: 1. Garrett DeForest, Frontier — 108.3 points; 2. Wyatt Keith, Turners — 107.4; 3. Mason Barrieau, Athol — 99.3; 4. RJ Byrd, Greenfield — 98.7; 5. Evan Shippee, Mohawk — 69.6.
WR: 1. Danny Vega, Greenfield — 59.7 points; 2. Charlie Barnes, Mahar — 52.8; 3. Jaden Whiting, Turners — 46.8; 4. Andy Craver, Turners — 45.8; 5. Cam Lococo, Mohawk — 24.8.
QB: 1. Noaha Chabot, Mahar (24.2 points); 2. Kyle Dodge, Turners (24.1); 3. Caleb Cox, Athol (24); 4. Matt Hildreth, Frontier (21.6); 5. Owen Phelps, Greenfield (16.9).
RB: 1. Garrett DeForest, Frontier (32.2); 2. RJ Byrd, Greenfield (30.4); 3. Wyatt Keith, Turners (27.6); 4. Mason Barrieau, Athol (22.4); 5. Lucas Seney, Mahar (14.4).
WR: 1. Charlie Barnes, Mahar (27.7); 2. Danny Vega, Greenfield (20.5); 3. Jaden Whiting, Turners (13.7); 4. Andy Craver, Turners (12.1); 5. Kiernan Freeman, Frontier (9.9).
QB: 1. Kyle Dodge, Turners; 2. Owen Phelps, Greenfield; 3. Caleb Cox, Athol; 4. Shawn Davenport, Mohawk; 5. Matt Hildreth, Frontier.
RB: 1. Wyatt Keith, Turners; 2. Mason Barrieau, Athol; 3. Garrett DeForest, Frontier; 4. RJ Byrd, Greenfield; 5. Evan Shippee, Mohawk; 6. Keegan Lutz, Athol; 7. Bailey Young, FC Tech; 8. Ito McMillan, Frontier; 9. Lucas Seney, Mahar; 10. Dylan Castine, Athol.
WR: 1. Danny Vega, Greenfield; 2. Jaden Whiting, Turners; 3. Charlie Barnes, Mahar; 4. Andy Craver, Turners; 5. Cam Lococo, Mohawk.
Just a reminder that we are only able to use a player once for the season, so strategic picking based on matchups is vital.
JEFF LAJOIE (Week 4: 83.9 points; season total: 141.1 points)
QB — Owen Phelps, Greenfield
RB — Wyatt Keith, Turners
WR — Danny Vega, Greenfield
JAY BUTYNSKI (Week 4: 64.1; season total: 176.1 points)
QB — Owen Phelps, Greenfield
RB — Mason Barrieau, Athol
WR — Cam Lococo, Mohawk
Jeff Lajoie is a Recorder sportswriter who wasn’t even nominated for an award for this column. Email him at jlajoie@recorder.com.