Replacing Josiah Little in the Franklin Tech backfield will be no easy task.
Little was one of the most dynamic and productive backs the area has seen, rushing for 1,000 yards in all four years with the Eagles. Last year as a senior, Little ran for 1,870 yards and 24 touchdowns, putting him at 5,197 yards in his career which is second all time in Franklin County history and just 11 shy of the record.
Little helped power Franklin Tech to an 8-3 record a season ago, one in which the Eagles earned a share of the Intercounty League North title with Ware. Tech opens its 2025 season Friday night on the road at McCann Tech.
Despite losing Little, the expectations are still high in the Tech program, hoping to bring more banners to the Powertown.
“We’re looking good,” Tech lineman Dillon Laffond said. “We’re all excited. We’re trying to top [last year]. We want the school record; nine wins. It all starts here with our leadership. You can see how bad everyone wants it based on the work we put in during the summer.”
While it was a successful season for the Eagles, a pair of losses still string a year later. Tech had a chance to win the league outright but a late season loss to Ware — which has dominated the league since the return from COVID — forced a share of the title.
Then on Thanksgiving against rival Smith Vocational, the Vikings pulled off a 16-8 win in overtime. It was the first time Smith Vocational won on Turkey Day since 2018.
“We want to get Ware,” Laffond said. “We want Ware and we want to win on Turkey Day.”
The main player tasked with replacing Little is Maxon Brunette. The senior had a strong season in the backfield himself last fall, rushing for 428 yards and seven touchdowns.
“We graduated a kid who’s loss is a major hit for us,” Franklin Tech head coach Joe Gamache said of Little. “We’ll miss his leadership and productivity, but we’ve got a stable of guys who will look to step up.”
Brunette said he’s seen his senior class step up this year to lead the younger players.
“The biggest difference is guys stepping up in leadership,” Brunette said. “We didn’t lose too much and I think we gained a lot.”
Sophomore quarterback Mason Bassett replaces Tyler Yetter under center and has the Eagles’ two top receivers from last year in Hunter Donahue and Nolyn Stafford to throw to. Jaxon Silva is also in the receiving mix, while Cole Bassett, Mason’s twin brothers, is slotted in to the tight end position.
Stafford could also see some snaps under center.
“We’ve got some athleticism at quarterback,” Gamache said. “Mason will take the reins and learn on the fly but he’s super coachable. And (Stafford) offers a change of pace there for us if he gets some snaps.”
The Eagles have some stability on the defensive side of the ball, as most of the linebacking and defensive line contributors return. The big question mark comes in the secondary, as Gamache said Tech graduated its entire lineup on the back end.
Laffond is a two-way starter on the line and one of five captains for Tech this fall. Gamache is expecting a lot of leadership from the senior, in addition to fellow captains Brunette, Nathan Sabolevski (FB/DT), Wyatt Whitman (FB/LB) and Jared Currier (LB/WR).
“The kids have been working hard so I’m cautiously optimistic that we’ll be in the hunt for a league title again this year,” Gamache said.
In addition to the five-game IL North schedule, the Eagles have independent tilts against McCann Tech, Frontier and Pathfinder on the slate.