EASTHAMPTON -- With three games under his belt taking snaps for Easthampton, Liam Burke is developing into a leader on the field.
He proved that during Easthampton’s 26-6 victory over Franklin Tech Friday night.
“He played really well tonight,” Easthampton coach Matt Bean said. “I think he did well, he took command tonight and took charge.”
Burke was in a solid rhythm all throughout. Despite spearheading the Easthampton offense, though, he doesn’t see his role as the designated “starter.”
“We don’t really view it as a starting quarterback because Fred (Murray) could go in at any time and I can go in at any time,” Burke said. “It’s just really a matter of what what’s working at that time.”
Burke was certainly working for Easthampton Friday.
With a daring handoff on 2nd-and-27, Bennet Kelly plowed through the terrain past defenders for a 65-yard rushing touchdown.
“I saw the hole there and I knew my linemen made it for me,” Kelly said. “Then I was running and I was like, ‘There’s no way that I’m going to get caught right now.’”
Being a senior, the moment of glory for Kelly was even sweeter due to Easthampton’s annual senior day. Their last hoorah in Easthampton couldn’t have gone better for the upperclassmen.
“We started out and we just played with fire and it was a great game all around,” Matt Champagne said. “And we did it for the seniors. Our last game on this field.”
Champagne found himself with the first score of the game in the first quarter after a blocked punt. With the ball ricocheting off a helmet and bouncing into the end zone, Champagne was the first one on to arrive.
“I saw the ball come straight up and come down and hit somebody’s helmet,” Champagne said. “So I just jumped on it and touchdown.”
Burke’s poise on offense and a dominant special teams performance weren’t the only two phases that prevailed for Easthampton — they also wielded a steel curtain defense.
“(We were) just being real aggressive,” Bean said. “We had a good scheme, especially on specials tonight. We played very aggressively on both sides.”
Time and time again, Franklin Tech quarterback Owen Badshaw took a low snap, and more often than not, the ball sailed past him. After making a mad dash to the ball and throwing himself on top to remain in possession every time, Easthampton was on him mere seconds later.
“We played well in all three phases,” Bean said. “Specials we played well, offensively we’ve got it going. Defensively, we played well the whole game I thought.”
With one final punt from Easthampton to set up Franklin Tech at their own 5-yard line with 5:24 left in the game, it took almost every last second for the Colby Mailloux to find the end zone for his team’s first score.
Halting Franklin Tech, who had just come off a 34-0 victory at Monument Mountain’s expense, gave Easthampton a boost in confidence.
Already thirsty for conference wins, Easthampton is looking to carry their momentum toward Turners Falls on Oct. 11.
“We’re a scary team now,” Champagne said. “This is it.”