Beavers are led by a strong group of returners

By Chris Villani

The Blackstone Valley Tech football team comes into the 2023 season with multiple talented players at nearly every position, including quarterback, giving Anthony Landini the fun challenge of sorting through his skilled charges to find the best lineup.

“It’s a very good problem to have,” the head coach said of having two quarterbacks: juniors Alex Vosberg and Alex Burgos. 

“They are competing but they are going to find themselves on the field one way or another because they know what everyone else is doing, they are smart, and they are athletic,” Landini said. ‘It’s funny to say you have quarterback depth, but they are both good at throwing the ball, they are smart, and figuring out which guy to go with is our biggest challenge. I am comfortable playing either of those guys at any time.”

The dual signal callers are emblematic of the Beavers’ roster.

“We have a deep core of guys, including seniors who have been around for three years now,” Landini said.

Senior Landry Fitzgerald is a three-year starter who will once again anchor the line along with fellow senior Jack Simard. 

Adam Fransen was one of Valley Tech’s main offensive weapons over the last six games of the 2022 season, and Landini thinks the running back will be a focal point of the offense again during his senior campaign.

On defense, Tyler Clare returns at defensive end and outside linebacker. Cam Burdick, a strong linebacker, is also slated to return after starting as a sophomore and missing all of last season with a torn ACL and MCL.

The Beavers have frequently been a playoff team in recent seasons, but Landini would not speculate about how far this year’s team might advance.

“I am not really a guy who looks ahead, I don’t even look past tomorrow,” he said. ‘I am focused on the process right now and getting ready for the next game.”

Landini said the preseason has a way of flying back and the amount of time to prepare his team for a challenging schedule is limited.

“It feels so fast, it’s just so much to do on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “But my goal is obviously just to win football games as they come.”