Beavers to lean on captains for leadership

By Chris Villani

The Blackstone Valley Tech football team comes into the 2025 season with only a handful of seniors on the roster. But head coach Anthony Landini said the leadership of his captains and solid team speed should help the Beavers battle for some victories and a spot in the postseason.

Troy Rudder (left) is a standout on both sides of the ball. Courtesy photo

“I think we are a little bit faster than we have been in the past, which definitely helps,” Landini said. “And we are young, but we are a little deeper. We have a lot of guys who we are not afraid to put out there even though they are young.”

The Beavers will rely on their captains to show the way. Senior Lucas Greenstein returns at quarterback after taking some snaps last season. He will be aided on offense by Bryce Sheldon, who is expected to be a featured running back for Valley Tech.

“We are hoping they lead the way for us offensively,” Landini said.

The defense will be anchored by senior captain Isaque Santos, another returning senior captain. Up front, BVT co-captain Alex Lavallee is the starting center and someone Landini said is a player to watch. Rounding out the quintet of captains is Troy Santos, a standout defensive back who can also play wide receiver.

“We have a lot of guys returning on defense, so I think that side of the ball should be better than last year,” Landini said.

BVT will play a challenging schedule right from the first game of the season, a trip to play Auburn, the team that knocked the Beavers out of the playoffs a year ago. Valley Tech will also be playing at Nantucket and has a pair of defending state champions on its schedule in Uxbridge and West Boylston. With a younger team and a difficult schedule, Landini said it’s important not to look too far ahead.

“I am trying to take it week by week, because that’s how we approach the season,” he said. “Our overall goal is to make the playoffs. Even with a tough schedule, we know we can scheme and scrape together some wins.”

Experience has also taught Landini not to put too much stock in the early results.

“We have started 0-3 before and ended up fighting back and even made it to the state finals one year,” he noted. “It’s just a matter of staying in it, not getting down. We are going to face good competition, but we have to work hard and do the right things.”