This past season, I followed the newly hired football head coach at Amherst Regional High School, Jack Putala. At just 24 years old, Putala wanted to create a solid culture of football in the Amherst community and to instill a similar “old school football” mentality in his players as his father taught him. “Working super hard. Playing super hard. Playing mean, but playing respectful at the same time.” Putala said. With many odds stacked against them, it is not always common for a team to do well with a new head coach. Putala turned a young team, with no starting quarterback heading into the season, and a tough schedule, into a five-win season, a game away from a MIAA state tournament birth. Despite exceeding many expectations, Putala still wants more. He is hungry for the possibility of more team success and proving Amherst has power and depth. “You don’t do this if you don’t love to do it,” Putala said. “And I do love it.” The full story can be found at gazettenet.com For the d...