Plymouth South Prepares For Unprecedented Season

PLYMOUTH, MA- Plymouth South started their football season in an unusual month and in unprecedented times. Plymouth South started their football season in February. Instead of having football in the Fall, MIAA decided to move football to February-April in a season titled Fall II due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The official dates for the Fall II football season is from February 22-April 25.

The season started with contact-limited conditioning for the first three days of the season. By Thursday of the first week, the team was allowed to switch to pads and helmets, then Saturday the team was allowed to do full practice with contact. Some of the COVID protocols are that players need to wear cloth facemasks, practices have to be socially distanced, and huddles are allowed but has to be socially distanced.

Plymouth South has a new head coach, whose name is Darren Fruzzetti. Fruzzetti previously served 12 years as a assistant to former head coach David Fry, who now serves as the Athletic Director. Fruzzetti says, “I’m lucky to be able to take over as head coach with Scott Fry and David McCormack on my coaching staff. They both coached me in football at Plymouth North (class of 1999) where I was captain of the football team and baseball teams. I was born and raised in Plymouth and being able to be a part of the Thanksgiving tradition is still as special now as when I played”.

Plymouth South is coming off a 10-3 season, in which they won the Patriot League Fisher division and Division 4 South Sectional Championships. Their last game was in the MIAA Division 4 Super Bowl at Gilette Stadium in Foxboro in which they lost to Melrose.

During the regular season, Plymouth South will only face teams in the Fisher Division in the Patriot League, which include Hanover, North Quincy, Quincy, Scituate, and Pembroke. The first game of the season is on Friday, March 12 against Hanover. The home opener is the next week on the 19th against Quincy. After the five matchups of the regular season, if Plymouth South is one of the top two teams in the Fisher Division, then they will qualify for the Patriot Cup tournament. If not qualified, the team will play one more game against a team also not in the playoff mix before the season ends. There will be no state tournaments for this football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The expectations for the football season according to Fruzzetti are, “always to play for a league championship. This team has the responsibility of defending their title and I think they’re up for the challenge”. One of the challenges of the season is playing in the Spring, which is different than other seasons. Coach Fruzzetti says, “I’m really excited for the kids to have an opportunity to play. Spring football is going to be different, but I think that this will be a fun, competitive season”.

This is uncharted territory for Plymouth South and in this territory, they will be defending their Fisher Division title and will fight to reach for the Patriot Cup.