Merrimack's Jack Trahan is hoping to put his versatility to good use this Saturday in the annual CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game. (Telegraoph photo by TOM KING)

AMHERST – This past fall, he was the Jack of all trades.

And that’s probably what former Merrimack High School standout Jack Trahan will be on Saturday for Team West in the annual CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game at Saint Anslem’s Grappone Stadium.

“This means a lot,” Trahan said. “Four years of hard work put into one final game. Last time in high school, it’s going to be fun.”

Trahan ran with the ball. He caught the ball as a slot receiver. He blocked. And he also played free safety for the Tomahawks. On offense, he simply loved his role as a slot receiver.

“I like slot the best,” he said. “I can catch the ball, I can run the ball, I can get open from there, and do a little bit of everything.”

It’s a position he’ll likely play in college. Trahan will move on and join former Merrimack and current Team West Teammate Cody Keefe at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass. to play in the fall.

After the season ended last fall, he didn’t think he had a chance to play, but then Endicott came calling, where he’ll likely play slot receiver.

“I think he’ll make a good college player,” Merrimack head coach Kip Jackson, who’s also an assistant for Team West, said of Trahan. “He likes to compete in everything he does. He’ll be around a lot of like-minded people, so that’s going to help a lot.

“He’s had a good off-season, trying to get ready to play at the next level.”

Trahan, like a lot of the other CHaD players, still shake their heads when they think back to the bumpy ride that was the 2020 Pandemic Season, with pauses, etc.

“It was insane,” Trahan said. “It got cancelled, then we made the playoffs, and came back from 21 down.”

Yes, that was the ‘Hawks’ big 27-26 comeback win over Nashua South in the Division I prelims. “I still can’t believe that happened,” Trahan said. “A crazy game, the craziest game of my life.”

But the circumstances last fall were just as crazy. “Even just playing one game meant a lot,” Trahan said. “It made every game more important.”

As a free safety, Trahan was a leader on the field, directed a lot of the defense and ran downhill to make tackles. He knew he’d have to take a leadership role.

“I thought going into senior year it would be like that,” he said. “The year before we had a bunch of stars and lost them all (to graduation), so I said, ‘I’ve got to step up.’

“I like having the pressure on me. The more pressure, the better I play.”

“He can run, he can catch, he’s a willing blocker, and on defense he can play multiple positions,” Jackson said. “Once again, his flexibility is going to help him when he gets to the next level.”

The other thing he likes about slot receiver, which is probably how he’ll be used on Saturday, is what Jackson referred to – blocking.

“Just getting in someone’s face and driving them back,” he said with a grin. “It always gets the defense mad when they get blocked.”

He can’t wait for Saturday.

“I’m ready to go,” he said. “Put the ball in my hands, and I’ll score.”

He feels he scored big landing a spot at Endicott, where he’ll major in finance.

“The campus is awesome, and so is the coaching staff,” Trahan said.

Saturday, Trahan will try to make his mark.

“It’ll be great, all the best kids in the state,” he said. “And the cause, it’s great, everything’s for the kids (at CHaD). Our motto is ‘For the Kids’.

KEEFE JOINING TRAHAN

Keefe is looking forward to joining Trahan at Endicott. Former Tomahawks Dom Damata and Zach Twardosky are on the roster as well.

“It’s honestly a great feeling,” he said. “I’ve played with (Trahan) for eight years now. So we’ll keep the connection, keep the (Merrimack) family alive.”

He’ll be at Endicott what he was at Merrimack – a linebacker. And likely the same on Saturday.

“Oh yeah, I love defense,” he said.

Saturday will just prep him for the challenge of the competition at Endicott.

“Definitely a big step,” he said. “There’s huge competition there, a lot of kids on that team. So I’ll have to fight my way to get a spot. It’ll be a lot of fun.”