BALDWINSVILLE, Mass. — The Bartlett High School football team made their way to Baldwinsville Friday night to take on Narragansett Regional High School. Aside from being a playoff-clinching game, the Bartlett Indians were playing for a greater purpose, honoring their former teammate.
18-year-old Francois Longdaye, of Webster, was one of three servicemen killed in a single-car crash last weekend in Pensacola, Florida. Longdaye was in Florida serving as a recruit for the Navy.
Longdaye was a beloved member of the Bartlett High School football team and school community. He graduated earlier this year. Dane Laboissonniere, head coach of the football team, said it’s been a tough week for his team and coaching staff since they heard what happened.
“It’s been a challenging week, and the kids are playing with heavy hearts,” Laboissonniere said.
“To hear that news it was kind of unbelievable; it was definitely hard the first couple of days, and even now it’s still hard,” Tyler Whiting, a senior football player, said.
“I was just heartbroken. I didn’t expect to hear that at all, and it’s just been tough,” Cameron Hast, a senior football player, said.
This week, the team’s focus has been on supporting each other.
“It’s been hard for all of us; we’ve all had to take mental timeouts, and we needed to take breaks every once in a while,” Jaesean Atkins, a junior football player, said.
Laboissonniere said Longdaye was a former tight end and defensive lineman who played every play like it was his last.
“He just played so hard, we used him as an example even after he graduated. We said, ' Look how hard he played on this play, played from whistle to whistle,’ Laboissonniere said.
“He was a guy that was always there to hype everyone up; whenever you needed something, he was there,” Mast said.
“He was a really good player… he had a lot of heart in everything he did,” Atkins said.
His teammates and coach said Longdaye’s true character came through even beyond the field.
“He always lifted everyone up, even when they’re down, even if you messed up one rep, one little thing, he was there making sure you’re ok and just being a great person overall.”
The team poured their hearts into Friday night’s game, repping Longdaye’s #34 on their helmets and sweatshirts. Despite being a close game, the Indians rallied in the second half pulling off a win 38-20. They could be heard chanting “34” and “Franny” as they celebrated their win and moving on to the playoffs.
“Everything we do is for him now… he’s always inside our hearts, he’s always with us,” Atkins said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
