5 things from #vthsfootball Week 4

     We have made it to the halfway point of the Vermont High School Football season.  Most of the top 4 teams in each division is either 4-0 or 3-1 but there are still opportunities for those in the bottom of the division to make a move and give those at the top a run for their money.  For now, let's look back at Week 4 and see what we've learned heading down the homestretch.

1---Burr and Burton uses strong 2nd half to knock off Essex

    After both teams' quarterbacks (Dowd for BBA, Bent for EHS) scored in the first half for a 7-6 Bulldogs lead.  Both teams would score to start the second half, and the Hornets were looking to respond after a big 4th down conversion, only for Burr and Burton to force a fumble and return it all the way for a TD to take control of the game.  Owen Cassan had 2 rushing touchdowns in that half as part of the Bulldogs run of 20 unanswered points as they knocked off Essex 27-13 in a pivotal Division 1 matchup.

2---Patriots run away from Rice; ready for D1 test

    Mount Anthony improved to 2-2 on the season with a 43-6 win vs. Rice on Saturday.  Both wins have come against D2 opponents (other being MMU) with a pair of massive D1 games coming up next (vs. Rutland, vs. Middlebury).

3---Rutland's Gallagher plays hero against St. Johnsbury

    Grady Gallagher was among the star players from the 2024 Rutland football team that made the D1 championship game vs. CVU.  He played that role perfectly on Friday night at home against a St. J squad that came in undefeated.

    Gallagher ran for 2 TDs and had a game-sealing INT to hand the Hilltoppers their first loss of the season 21-13, part of a major weekend for teams south of the "Middlebury-Dixie Line" in VT high school football.

4---Game that looked good on paper ended up as drubbings

    It was the 112th meeting between Springfield and Bellows Falls, but for the 15th year in a row, it's the Terriers bringing the trophy home after a dominant performance against the Cosmos on Friday night.

5---Week 5 slate of games (to be updated before Friday)

Hartford @ Middlebury (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Rutland @ Mount Anthony (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

St. Johnsbury @ Burlington/South Burlington (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

North Country @ U-32 (Friday @ 7PM) (CVT Sport?)

Fair Haven @ Bellows Falls (Friday @ 7PM) (NSN)

Mill River @ Woodstock (Friday @ 7PM)

Poultney @ Springfield (Friday @ 7PM) (NFHS/YT)

Lyndon @ Mount Mansfield (Saturday @ 1PM) (NSN)

Missisquoi @ Milton (Saturday @ 1PM) (LCATV)

BFA-St. Albans @ Colchester (Saturday @ 7PM) (NSN/LCATV)

Brattleboro @ Burr and Burton (Saturday @ 1PM) (NSN)

Essex @ Champlain Valley (Saturday @ 1PM) (NFHS)

Rice @ Mount Abraham (Saturday @ 1PM) (NFHS)

BFA-Fairfax @ Spaulding (Saturday @ 6PM) (CVT Sport?)

Otter Valley @ Windsor (Saturday @ 1PM)

5 things from #vthsfootball week 3

 1---Another defensive stand keeps Lyndon undefeated

    Lyndon Institute faced adversity yet again on Friday night after allowing U-32 to come back from 11-0 down to take a 15-11 lead in the third quarter.  But the Vikings drove down the field, Logan Wheeler scored early in the 4th quarter to take the lead, and the defense did just enough to defeat the Raiders 18-15.

2---Middlebury pulls away from Rutland; moves to 3-0

    In a battle of undefeated squads, it's the Tigers knocking off Rutland 31-21 and take control of one of the top spots in D1 (with St. Johnsbury, who are also 3-0)

3---BF, Cosmos head into rivalry game with seeding at stake

    The Terriers dominated their matchup Friday night at North Country while Springfield got a road win against Windsor.  Both teams come into a critical rivalry matchup 3-0 as Bellows Falls celebrates homecoming 2025 Friday night.

4---Teams who fell week 1 getting better at the right time?

     CVU, Essex, Rice and Woodstock among teams who have won last 2 games after losing their season opener.

5---New Vermont high school football field unlocked.

    Burr and Burton open up Friendship Field with 17-7 win vs. Mount Anthony on Saturday.  Bulldogs head to Essex Friday night for a pivotal game with Hornets.

5 Things from #vthsfootball Week 2

 1---CVU dominates for coach Parisi's first win

    After getting outplayed by Rutland in week 1, Champlain Valley returned to Hinesburg for their first home game of the Frank Parisi era.  It ended up being a dominant performance as the Redhawks defeated BFA-St. Albans 31-3 for Parisi's first win as head coach.  Ian Kennelly threw 2 TD passes in the game as CVU moved to 1-1 on the season and host Burlington/South Burlington next Saturday.

2---LI ones to watch after knocking off defending D2 champs

    Lyndon Institute was 1 win away from a D2 title game appearance close to home in St. J.  Their chances of getting to that game in 2025 got better with wins over the two teams that played in said final.

    After a dominant performance vs. Rice in week 1, the Vikings outlast the Slaters 14-13 on a pair of TD runs by Jackson Wells and an INT from Preston Jenkins late in the game to seal a 2-0 start.  Lyndon travels to U-32 on Friday night.

3---MAV a D3 contender

    3 teams moved down a division this year, but while Hartford and Bellows Falls' moves led to folks already booking them for state title games, Mount Abraham/Vergennes have become a contender.

    After major defense and special team moments against Otter Valley in week 1, the Eagles delivered another 2nd half rally to knock off BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille 27-20 and improve to 2-0 on the season.  Cole Gagnon carried that momentum with 193 rushing yards and a pair of 2nd half TDs in the win.  MAV are at Missisquoi Saturday.

4---D1 St. J survives scare from D2 Colchester

    The game of the week may have been Otter Valley-Springfield had it not been for a pair of massive late-game drives in Laker Land on Friday night.

    First, Colchester tied things up with a 13-play drive, culminating in a TD pass from Colton Lefebvre to Mason Sheltra (+2 from Brody Coppins) to tie things up at 14.  Then, St. Johnsbury would answer with a sub-60 second drive, capped off by a Maddox McFarland pass to Cole Lemieux to give the Hilltoppers a 21-14 win over the Lakers.

    This game may have proved that Colchester could hang with the Metro teams as they head to Essex on Friday night.

5---Massive matchup in Midd awaits.

    After a pair of intense wins to start the season, both Middlebury and Rutland head into their matchup on Friday night with hopes of ending their season at Munson Field in November.  The Tigers picked up road wins at Essex and Brattleboro while Rutland defeated CVU and Burr and Burton at home.

    Now the two clash in a game where the winner may become the favorite to win Division 1, making this a can't miss matchup.  If you can't be there for the game, NSN will be there for all the action.

*Stats and highlights from Burlington Free Press

5 things from #vthsfootball Week 1

     It's time for a new segment on the blog in 2025 involving the Vermont High School football season!  After every week, I'll be looking at the 5 most important events from the previous week.  Let's take a look at those moments from Week 1.

1---Playoff rematches=revenge*

    In Week 1, 2 games were rematches of playoff matchups from last year...and in both cases, the team that lost in 2024 wound up winning in 2025.  Lyndon, under new HC Colin Wells, shut out Rice 23-0 at home and Rutland, also at home, took care of CVU 35-10 to get to 1-0 on the season.

    However, I did have to put an asterisk on this topic as both teams that won last year lost some key players to graduation (and in the Redhawks case, prep school) so we'll have to keep an eye on both Rice and CVU to see how the rest of the season goes.

2---drop down teams mean business

    In 2025, Hartford dropped from D1 to D2 while Bellows Falls and Mount Abe/Vergennes went from D2 to D3.  All 3 teams pitched shutouts in Week 1 with each team playing within their own division.

    The Hurricanes defeated Fair Haven 33-0; The Terriers knocked off Windsor 44-0 while the Eagles got a blocked FG return for a TD en route to a 14-0 win vs. Otter Valley.

3---Colchester's continued success vs. D2

    In Laker Land, the football program has one of the toughest schedules in the state with more than half of their 8-game schedule vs. D1 foes.  But it's helped Colchester against D2 opponents, including rival Milton on Friday night.

    The Lakers got out front with a KO return TD and never looked back in a 54-12 win over the Yellowjackets.  A great start heading into the Metro slate that includes SJA, Essex and CVU on the horizon.

4---Bobwhites' impressive comeback

    A handful of teams ended up with disappointing 2024s with 1 or 0 wins.  BFA-St. Albans may have had the toughest year out of them all, but they started 2025 with a bang.

    The Bobwhites went on an impressive 92-yard drive late in the fourth quarter and capitalized on a miscue on the ensuing kickoff to knock off North Country 21-20 and pick up their first W since 2023.

5---Mill River/Mount St. Joseph's co-op leads to football back at St. Peter's

    Mount St. Joseph's football program hasn't been around for 20 years but have been able to see some players suit up for neighboring Mill River in the years since.  On Saturday, St. Peter's Field at MSJ was home to football once more as the Minutemen hosted BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille.

    The Bullets may have won 31-20 but for me and those who remember the days of the Mounties/Green Wave playing at St. Peter's, seeing it host another game makes it a special occasion for everyone involved.