5 things from #vthsfootball Preseason

     We are officially in the homestretch of summer vacation as most schools begin the 2026-2027 year this week.  That means games will begin in most sports this week and in Vermont high school football, teams begin final preparation for the 2026 season.  So much change is coming for this year as teams adjust to new divisions and 1 is out of the picture completely.  Here are 5 things you need to know before week 1 of the season begins September 4

1---Poultney is out in 2026 (maybe longer?)

    One of the biggest issues in 2025 for some schools were getting numbers up to play a full season.  For Poultney high school, it was apparent that the number of kids leaving the program would make it difficult to field a team in 2026.

    The Blue Devils made the decision official in the spring with the announcement that the program would go on hiatus.  While the school will have a member-to-member agreement with Fair Haven this year, the hope is that there will be football back at Poultney for 2027.

2---Seawolves see changes in staff and venue

    With the new Burlington High School officially open, there will be more excitement coming from Buck Hard Field in 2026 as the Seawolves will play 2 home games there as well as be the site for the 2026 state championship games on November 14th.

    But the Seawolves will also have a new head coach as Chaddie Wolf stepped down to take a new role as program director.  The schools (Burlington, SB and Winooski) ultimately went with JV coach Josh Safran, who last coached for Winooski in 2015 before that school ended their program.

3---Intriguing division changes

    With Poultney's departure and a lot of concerns about non-competitive games in 2025 after the previous changes, several schools moved to new divisions in 2026.

    In D-1, MMU jumps up while Brattleboro moves down; D-2 will have 9 schools involved as Milton drops to D-3, keeping it at 10 schools.  Another scenario that has played out is that some D-3 schools will play their 8th game against teams from out-of-state (Woodstock vs. Newport, NH and Springfield vs. Beekmantown, NY to name a couple) while others will stick with a 7-game season.

4---Buying tickets?  There's an app for some...

    Over the last few years, the VPA has made getting tickets to championship games more accessible with the GoFan app.  Now, schools across the state are using it to get into certain games, including home football games.

    As of August 26th, these schools are making tickets available on GoFan:  Hartford, Middlebury, Mount Abraham, North Country and Springfield.  The only difference will be a fee for getting them online.  

    It's unknown if those schools will also have people at the field or if they're only going to be available through the app.

5---...Wanna watch?  It's free for all.

    In 2025, the Northeast Sports Network got to about half of the football games that were played across the state of Vermont.  This year's plan is simple:  Get to all of them and make it free for everyone to watch.

    The first time I heard of NSN was in college, when they used what is now the electronic journalism department's facility for equipment used to cover games around the area.  Now the network has expanded so much, they'll do something no one has planned to do and give the people an option to watch the games without leaving their homes.

    Best of luck to Eric Berry and everyone at NSN as they try to get to all Vermont high school football games in 2026.

    As for what 2026 will bring to me, I hope to get to as many games as I can this year.  With work, my Fridays might be difficult to get to a game, but I hope to have most (if not all) Saturdays off and be able to catch games at some venues.  I plan to be at Rice Memorial (with the new bleachers ready to be in use for week 1) and South Burlington (2 games at Munson, 2 at Buck) while other venues will depend on availability.  

    Otherwise, I plan on watching the other games via NSN, give my 5 things every week and try to do spaces on X (formerly Twitter) once the week is up.  There's also a chance I use Instagram more this year than before, so follow me @ploofervt (same on X) for that.

    The excitement is in the air and another football season in the Green Mountain State is upon us.  Enjoy the games and I'll see you there.

5 things to know for Fall 2026 (non-football)

    The 2026-2027 School year is fast approaching and high school athletic fields and gyms have been a buzz going into the fall season.  Soccer, Field Hockey and Volleyball teams begin their seasons this week with many hoping to continue success from 2025 and others going through changes in both rosters and staff.  Here are 5 things you need to know going into the fall 2026 seasons.

1---Winooski's soccer run

    After winning their 3rd straight D4 state championship in 2024, Winooski made the decision to jump back up to D3 for 2025.  It worked out in the end as the Spartans defeated Peoples Academy in PKs to win the title.  A 5th straight banner in on their minds going into 2026 but having to face D1 and D2 powers like Rice, SB and Mount Abe will test them.

    As for the girls, after an amazing run to the title game, the Lady Spartans came up inches short of joining the boys in state champions in D4.  Now, Winooski is on the process of trying to finish their story and capture the program's first state title.

2---CVU Girls' soccer run

    Champlain Valley Union's girls' soccer team have brought home 3 of the last 4 titles in Division 1, including the last 2 in pretty convincing fashion.  Can they continue their dynasty in 2026?

3---Essex girls' volleyball closing in on century

    Looking at the schedule for the fall sports season, October 16-17 will count as the last day of the Vermont high school fall sport season before the playoffs.  The 16th could also be a historic day at Jean Robinson Court as the Essex girls' volleyball team has a chance to get to 100 straight victories, continuing one of the country's longest winning streaks.

    Then again, when you've won so many times, the target is on you.  Could their streak end before 100?

 

4---New place for XC updates

    While most of the focus will be on the main sports (🏈⚽🏐) there are those niche sports that don't get much attention.  Just like with me and Bowling in the winter, there is someone who has taken their time year after year to show their love for Cross Country.

    Now, there's a site you can go to for all information from this year and years' past.  vthsxc.com is your location for HS XC action in the state.  Right now, you can learn about who's coming back for 2026 and preview every meet taking place.

5---Athletic Department changes

    Several schools are undergoing major changes to their athletic departments.  In the north, Essex and Mount Abraham have new ADs (Devin Wendel goes from the Eagles to the Hornets) along with Rutland (Bo McDougall) and Burr and Burton (Geri Witalec-Krupa) in southern VT.  There are also some familiar faces staying where they are like at Missisquoi, South Burlington and Winooski.

    These people will have a handful to deal with throughout the year.  Let's make it easier and give them all the support they need in 2026-2027.