Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
Several performances, both team and individual, stood out during the 12-team Bo Dickson Memorial Queen City Jamboree at Gill Stadium on Friday.
Manchester Memorial sure made noise. On and off the field.
Of the 12 jamboree teams, which included five squads ranked in the preseason top 10, the Crusaders impressed me most. Clearly playing with something to prove, they knocked off ninth-ranked Timberlane of Plaistow, 14-7. The Crusaders were actually less than one minute from pitching a shutout.
“We don’t figure anywhere in (the Union Leader/WGAM/WMUR Power Poll). And I said, ‘We’re going to surprise people because of the way you play.’ This will build (momentum) for them,” said second-year Memorial head coach Peter Colcord.
The final score of this two-quarter scrimmage definitely mattered to Memorial’s players. And it should. The team is coming off a 1-10 campaign, which ended with a 47-6 Turkey Bowl loss to Manchester Central.
For me, however, Memorial’s start-to-finish energy, intensity and focus was far more important than Friday’s final score. The defense was particularly eye-opening. Lineman Adam Grant and defensive back Devante Parker paced an active and physical unit.
Waiting to take the field Friday night, lined up outside their locker room under Gill Stadium, the Crusaders were challenged by a former player in the program. Gustavo Cruz, a 6-foot 4-inch, 260-pound offensive and defensive lineman for Kimball Union Academy of Meriden, told the team what it needed to do.
“We’ve got to show the rest of the state who’s for real,” Cruz, in line with the Crusaders, shouted. “This is the new Memorial!”
Can the Crusaders climb in the Division I standings this season? It’ll be difficult given the power programs the team must face.
“They need to believe in themselves,” Colcord said. “By beating a team like (Timberlane), that’s ranked, it’s going to fuel our practices and play.”
***
SECOND DOWN: Souhegan of Amherst passed its way to the second-most lopsided game at Gill. Quarterback D.J. Petropulos powered the attack that produced a 27-0 victory over Manchester West.
Petropulos ran for two TDs. He passed for two TDs. And, he kicked three extra points.
It’s well known this senior — who has garnered interest from Dartmouth, Brown and some NESCAC schools — owns a strong right arm. But it was his passing accuracy, the ability to hit receivers in stride, that caught my attention.
“I think we really have a pretty dynamic offense,” Petropulos said. “We’ve been running the (spread) for the past four years. Coach B (Mike Beliveau) does a really good job getting us in the right mindset for it.”
And yes, Souhegan rolled without Steven Jellison, the other half of arguably the state’s top quarterback-running back combination. Petropulos said Jellison “tweaked his ankle” in last Tuesday’s scrimmage against Central. But, the QB added, Souhegan’s top running back/linebacker will be ready to go against Goffstown in Week 1.
***
THIRD DOWN: Bishop Guertin of Nashua beat Manchester Central, 34-0. But the blowout win wasn’t a perfect performance, BG head coach Tony Johnson said.
Johnson wasn’t pleased with the kicking game in extra-point situations. The Cardinals botched the point-after attempt after scoring their first two touchdowns on Nick Phillips and Adam Hall scores.
“Little things like blowing the (PAT) snap,” Johnson said. “That stuff drives me nuts because we’ve been working on it for three weeks.”
***
FOURTH DOWN: Central head coach Ryan Ray didn’t sugar coat his team’s preseason performance against Guertin.
“We played a much better football team. Bishop Guertin is a much better football team than we are,” Ray said. “They executed and made very few mistakes. We failed to execute and made a lot of mistakes.”
The Little Green had a tough week, especially on defense. Souhegan and BG combined to score plenty of points in scrimmages.
“Make no mistake. The two offenses that we played are excellent offenses,” Ray said. “But, that’s lack of execution. Lack of mental toughness. Where do we go? Back to the drawing board.”
How does the head coach feel about his team’s No. 6 ranking?
“I’m not sure we’re a top 30 team at this point,” he said.
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
MANCHESTER — The last of the six scrimmages at this year’s Bo Dickson Memorial Queen City Jamboree went final a little earlier tonight (Friday, Aug. 28).
The marquee matchup, Bishop Guertin vs. Manchester Central, was the most lopsided of the evening. Guertin proved more than worthy of its No. 3 preseason ranking in the Union Leader/WGAM/WMUR Power Poll by trouncing sixth-ranked Central at Gill Stadium, 34-0.
I’ll post some thoughts, quotes, etc., on the scrimmages a bit later. For now, here are the final scores of the other five games:
Concord 7 … Merrimack 0
No. 8 Salem 27 … Goffstown 13
Trinity 29 … Campbell 14
No. 5 Souhegan 27 … Man. West 0
Man. Memorial 14 … No. 9 Timberlane 7
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
Writing my “First & 1o” football column for today (Friday, Aug. 28) gave me the opportunity to analyze the top tier of the preseason Union Leader/WGAM/WMUR Power Poll, which was released yesterday.
It also reminded me how much I enjoy breaking down the top 10.
So, yes. While the initial plan was to refrain from analyzing the preseason poll, I’m going to break my own rule.
Just a few quick thoughts as tonight’s 12-team Bo Dickson Memorial Queen City Jamboree rapidly approaches.
Can’t help myself.
Again, here’s the preseason top 10 for the 2009 season. My preseason ballot and a few thoughts follow.
Preseason Power Poll
1. Nashua South (57 points; 4 first place)
2. Pinkerton (53 points; 1 first place)
3. Bishop Guertin (52 points; 1 first place)
4. Exeter (37 points)
5. Souhegan (31 points)
6. Manchester Central (29 points)
7. Plymouth (20 points)
8. Salem (17 points)
9. Timberlane (14 points)
10. Londonderry (6 points)
My votes
1. Bishop Guertin
2. Nashua South
3. Pinkerton
4. Salem
5. Exeter
6. Central
7. Keene
8. Souhegan
9. Londonderry
10. Winnacunnet
Just like last year
The breakdown of first-place votes (4-1-1) is the same as the preseason/Week 1 poll released the day before the 2008 campaign kicked off. And, it involves the same three teams: Division I teams Nashua South and Pinkerton Academy of Derry, and Division II Bishop Guertin of Nashua.
A year ago, Pinkerton received four votes. BG and South received one vote apiece.
But here’s what I find most interesting about this year’s preseason top three teams: a mere five points separates No. 1 South from No. 3 BG. Just one point separates Pinkerton from Guertin.
Souhegan starts at No. 5
Let me start with this: I believe the Division III Sabers have the talent and offensive firepower to compete in Division II this season (I’ll soon find out if this line of thinking is accurate). That’s why I voted them No. 8 on my preseason ballot.
But No. 5 overall? This surprised me, considering a regular-season game has yet to be played.
It also makes me wonder two things …
1. Can Souhegan climb any higher in the poll?
2. What must the supporters of No. 7 Plymouth think about the Sabers starting two spots higher in the rankings (by a comfortable 11 points)?
Are the rankings right?
For folks who place weight on the final scores of scrimmages, particularly as it pertains to Power Poll teams, tonight’s your night.
Five ranked teams will compete in the Queen City Jamboree at Gill Stadium. The group includes No. 8 Salem (4 p.m.), No. 5 Souhegan (6 p.m.), No. 9 Timberlane (7 p.m.), and the main event, No. 3 Guertin vs. No. 6 Central (8 p.m.).
Until tonight …
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
Let the first debate of the 2009 high school football season begin. The preseason statewide rankings are complete.
Nashua South is New Hampshire’s No. 1 team.
The last ballot for the Union Leader/WGAM/WMUR Power Poll — kicking off its second season — was cast today (Thursday, Aug. 27), just before noon. As a result, the three partnering media outlets received the go-ahead to release the rankings today, rather than tomorrow, as originally planned.
Below are the Granite State’s preseason top 10 teams, as voted by six individuals, two apiece from the New Hampshire Union Leader, WGAM-Radio and WMUR-TV sports staffs. Once again, the group includes myself and Kevin Gray (Union Leader); Mike Mutnansky and Pete Tarrier (WGAM); and Jamie Staton and Jason King (WMUR).
A quick review of the voting procedure: all voters cast ballots for 10 teams. A first-place vote is worth 10 points, a second-place vote earns nine points, and so on. Each team’s point total and, where necessary, first-place votes, is in parentheses.
There’s also the “Honorable Mention” list for the teams that received votes, but didn’t total enough points to crack the top 10. Those teams appear in alphabetical order. Starting with the Week 1 poll, the “Bumped” category will return to, if necessary, list any teams that dropped out of the preseason top 10.
With this being a preseason poll — the ultimate guessing game — I’m not going to dissect these rankings. I’ll save that exercise for the regular season. Instead, I’ll be working on a “First & 10″ football column for the print editions of tomorrow’s Union Leader.
I’ll also be checking in with WGAM’s Tarrier and Rich Keefe today at 4:25 p.m.
In the meantime, here’s the first top 10 for 2009:
Preseason Power Poll
1. Nashua South (57 points; 4 first place)
2. Pinkerton (53 points; 1 first place)
3. Bishop Guertin (52 points; 1 first place)
4. Exeter (37 points)
5. Souhegan (31 points)
6. Manchester Central (29 points)
7. Plymouth (20 points)
8. Salem (17 points)
9. Timberlane (14 points)
10. Londonderry (6 points)
Honorable Mention
Franklin
Keene
Nashua North
Pelham
Winnacunnet
There you go. Have at it. But an important reminder: let’s keep it clean. Thanks.
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
Admit it. You’re curious which team starts atop the second-year statewide high school football rankings.
Well, you’ll have to wait to find out. But the wait isn’t too much longer.
The Union Leader/WGAM/WMUR Power Poll returns later this week. The plan is to launch a preseason top 10 this Friday.
A year ago, the first Power Poll was a combined “preseason/Week 1″ ranking of the top 10. The poll was released the day before the 2008 season kicked off.
We’re going to start Year 2 of the Power Poll by bumping things up a week. A true “preseason” poll. It’ll line up nicely with Friday’s annual Bo Dickson Memorial Queen City Jamboree at Gill Stadium in Manchester.
Yes, the season’s first football debate is just days away …
GOOD AS NEW?: Pinkerton running back Eric Guinto, pictured in this 2008 game against Salem, returns for his senior year after offseason left-knee reconstruction (Bruce Taylor/Union Leader).
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
It’s been some time since high school football fans last watched Eric Guinto make would-be tacklers miss.
The Pinkerton Academy of Derry star running back/kick returner underwent offseason left-knee reconstruction to repair his torn anterior cruciate ligament and miniscus. Guinto, now a senior, suffered the season-ending injury last fall, in Week 9 against Manchester Central.
The story of Guinto’s road to recovery appears in the print edition of the New Hampshire Union Leader today (Saturday, Aug. 22). I spoke with the 5-foot 8-inch, 160-pound standout at Pinkerton’s afternoon practice yesterday. Pinkerton head coach Brian O’Reilly also shared some thoughts.
As I wrote for print:
And, losing Guinto for the season was impossible to ignore. His production in an abbreviated campaign was mighty impressive.
Despite missing Pinkerton’s final three games, Guinto scored a team-leading 84 points (14 total TDs), 30 points more than any teammate. He was also the team’s leading rusher by 99 yards, gaining 713 yards and scoring 11 TDs on 73 carries (9.8 yards per carry).
Those statistics earned Guinto a running back slot on the New Hampshire Union Leader All-State team.
In fact, Guinto missed most of the previous two weeks before his season-ending ACL injury. He suffered a shoulder injury early in Week 7 against Brockton, Mass., that sidelined him for the majority of the non-league game. He did not play in Week 8 against Nashua South.
Guinto is expected to play in Pinkerton’s season opener on Sept. 5. The Division I Astros host Division II champion Bishop Guertin of Nashua in the Week 1 “crossover” games between teams of the Granite State’s top two gridiron divisions.
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
The news didn’t come as a blindside hit. But it was shocking, nonetheless.
Manchester West faculty manager for athletics Sarah Dumais said yesterday (Wednesday, Aug. 19) the official decision was made to cancel the school’s junior varsity football season this year. This was reported in a story I wrote for today’s print editions of the New Hampshire Union Leader about the elimination of field hockey from West’s fall sports slate.
The fate of JV football is particularly hard to believe considering West — despite losing the last of its Bedford students to Bedford High — still cracks the 1,300 mark for student enrollment.
Yet low participation numbers at West — a problem plaguing all fall sports at the school — was the reason.
The first day of preseason football workouts was a week ago yesterday. And on Monday, the first day of preseason practice for all other sports teams, West’s football program had 59 players — just 23 of whom were seniors (15) and juniors (eight).
That means many of the 14 sophomores are likely to play big minutes in West’s 2009 varsity season. A Division I season, no less.
“We’re going to be playing a lot of young kids in varsity games. We just don’t have the depth to have them turn around and play JV games, too,” West head football coach Travis Cote said Monday.
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
Twelve teams. Six scrimmages. One night.
That’s what high school football fans can expect at Gill Stadium in Manchester on Friday, Aug. 28. It’s the annual Bo Dickson Memorial Queen City Football Jamboree.
An extra scrimmage was added this year, Manchester Central head coach Ryan Ray said. Each scrimmage will be one half (two quarters) of football. The matchups include:
* Concord (Div. I) vs. Merrimack (Div. II), 3 p.m.
* Salem (Div. I) vs. Goffstown (Div. III), 4 p.m.
* Trinity of Manchester (Div. V) vs. Campbell of Litchfield (Div. VI), 5 p.m.
* Man. West (Div. I) vs. Souhegan of Amherst (Div. III), 6 p.m.
* Man. Memorial (Div. I) vs. Timberlane of Plaistow (Div. II), 7 p.m.
* Man. Central (Div. I) vs. Bishop Guertin of Nashua (Div. II), 8 p.m.
“Every year we want to have more teams (participate),” Ray said. “We were able to add three new teams — Souhegan, Concord and Merrimack.”
Division III Bedford played in the 2008 Jamboree, but opted out this year, Ray said.
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
Back from vacation. Re-charged and ready for high school football’s 2009 campaign to kick off.
And you know what that means, yes?
That’s right. Year 2 of the Union Leader/WGAM/WMUR Power Poll.
Ranking New Hampshire’s top 10 high school football teams on a weekly basis was certainly a popular feature last fall. The first-year Power Poll sparked plenty of debate, at times quite heated.
Teams reported to preseason camp last Wednesday (Aug. 12). But before the season begins with Week 1 games on Sept. 4 and 5, here’s a quick review of last year’s final top 10, and some additional noteworthy items from a campaign that crowned six NHIAA champions.
As you may recall, six members of the media, including myself, voted on the Granite State’s weekly top 10. The group also included Kevin Gray (New Hampshire Union Leader), Mike Mutnansky and Pete Tarrier (WGAM-Radio), and Jamie Staton and Jason King (WMUR-TV).
Final 2008 Power Poll
1. Nashua South (9-1 Div. I, 9-3 overall; 6 first place)
2. Bishop Guertin (9-1 Div. II, 10-2)
3. Pinkerton (8-2 Div. I, 8-4)
4. Manchester Central (8-2 Div. I, 9-2)
5. Plymouth (10-0 Div. IV, 11-0)
6. Souhegan (10-0 Div. III, 11-0)
7. Exeter (7-3 Div. II, 8-4)
8. Londonderry (5-4 Div. I, 6-4)
9. Timberlane (6-3 Div. II, 7-4)
10. Pelham (10-0 Div. V, 11-0)
Perhaps you also recall my “revealing resumes” post. It showed how the teams in the final Power Poll fared against opponents that were ranked when the game was played.
Here’s another look at those resumes, in order of the final 2008 rankings, followed by some additional first-year poll notes.
No. 1 Nashua South, Division I champion (5-2)
Week 1: lost to No. 4 Exeter, 21-20
Week 4: beat No. 5 Manchester Central, 21-20
Week 5: beat No. 9 Salem, 7-0
Week 8: lost to No. 2 Pinkerton, 10-0
Week 9: beat No. 9 Londonderry, 42-25
Week 11 [Div. I semifinals]: beat No. 1 Manchester Central, 24-9
Week 12 [Div. I finals]: beat No. 1 Pinkerton, 33-32 (OT)
No. 2 Bishop Guertin, Division II champion (4-0)
Week 1: beat No. 1 Pinkerton, 10-3
Week 4: beat No. 10 Timberlane, 31-0
Week 10: beat No. 7 Exeter, 45-9
Week 12 [Div. II finals]: beat No. 7 Exeter, 14-7
No. 3 Pinkerton, Division I runner-up (4-3)
Week 1: lost to No. 2 BG, 10-3
Week 4: beat No. 8 Salem, 28-14
Week 5: beat No. 4 Londonderry, 31-12
Week 8: beat No. 3 Nashua South, 10-0
Week 9: lost to No. 2 Manchester Central, 24-21
Week 11 [Div. I semifinals]: beat No. 8 Londonderry, 19-15
Week 12 [Div. I finals]: lost to No. 2 Nashua South, 33-32 (OT)
No. 4 Manchester Central, Division I semifinalist (3-2)
Week 3: beat No. 9 Nashua North, 49-12
Week 4: lost to No. 7 Nashua South, 21-20
Week 6: beat No. 5 Londonderry, 34-22
Week 9: beat No. 1 Pinkerton, 24-21
Week 11 [Div. I semifinals]: lost to No. 4 Nashua South, 24-9
No. 5 Plymouth, Division IV champion (0-0)
N/A
No. 6 Souhegan, Division III champion (1-0)
Week 11 [Div. III finals]: beat Portsmouth, 28-14
No. 7 Exeter, Division II runner-up (2-3)
Week 1: beat No. 3 Nashua South, 21-20
Week 7: lost to No. 8 Timberlane, 21-7
Week 10: lost to No. 3 Bishop Guertin, 45-9
Week 11 [Div. II semifinals]: beat No. 9 Timberlane, 7-6
Week 12 [Div. II finals]: lost to No. 3 Bishop Guertin, 14-7
No. 8 Londonderry, Division I semifinalist (1-4)
Week 2: beat No. 7 Salem, 28-14
Week 5: lost to No. 2 Pinkerton, 31-12
Week 6: lost to No. 7 Manchester Central, 34-22
Week 9: lost to No. 5 Nashua South, 42-25
Week 11 [Div. I semifinals]: lost to No. 2 Pinkerton, 19-15
No. 9 Timberlane, Division II semifinalist (3-3)
Week 1: lost to No. 5 Manchester Central, 21-12
Week 2: beat No. 10 Dover, 34-13
Week 4: lost to No. 1 BG, 31-0
Week 5: beat No. 10 Keene, 13-12
Week 7: beat No. 3 Exeter, 21-7
Week 11 [Div. II semifinals]: lost to Exeter, 7-6
No. 10 Pelham, Division V champion (0-0)
N/A
Additional Power Poll notes:
Four teams ranked No. 1 during the 2008 season
* Pinkerton — Weeks 1, 9 and 12
* Bishop Guertin — Weeks 2 through 8
* Manchester Central — Weeks 10 and 11
* Nashua South — Final No. 1
Three No. 1 vs. No. 2 “mega-matchups” were played in 2008
* Week 1: No. 1 Pinkerton vs. No. 2 Bishop Guertin (BG won, 10-3)
* Week 9: No. 1 Pinkerton vs. No. 2 Manchester Central (Central won, 24-21)
* Week 12 [Div. I final]: No. 1 Pinkerton vs. No. 2 Nashua South (South won in OT, 33-32)
Sixteen teams appeared in the Power Poll in 2008
In addition to the final top 10 teams, these six squads made the cut at various points:
* Dover — Week 2
* Keene — Weeks 5 and 9
* Manchester West — Week 1
* Nashua North — Week 3
* Portsmouth — Weeks 6 through 8, 10 and 11
* Salem — Weeks 1 through 4
Bishop Guertin enjoyed the longest run at No. 1 (seven consecutive weeks), but was also the only No. 1 team that lost to an unranked opponent (18-14 home loss to Keene in Week 8 ).
Pinkerton appeared in all three mega-matchups — as the No. 1 team each time — and went 0-3.
Nashua South and Pinkerton played the most games against opponents ranked in the top 10 at the time of their respective contests (seven games apiece).
Posted by: MARC THALER, UnionLeader.com
Forty-two years after the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl was played in Vermont for the first-and-only time, at Burlington’s Centennial Field, the annual high school football all-star game returned to the Green Mountain State. The turnout for the 56th contest yesterday (Saturday, Aug. 1) at Windsor High School was tremendous.
An estimated 4,000 fans packed Macleay-Royce Field. And, thanks to another dominant Granite State effort that produced a 40-6 win, New Hampshire fans and players alike had plenty of opportunities to chant “6-0-3″ — the state’s area code.
FIRST DOWN: New Hampshire’s 2009 all-stars became just the 17th team to limit Vermont to six or fewer points.
The main reason? Plenty of pre-snap movement created confusion for Vermont’s offense.
In fact, the defense was mighty close to pitching a shutout. Vermont’s lone score, a 20-yard touchdown pass, came on fourth-and-10.
“On one of the plays, I had backed off (the line of scrimmage) because we were supposed to be in Cover-3. I heard the quarterback yelling to switch the play, and I moved back up. And he called the play off. We wanted to mess with their heads,” New Hampshire cornerback and Manchester Central standout Jake Tremblay said.
Vermont quarterback Grant White did strike for a few big gains. But New Hampshire’s defense quickly regrouped. Vermont was 1-for-4 in scoring upon penetrating New Hampshire’s 35-yard line.
The lack of production was surprising to Vermont head coach Mike Hatt, who said his play-calling in those situations was likely a factor. But he was also quick to credit New Hampshire’s defense, which didn’t have many areas to exploit.
“We had to capitalize on offense,” White said. “We didn’t do that today.”
***
SECOND DOWN: One source of motivation for New Hampshire’s all-stars was week-long buzz that Vermont brought more talent to this year’s tilt.
“We prepared very well throughout the week,” said quarterback/cornerback Andy Vailas of Nashua’s Bishop Guertin. “Supposedly people said Vermont had the better team.”
Vailas, for one, seemed to take that slight personally. The 6-foot 2-inch, 175-pound star rushed for 67 yards and a TD, and tossed a 42-yard TD to Concord’s Colin Brown. Vailas also landed some of the game’s biggest hits on defense, and very nearly recorded an interception in the second quarter.
“We thought we were the better team to start with,” said Keene’s Ray Boulay, who rushed for 65 yards and a TD. “If we just executed our plays, and did what the coaches told us to do, we felt we could handle the game.”
***
THIRD DOWN: Vermont’s top running back, Mick Wong, was a non-factor in the second half.
After rushing for 31 yards on nine attempts in the first half, Wong had just one carry for no gain the rest of the day.
Vermont’s 21-6 deficit exiting halftime was one reason Wong wasn’t more involved in the offense. But the far more important reason, according to Hatt, was Wong suffered a possible concussion.
***
FOURTH DOWN: New Hampshire ran wild in Windsor.
The Granite Staters rushed for 307 yards on 59 carries (5.2 yards per carry). Vermont rushed for 65 yards on 26 carries (2.5).
Seven Granite Staters rushed for double-digit yardage. The group included:
– Vailas: 10 carries for 67 yards, TD
– Boulay: 16 carries for 65 yards, TD
– Nick Barnes (Plymouth): 10 carries for 61 yards
– Justin Morgan (ConVal of Peterborough): seven carries for 37 yards, TD
– Gallagher Hogan (Portsmouth): six carries for 33 yards
– Chris George (Pinkerton Academy of Derry): five carries for 22 yards, TD
– Austyn Turner (Franklin): one carry for 12 yards, TD
