It was all New Hampshire for the 13th straight year as the Granite Staters shut out Vermont, 43-0, in the 60th Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl on Saturday night at Dartmouth's Memorial Field.
The win improved New Hampshire's record in the series to 45-13-2. The Granite Staters have outscored the Green Mountain squad by a combined 266-66 during the past six gridiron meetings.
New Hampshire used its customary powerful running attack to put the game out of reach. New Hampshire amassed 405 yards of rushing on 72 carries, the second-highest total in the 60-year history of the Shrine game.
Six Vermont turnovers didn't help matters, as Vermont's defense did what it could to keep the game from turning into a rout. It was 15-0 at halftime, and 29-0 after three quarters.
Brattleboro's Tyler Higley got the start on defense for the Vermont team. While Higley was the starting quarterback for the Colonels in 2012, he was even better on defense. In his first season as a two-way player, Higley was an All-State cornerback.
Bellows Falls sent two players to the Shrine team: lineman Zachary Tarvit and running back/linebacker Zachary Rawling – but Rawling had to sit out the game due to injury.
Saturday's game was the first Shrine game played under the lights, and by all accounts it was a hit with fans and players alike. Organizers say attendance was the highest it has been in years. Proceeds from the all-star game benefit Shriners hospitals in Montreal, Boston, and Springfield, Mass.
Fall sport season begins soon
Now that the Shrine game is over, it's time to focus on the fall school sports season.
In Brattleboro, football practices will begin on Monday, Aug. 12. A meeting for parents and participants will be held in the BUHS gym on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 11. The meeting is tentatively scheduled to begin at noon.
Practices will continue Monday through Friday with sessions in the early morning and early evening. For more information, write head coach John Callahan at [email protected].
Freshman football will have a meeting for parents and participants in the BUHS gym on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 6:30 p.m. Practices will start on Monday, Aug. 19. For more information, write head coach Carl Anderson at [email protected].
Aug. 19 is the first scheduled day of practice for soccer, field hockey, and cross country.
Tryouts for girls' soccer will take place on Aug. 19 from 7 to 9 a.m. for freshmen, and Aug. 20 and 21, from 7 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., for varsity and junior varsity players.
Freshmen can join the first Monday afternoon session for the varsity at 5 p.m., but only some might be invited to stay for the Tuesday and Wednesday tryouts, if the coaches think they are potential candidates for the JV or varsity teams.
Teams will be selected at the end of Wednesday's practices. For more information, write varsity coach Edwin de Bruijn ([email protected]) or JV coach Jay Cudworth ([email protected]).
Boys' soccer tryouts for all players in grades 9-12 will be held Aug. 19 at Sawyer Field. Double sessions will run Monday to Wednesday, from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. Single sessions will continue on Thursday and Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, write varsity coach Paul Sather ([email protected]) or head JV coach Mike Italia [email protected]).
Freshman boys' and girls' soccer tryouts will take place on Aug. 26 at 3:30 p.m. at Fort Dummer Field (girls) and Sawyer Field (boys). For more information, write boys' coach Todd Bell ([email protected]) or girls' coach Casey Blust ([email protected]).
Field hockey will begin practice Aug. 19 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Tenney Field. For more information, write varsity coach Deb Valliere ([email protected]) or head JV coach Danielle Cullinane ([email protected]).
As for the games themselves, Friday, Aug. 30 is opening day for the Colonels' field hockey team; they'll travel to Fair Haven that day.
The football team also has its opener on Aug. 30, when the Colonels host Bellows Falls under the Natowich Field lights at 7 p.m.
Both Colonel soccer teams open on the road against Springfield. The girls take on the Cosmos on Aug. 31 in a 7 p.m. game at Brown Field; the boys travel to Springfield for an afternoon game on Sept. 5.
Colonels' cross country begins Sept. 3 with a coed invitational meet in Thetford.
Softball roundup
• Heading into the final week of the regular season in the Brattleboro Area Women's Softball League, Whetstone Station (8-3) is clinging to a one-game lead over Plimptons (7-4) in Division A. Mojo's (14-1) has a two-game lead on Gateway Vet (13-3) in Division B, and Just Jacks (11-1-1) is comfortably in first in Division C.
In the Men's League, the Brattleboro Elks remain undefeated at 15-0 to lead Division 1. Zooters/Whetstone/Green Mountain Creamery is still in first at 13-3 in Division 2. Aerodyne (15-3) holds first in Division 3, and Falvey Pools (14-5) and Chelsea Royal (14-5) are tied for first in Division 4.
CRVBL roundup
• The Connecticut River Valley Baseball League wrapped up the regular season over the weekend, with several games that affected the final standings.
The Chester/Saxtons River Crush clinched first place with an 13-1 record and were idle.
The Walpole Wild Blue and the Claremont Cardinals, tied for second with 8-4 records, played Friday night at Barnes Park, and Walpole came away with a 7-0 win. Joey Parent pitched a complete game five-hitter, striking out 10 and walking five. Drew Davis had three hits, while Chris Ballou drove in two runs with a pair of hits.
Claremont, now in third place after the loss to Walpole, finished up the regular season by forfeiting Sunday's scheduled game to the fourth-place Sunapee Old Lakers, who finished at 8-6.
The Newport Polar Bears and the Putney Fossils were battling it out for fifth place. Putney needed a win over the last-place Brattleboro River Rats at Dummerston School on Sunday, and got it with a 10-2 victory. Putney finished at 6-8; Newport finished at 5-9.
At Keene State College on Sunday, Walpole beat the Keene Black Dawgs, 10-7.
The CRVBL playoffs begin on Aug. 8 as Walpole faces seventh-place Keene (4-10), and Claremont plays fifth-place Putney.