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Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Plymouth High School's Nick Barnes has been selected to replace Laconia running back Christian Birt on the New Hampshire roster for this summer's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.

Barnes, a fullback, helped Plymouth defeat Laconia in last year's Division IV championship game. Barnes, who was a First Team All-State selection as a fullback, scored four first-half touchdowns during Plymouth's 51-14 triumph over Hanover in the Division IV semifinals.

This year's game will be played Aug. 1 at Windsor (Vt.) High School.

New Hampshire has a 40-13-2 edge in the all-time series, which dates back to 1954. New Hampshire won last year's game 35-0.

Practice for each team will begin on July 22 at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden.

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Souhegan High School has room for one team in its preseason Jungle Jamboree, which will be held Aug. 27 (Thursday). Souhegan is trying to fill that spot with a New Hampshire team that competes in Division IV, Division V or Division VI.
 
Anyone interested can contact Souhegan coach Mike Beliveau at 672-6931 or by email: beliveaus@att.net.

Manchester Wolves head coach Danton Barto recorded his 66th victory in the arenafootball2 league when the Wolves beat the Quad City Steamwheelers, 53-35, Saturday night.

Barto, who is in his second season as Manchester's head coach, is tied for third place for all-time victories among af2 coaches. Barto is tied with former Manchester head coach Ben Bennett, now the coach of the af2 Amarillo Dusters. Barto and Bennett trail Rich Ingold (82) of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers and Chris Siegfried (71) of the Arkansas Twisters.

"Honestly, when you get to the point when you have earned enough victories to be considered in the same category with those guys, it's a real honor," Barto said. "It's exciting."

Barto, who guided the Memphis Xploreres to the ArenaCup championship in 2005, has a 66-52 record as an af2 head coach.

"To reach this milestone in my career is a tribute to the organizations I have been fortunate to have been associated with," Barto said. "They (the Wolves and Xplorers) have never been quick to pull the trigger. They have maintained their faith in me and in my program. That's what it takes to be successful and win games in football. 

"In this day and age, many good coaches don't get the chance to prove what they can do. I have been very fortunate to be associated with two ownership groups that stood by me even when we weren't winning a lot of games at one point. But they supported me and believed in my plan."

The Wolves (6-7) have a bye next week and will take on the Albany Firebirds (6-7) on the road on July 11th in a game that has great significance as both teams are currently in the hunt for a wildcard playoff berth.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Alvirne may have turned in the most surprising performance during Saturday's Granite State 7-on-7 tournament at the University of New Hampshire, but no team was more impressive than Nashua North.

North earned the winner's trophy by defeating Alvirne, 3-1, in the championship game. North scored on two touchdown passes and one interception, each of which was worth one point.

North reached the championship game by defeating Dover in a playoff during the semifinals. Alvirne advanced by winning a tiebreaker (most interceptions) against Souhegan in the semifinals. Souhegan also reached the semifinals at the St. Anselm 7-on-7 shootout two weeks ago.

Each of the four semifinalists -- Souhegan, Alvirne, Dover and North -- earned a first-round bye based on each team's record during the round-robin portion of the event. Bellingham, Mass., Bow, Con-Val and John Stark were the other teams that made it to the quarterfinals.

Scarborough, Maine, Somersworth, Raymond and Spaulding were eliminated in the first round.

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Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

A field of 13 teams will compete in Saturday's Granite State 7-on-7 tournament at the University of New Hampshire.

The teams have been divided into three pools.

Pool A: Dover, Spaulding, Somersworth and John Stark.

Pool B: Bow, Souhegan, Con-Val, Nashua North and Raymond.

Pool C: Scarborough, Maine, Bellingham, Mass., Marshwood (South Berwick, Maine) and Alvirne.

There will be a round-robin schedule within each pool. The top three teams in each pool will advance to the championship bracket. The two No. 3 seeds with the fewest number of interceptions will compete in a play-in game.

The bottom seed from each pool will compete in the consolation bracket.

Teams are guaranteed at least three games in the morning and at least one in the afternoon. Games will begin shortly after the registration period, which is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Laconia High School running back Christain Birt will not participate in this year's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl because of a committment to the University of Massachusetts.

Franklin coach Greg Husband, New Hampshire's coach for this year's Shrine game, said Birt was removed from the roster earlier this week. A replacement has not been named.

"He has a chance to play at UMass earlier than he expected," Laconia coach Craig Kozens said. "They don't think they're going to redshirt him. He's on their two-deep preseason depth chart and he's headed out to UMass in a couple weeks.

"He wants to play in that game as much as anybody, but this is good news for him."

Birt rushed for 1,171 yards last season, when he helped Laconia reach the Division IV championship game. He scored 24 touchdowns, 19 of which came on the ground.

Birt scored Laconia's only TD during its 14-7 loss to Plymouth in the Division IV championship game.

Birt also helped Laconia win the 2007 Division IV title. He rushed for 1,308 yards and 18 TDs on 150 carries as a junior, when Laconia capped an 11-0 season by beating Hanover, 35-14, in the Division IV championship game. He also intercepted six passes that season.

In another recent change, Winnacunnet linebacker Brett Sanchez has replaced Timberlane's Brian Nicoll. Sanchez, a three-year-starter, was a Division II All-State selection at linebacker following his senior season. He has committed to play football at Marist.