July 2007 Archives
Poll position: UNH looking up at UMass
By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
The University of New Hampshire may have the best offensive player in the Colonial Athletic Association this season, but there are plenty of people who don't think the Wildcats have the best team.
UNH was picked second in the CAA's North Division, behind the University of Massachusetts, in the league's preseason poll, which was released Wednesday.
UMass, which returned 12 starters from a team that lost to Appalachian State in last year's national championship game, received 15 of the 45 first-place votes. UNH received eight.
Sanborn set to tackle second season
By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
Sanborn Regional High School coach Vincent Pettis will tell you that he and his team accomplished a lot last season. He'll also tell you that there's even more work to do in 2007.
Sanborn eliminated football in 1975, but the sport was reinstated last year. The Indians competed as a junior varsity team last season, and will do the same this year. Sanborn athletic director Vicky Parady-Guay said the plan is to field a varsity team in 2008.
"It was a good year," Pettis said when asked about last season. "I think 52 players is what we finished with. I wanted to install our base offense and base defense, and I thought we got that done. I would say it was a very successful start, but there's a lot of learning to be done."
Trinity elects to reschedule
By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
When you look at Trinity High School's 2007 schedule your first thought may be that someone has made a mistake.
Home games against Bishop Brady, Newport, Bow, Campbell and Epping? A road game at Goffstown and no game against Central or West?
That isn't a Division I schedule, and Trinity is no longer a Division I program.
"We're playing an independent schedule this season," first-year Trinity coach John Trisciani said. "After that a decision will be made on where we'll play. I think it was a wise move to drop out of Division I. We don't have the kids to survive that schedule."
It's almost Shrine time
By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
Practice for this year's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl will begin Wednesday at Plymouth State University. The New Hampshire and Vermont teams will each have 10 days to prepare for the game, which will be played Aug. 4 (2:30 p.m.) at Dartmouth's Memorial Field.
New Hampshire won last year's game 24-7 and leads the series 38-13-2.
Milford's Keith Jones is the New Hampshire head coach. The Spartans are 42-40 in his six-year tenure at the school and have made the playoffs each of the past five seasons. Milford lost to Portsmouth in the Division III semifinals last season.
Otter Valley's Dennis Perry is Vermont's head coach. Perry was also Vermont's head coach in 2001, when New Hampshire prevailed 21-0.
Otter Valley was undefeated and won a state championship in 2005, Perry's first season as the program's head coach. His overall record, which includes a stint at Fair Haven, is 60-27.
Vermont will be seeking its first victory in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl since 2000, when it won 47-40.
Each team will hold an intra-squad scrimmage on July 28 at PSU. Both scrimmages are open to the public.
General admission tickets for the game are $8, but will cost $10 on game day. Reserve seats are also available for $20. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl office at (603) 448-1042.
Jozokos has Knight vision
By Roger Brown
When Matt Jozokos heard the news, he probably thought it was too good to be true.
Not only had a varsity football coaching position opened up in his hometown, there was a teaching job he was qualified for available at the high school as well. It was an opportunity too good to pass up.
So shortly after Jason Perkins resigned as Kingswood High School's head football coach to become the head coach at Noble High School in North Berwick, Maine, Jozokos applied to fill his position. Shortly after that he was hired.
"It just lined up all too well," Jozokos said. "It gives me the opportunity to build a program. I look at it as an opportunity to give back to the community I live in.
Lebanon job becomes Childs play
By Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
A new face will be in charge of the Lebanon High School varsity football program this season, but it will be a familiar face as well.
Chris Childs, who played linebacker and halfback for Lebanon from 1991 to 1995, was hired to replace Rich Gonsalves last month. Childs, a 31-year-old Lebanon resident, coached the Lebanon Junior High team the past two seasons.
"Being a local kid and someone who's been through the program I hope I can put all three programs (Pee-Wee, Junior High and High School) under the same umbrella," Childs said. "The key is getting everybody on the same page."
