Heading to Saturday's Blue-White scrimmage at the University of New Hampshire's Cowell Stadium? You may want to prepare yourself with this team preview for the 2008 season.

The Colonial Athletic Association web site has posted season previews for each of its 12 teams.The previews include last season's results, the 2008 schedule, returning starters, team and individual statistics and a spring roster.

Saturday's Blue/White game is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. 

Ricky Santos is one of three National Football League quarterbacks who played in the Colonial Athletic Association last season.

Santos, who played at the University of New Hampshire, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent; William & Mary quarterback Mike Potts signed a free agent deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers; and Baltimore took Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco with the 18th overall selection.

Flacco became the highest-picked player from the CAA since Nashua's Greg Landry was selected 11th overall by Detroit in 1968. Landry played at Nashua High School (now Nashua South) and the University of Massachusetts. 

If Santos makes Kansas City's roster, his first NFL regular-season game will be at New England on Sept. 7. Santos grew up in Bellingham, Mass., which is about 15 minutes from Gillette Stadium. 

Running back Sean Jellison has dealt with injury after injury during his University of New Hampshire career. His latest setback is a bruised shoulder that may keep him out of Saturday's Blue-White Game at Cowell Stadium (12:30 p.m.).

Jellison, who played at Souhegan High School, will be one of the keys if the Wildcats are going to feature an improved running game in 2008. 

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Quarterback Ricky Santos, who guided the University of New Hampshire to the NCAA playoffs in four consecutive seasons, has signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. It has been reported as a two-year, non-guaranteed deal.

Santos, who was not selected in last weekend's NFL draft, is expected to take part in Kansas City's rookie mini-camp this weekend.

"There was a little bit of negotiating, but mostly it was looking at the back end of the depth chart," Brad Blank, Santos' agent, told the Manchester Union Leader. "He needs to get into a camp and make his magic happen the way he always has."

The Chiefs, who did not select a quarterback in this year's draft. finished the 2007 season with four QBs on their roster: Brodie Croyle (Alabama), David Greene (Georgia), Damon Huard (Washington) and Tyler Thigpen (Coastal Carolina).

Like Santos, Delaware's Joe Flacco played college football in the Colonial Athletic Association. Baltimore took Flacco with the 18th overall selection.

Flacco was one of 13 quarterbacks selected in this year's draft.

Santos passed for 13,212 yards and 123 touchdowns during his UNH career. He won the Walter Payton Award as a junior, when he threw for 3,125 yards and 29 TDs.

Not many college coaches were impressed with quarterback Ricky Santos when he was coming out of high school. Despite a record-seeting career at the University of New Hampshire, Santos seems to have impressed even fewer who call the shots in the NFL.

Santos probably won't hear his named called during this weekend's NFL draft. His future may depend on how well he and his agent, Brad Blank, scout NFL rosters and find the right team to join as a free agent.

The pre-draft process may not have gone as well as University of New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos had hoped, but Santos is still focused on making a name for himself in the NFL.

Santos' agent, Brad Blank, said what a player does after the draft is a lot more important than where that player is selected.

Add Sports Illustrated to the list of media outlets that don't think University of New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos will be selected in this weekend's NFL Draft.

Citing a lack of size (6-1, 215 pounds) and arm strength, plus the fact that he played in a passer-friendly system at UNH, Sports Illustrated is projecting Santos will be an undrafted free agent.

The Manchester Wolves will hold a high school football combine on May 17 (9 a.m.) at The Hampshire Dome in Milford. The combine is open to any high school player scheduled to graduate in 2009, 2010 or 2011.

The combine will include the bench press, the 40-yard dash, pro shuttle and vertical leap. Those who attend should bring both running shoes and turf shoes.

The cost is $20 per individual and there is a $15 team discount for any team that sends 10 or more players.

For more information or to register, contact Nashua North assistant coach Dante Laurendi at dlaurendi@mansd.org, or call (603) 233-4272.

The film doesn't lie. After reviewing game tape from last season, University of New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell came up with the following mandate for his team: get stronger, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

The Wildcats surrendered an average of 29.3 points per game last season, which ranked 10th in the Colonial Athletic Association. UNH finished 11th in rushing yards allowed (188 per game) and last in passing yards allowed (255). Northern Iowa had 570 yards of net offense in its playoff victory over UNH.

Being more physical on defense is one of the issues UNH is working on during spring practice. Another is attempting to find a No. 1 quarterback. At the moment sophomore R.J. Toman has a slight edge on freshman Kevin Decker.

High levels of lead found in fiber samples taken from two New Jersey athletic fields have some questioning the possible safety hazards that can be caused by playing athletic contests on synthetic surfaces. Others insist that synthetic fields pose no health risk.

Read the full story in this USA Today article.

Nine New Hampshire football teams -- Bishop Guertin, Exeter, Hanover, Manchester Central, Manchester Memorial, Manchester West, Nashua North, Nashua South and Trinity -- play home games on synthetic fields.

The University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College football teams also have turf fields.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Salem High School's John Morin, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound offensive lineman, will continue his football career at Husson College, a Division III school in Bangor, Maine.

Morin played two years of varsity football at Salem, and was a Division I All-State selection last season.

"I chose Husson because of the program's direction and the type of offense they run (Multiple I)," Morin said. "It's a great school with great people and great coaches."

Husson revived its football program in 2003. Husson coach Gabby Price may be best known for his tenure as Bangor High School's head coach. Bangor was 129-52 and made the playoff in 15 of Price's 18 seasons as head coach.

Price guided the Rams to the Class A state championship in 1979 and 1981.

Former Souhegan assistant coach Joe Battista has been named the varsity head coach at Merrimack High School.

Battista, 38, has spent the last six seasons on Mike Beliveau's Souhegan staff. He was the program's defensive coordinator, strength coach and also coached special teams.

Battista takes over a Merrimack program that has made one playoff appearance since 1995.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Kearsarge High School's Sam Cavallaro. a 6-foot-3, 230-pound tight end, recently announced that he will play football at Merrimack College next season. Cavallaro, a Warner resident, had narrowed his choices to Merrimack, Assumption and St. Anselm College.

John Perry, a former assistant coach at the University of New Hampshire, was named Merrimack's head coach earlier this year.

"When I met Coach Perry and his staff it made me feel that Merrimack was the right choice for me," Cavallaro said. "Also, I really enjoyed meeting the players from Merrimack. They all want to win. Merrimack also has the perfect business program for me."

Cavallaro was moved to receiver before his junior season and holds most of Kearsarge's receiving records, including receptions in a season (29), receptions for a career (42), receiving yards in a game (159), career receiving yards (804), TD catches in a season ( eight) and career TD catches (11).

"Sam was a great player for us at Kearsarge," Kearsarge coach Dennis Hoffman said. "One of the things I will miss most about him is the great information he often brought off the field. When he told me something was open it usually was, and led to many big plays. Sam is a dedicated player and we will miss him."

Perry, who graduated from UNH in 1992, also served as an assistant coach at Dartmouth.

"We are really excited about Sam's decision to attend Merrimack College," Perry said. "His size and athleticism are exactly what we were looking for to strengthen our tight end position. I feel Sam can have a major impact on the Merrimack community because of his character, his intellect and his athletic ability."

Cavallaro's father, Sam, is the head coach at Hopkinton/Hillsboro-Deering, a co-op program that is planning to become an NHIAA-sanctioned program in 2010.

The University of New Hampshire completed its first week of spring practice Sunday and the focus remains on offense, where the Wildcats have been practicing with a depleted offensive line and are still sorting through their options at quarterback.

Two former New Hampshire high school standouts, wide receiver Mike Boyle (Plymouth) and defensive end Steve Young (Spaulding), have been slowed by injuries this spring. Read more in this story from the Manchester Union Leader.

Where would University of New Hampshire quarterback Ricky Santos be selected if the NFL Draft included only small-school players (Football Championship Subdivision, Division II and Division III)?

The NFL Draft Bible's mock draft has the Miami Dolphins selecting Santos with the first pick in the third round. That site projects how the draft would unfold if no Football Bowl Subdivision players were eligible.

The National Federation of High Schools has released a survey on topics related to high school football in 2007.

The survey features a wide range of topics, including medical issues, officiating, class size, postseason championships and practice guidelines.

The complete survey can be found here.

Although offseason workouts are in full swing (or should be) and the start of the 2008 high school football season is quickly approaching, Londonderry and Merrimack are both still searching for a head coach.

In each case, the process has gone on longer than many expected.

Merrimack is looking to replace Rick Urda, who resigned in January. Tom Sawyer, the only head coach the Londonderry program has ever had, retired after the 2007 season.

Londonderry was expected to announced its decision in late March, but the discussion has been tabled at school board meetings twice, most recently Tuesday night. It's been reported that two coaches have turned down the Merrimack job. At one time Merrimack was among the top programs in the state, but the Tomahawks have qualifed for the playoffs once since 1995. 

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Londonderry High School could approve its new head coach at the Londonderry School Board meeting Tuesday night.

One New Hampshire athletic director said he heard that Jon Rich, a former Londonderry player, is the choice and is awaiting approval. Rich served as an assistant coach on Tom Sawyer's Londonderry staff last season.

Sawyer, who began coaching football at Londonderry in 1980, retired after Londonderry's loss to Nashua South in last year's Division I semifinals. His teams were 182-90 and won six state championships (two in Division I and four in Division II) during his tenure.

According to a story published in the Nashua Telegraph last month, there were 22 applicants for the Londonderry job.

The Colonial Athletic Association web site is carrying a blog about spring football in the conference.

The first entries were published Wednesday, and included comments from former Plymouth High School standout Mike Boyle, a wide receiver who will be a senior at UNH next season.

UNH begins spring practice on Tuesday. Spring practice will conclude with the spring game on May 3.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Although Hopkinton and Hillsboro-Deering are rivals, athletes from each school will literally be teaming up this fall.

The two schools have formed a co-op football team with the goal of joining the NHIAA varsity ranks in 2010.

"Right now we have about 56 (players) who have paid the $200 registration fee and we have 15 people doing fund-raising, which is phenomenal," Sam Cavallaro, the team's head coach, said. "What got me motivated is the number of kids. 

"We're not officially approved, but both schools have been fantastic. Our plan is to raise enough money to run it for six years. That way money won't be a factor in determining the program's future."

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Ryan Knowles remembers the conversation he had with Pat Nolan midway through Nolan's senior season with the Colgate University football team. It was a conversation that convinced Nolan to pursue a job in the National Football League.

"I told him, "You might as well explore it because you have nothing to lose,'" Knowles, Colgate's defensive line coach recalled. "He has his education. He's not skipping out on school. He finished his career playing his best football."

Nolan, an Exeter resident who played football, baseball and hockey at Exeter High School, is a 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive lineman who led the Patriot League in sacks (6¨ö) last season. He also had a team-high 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Now Nolan (above right) wants to move his football career forward. He participated in the Syracuse Pro Day last month and performed in front of scouts from the NFL as well as the Canadian Football League.

Quarterback Ricky Santos is no longer on the roster, which means the University of New Hampshire will begin spring practice Tuesday without its security blanket from the last four seasons.

The battle to become starting quarterback may be the No. 1 story line for the Wildcats this spring. The contenders include sophomore R.J. Toman, who played significant minutes in two games last season; redshirt freshman Kevin Decker; and Kyle Auffray, a 6-foot-6 transfer from Mississippi State who has three years of eligibility remaining. 

Santos ended his career as Division I-AA's third-ranked passer in terms of passing yards (13, 212) and career touchdown passes (123).

For those in desperate need of a football fix, here's the University of New Hampshire's spring practice schedule:

April 8: Practice (sweats) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 9: Rain date
April 10: Practice (sweats) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 11: Practice (pads) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 12: Practice/1/2 scrimmage
April 13: Rain date

April 15: Practice (pads) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 16: Rain date
April 17: Practice (pads) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 18: Scrimmage 3:30-6 p.m.
April 19: Rain date
April 20: Clinic/p.m. practice

April 22: Practice (pads) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 23: Rain date
April 24: Practice (pads) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 25: Practice (sweats) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 26: Scrimmage
April 27: Rain date

April 29: Practice (pads) 3:30-6 p.m.
April 30: Rain date
May 1: Practice 3:30-6 p.m.

May 3: Spring Game

Note: Dates and practice times are subject to change. Dates and times can be confirmed by calling 862-1852.