Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Earlier this week New Hampshire coach Craig Kozens was wondering how much of a problem Windsor High School running back Trevor Varney would cause his team's defense in this year's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl. Now it appears Varney will be no problem at all.

Vermont coach Mike Law said Varney left the team Tuesday with a fever, and he's not sure if Varney will participate in the game (Aug. 2). Varney rushed for 2,612 yards and scored 40 touchdowns in his senior season.

"He just doesn't think he's going to be ready," Law said. "If he's out for four or five days, he won't be. I'm not sure if it's food poisoning or what."

If Varney doesn't play, Vermont will be without six players who were originally selected to the team. That group includes U-32 running back/defensive back Tucker LaClair and Essex linebacker Andrew Fournier. LaClair, who is still recovering from knee surgery, was Vermont's kicker.

"Fourner's not here, and I'm not sure why," Law said. "He hasn't returned our calls. I'm really in the dark."

Vermont also had  three players dismissed for disciplinary reasons before training camp began.

Both New Hampshire and Vermont will hold an intra-squad scrimmage Saturday. New Hampshire's scrimmage is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and will be held on Kimball Union Academy's turf field. Vermont will scrimmage on the school's old game field. Both scrimmages are open to the public.

"We have 32 scripted plays and we have three sets of backs who will each run eight," New Hampshire coach Craig Kozens explained. "The fourth (series of eight plays) will be our spread set. We'll also look at some things Vermont likes to do. It'll be about a 60-play scrimmage."

The game day officials will be on hand to officiate each scrimmage. New Hampshire Football Report will have an update following the New Hampshire scrimmage.

"It'll be an evaluation to see where kids are," Kozens said. "We'll settle on some starters and get the kids into roles where we can us them to the best of their ability."

Kozens said the New Hampshire players will likely vote on captains this weekend.

"We'll probably announce them early next week," he said.

* * *

Friday's Derry News ran this story on New Hampshire running back Alex Theodhosi, who played at Londonderry High School and will continue his football career at Brown.