Stetson ends Merrimack's Shrine drought
Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com
Merrimack High School coach Joe Battista said it had been so long since the Merrimack program had anyone selected to play in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl that many of his players weren't aware of the annual all-star game between Vermont and New Hampshire.
That drought ended earlier this month, when Merrimack wide receiver Kile Stetson was one of 36 players named to the New Hampshire roster. New Hampshire will face Vermont on Aug. 1 at Windsor (Vt.) High School.
"We were both pretty pumped up when we found out he made it," said Battista, who will be entering his second season as Merrimack's head coach."He's just an outstanding young man who's going to go places."
Stetson will be the first player to represent Merrimack in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl since 1996, when two Merrimack players -- Steve Goodrich and Carl Hatfield -- were on the New Hampshire roster.
Stetson is a big target (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) who caught 33 passes for 468 yards and four touchdowns for Merrimack last season. He also played free safety, and led the Tomahawks in tackles (69) and interceptions (six).
Stetson may even be able to help New Hampshire in the kicking game. He averaged more than 31 yards per punt last season, but was even more effective as a place-kicker. He made 12 of 17 point-after attempts, and connected on each of his four field goal attempts (including one from 43 yards). He made the game-winning kick in a victory over Manchester Memorial.
"He placed it inside the 10 consistently on kickoffs," Battista said. "I'd say 50 percent of his kicks reached in end zone. He can put it deep, and that's a big advantage."
Both Shrine teams will begin practicing July 22 at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden. New Hampshire won last year's game 42-0 and has a 40-13-2 edge in the all-time series.
Battista said Stetson still hasn't made a college commitment.
"He's still looking," Battista said. "It has to be the right school academically for him. He's going academics first. If there's football in his future, fine."
Stetson has at least one more game in his future for sure.
