Is this Vermont's year?
56th Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl
New Hampshire vs. Vermont
When and where: Saturday (2:30 p.m.) at Windsor (Vt.) High School's MacLeay-Royce Field.
Team records: New Hampshire leads the series 40-13-2.
Head coaches: Franklin's Greg Husband is the New Hampshire head coach. Springfield's Mike Hatt will be guiding Vermont.
2008 result: New Hampshire won, 42-0.
Last Vermont victory: 2000 game (47-40).
Tickets: Tickets are $10 (general admission) and $20 (reserved seating). Tickets will be available at the gate.
Noteworthy: New Hampshire may have a fight on its hands this year. It usually requires a high-powered offense to upset New Hampshire, and Vermont may have the right ingredients at the skill positions. It all starts with quarterback Grant White, who played for Hatt and will be running the same offense he ran throughout his high school career. White has good size (6-3, 200) and holds the Springfield record for career TD passes (52). White, who also played baseball and basketball for Springfield, will play for Kimball Union Academy in Meriden in the fall. ... Hatt said he will use a four-receiver set that will feature James Durham (Spaulding), Allen White (Mill River), Mark Comstock (Rutland) and Adam Farmer (South Burlington). ... Putting pressure on White may be the key to a New Hampshire victory. The Granite State will also need a strong performace from its defensive secondary, which features Andy Vailas (Bishop Guertin), Jake Tremblay (Manchester Central), Tyler Long (Dover) and Andrew Kukesh (Exeter). ... Vermont running back Mick Wong was bothered by as bruised shoulder in training camp, but is expected to start. Wong was named Vermont's Gatorade Player of the Year last fall, after he helped Hartford win its second consecutive Division I title. ... New Hampshire doesn't have as many offensive weapons as it did a year ago, but shouldn't have a problem moving the football. Vailas, New Hampshire's starting quarterback, may be the most elusive player on the field. Husband said Nick Barnes (Plymouth) and Ray Boulay (Keene) will both see time at tailback, but Pinkerton Academy fullback Chris George may prove to be the No. 1 problem for the Vermont defense. George is a power runner who can also make defenders miss. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season. ... Each head coach guided his team to a state championship last fall. Husband's Franklin team won the Division VI championship, and Hatt's Springfield team went undefeated en route to winning the Division III title. Hatt was the varsity basketball coach at Stevens High School from 1984 to 1990. ... New Hampshire has 55 varsity programs. Vermont has 34. ... Prediction: New Hampshire 28, Vermont 27.
