Three former Souhegan High School players recently committed to play college football: 

Quarterback Mike Luks: Souhegan/Bridgton Academy (Southern Conn. State)
Offensive lineman Wesley Crowell: Souhegan/Worcester Academy (Southern Conn. State)
Defensive back/running back Brandon O'Connell: Souhegan (St. Lawrence University)

The Next Level Sports Training in Hampton is offering one week of free training to any potential new member. Training is geared toward middle school and high school athletes, and adult cross training. There is also a junior athlete program for ages 9-11.

The Next Level Sports Training owner Darrin Nicoli is certified specifically for athletes and  training is designed to improve athletic speed and strength that will translate to better game time performance. Click here to see what The Next Level Sports Training has to offer.

The Next Level Sports Training will also be offering Football Skills Academies next spring and summer.

If you have questions or would like to register for a free week of training, contact owner Darrin Nicoli at darrin@thenextlevelsportstraining.com.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

If you watched the last couple Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl games, then you know New Hampshire hasn't elected -- or felt the need -- to throw the football much.

New Hampshire completed one pass in 2010, and 4 of 6 attempts in last year's game. New Hampshire coach Mike Beliveau (Souhegan) has promised something different this summer.

"We will be different than the last few New Hampshire Shrine teams, when there were 60 snaps and maybe five or six passes," Beliveau said. "We'll be way more balanced than that."

The New Hampshire and Vermont rosters were released last week. Believeau said 33 of his original 36 selections are on the team. He said he placed a priority of picking offensive linemen and quarterbacks.

"I think things fell into place pretty good," he said. "For me it was more of a priority to put together a quality offensive line. I think we did that. We have a big, smart, athletic offensive line.

"The second part was we wanted a couple of quarterbacks who would be able to pick up the offense quickly. I like to have a couple back with contrasting styles. We have a plethora of receivers and running backs."

Unlike past years, the two head coaches will not reveal what offensive formations they will use.

"I think too much time was spent worrying about who was breaking the rules," Vermont coach Mike Norman (Rutland) said. "We just want to go play football."

In addition, the rule that allowed a team to receive the kickoff when it scored but still trailed by at least 10 points will not be used.

"We got rid of that rule," Beliveau said. "I don't want any part of that. Neither did Coach Norman."

Beliveau said most of the players on the New Hampshire roster will be used on one side of the ball.

"We'll use kids one way primarily, but not exclusively," he said. "I can tell you that everyone is gonna play a lot. No one is gonna practice for nine days and then play for two plays on special teams or take a knee as a QB." 

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

The rosters for this summer's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl were released Tuesday. This year's game will be played Aug. 4 at Dartmouth College.

Souhegan High School's Mike Beliveau will coach the New Hampshire team. Here is the New Hampshire roster:

Tim Beliveau (Souhegan) split end
Evan Bidgood (Timberlane) quarterback
Johnny Bieren (Nashua South) center
Cam Blewitt (Stevens) cornerback
Thaddeus Brown Jr. (Central) split end
Jared Chandler (Central) slot
Nathan Chartrand (Bishop Guertin) split end
Chris Chininis (Souhegan) slot
Tom Cifrino (St. Thomas) linebacker
Dillon Couture (Spaulding) defensive end
Cody Dalton (Memorial) defensive back
Kevin Davies (Pinkerton) tailback
Conor Donovan (Inter-Lakes) linebacker
Jerickson Fedrick (Salem) tailback
Jordan Garron (Bedford) linebacker
Dan Gorman (Hanover) split end
Nathan Harrington (Bedford) defensive tackle
Raige Hollis (Laconia) guard
Josh Hughes (Trinity) linebacker
Dustin Jarosz (Epping) cornerback
Jackson King (Merrimack) slot
Mike Leonard (Trinity) linebacker
Rob McCormick (Souhegan) quarterback
Eric Miller (Dover) defensive tackle
Adam Morin (Exeter) guard
Alexander Morrill (Lebanon) guard
Matt Myers (Winnacunnet) defensive tackle
Colin Pellerin (Hollis-Brookline) safety
Brian Pickowicz (Franklin) defensive end
Sam Prive (Merrimack) tackle
Nick Reisert (Plymouth) defensive end
Emmitt Smith (Pinkerton) slot
Dylan Spense (Sanborn) defensive back
Brad Tiernan (Exeter) tackle
Aaron Martin (West) defensive back
Jordan Gaudette (Milford) guard

Vermont roster

Con-Val Regional High School is currently accepting applications for a varsity football coach. 

The ideal candidate will have high school coaching experience, preferably as a head coach. Candidates should possess a knowledge of the sport of football, strength and conditioning programs and a sound philosophy of interscholastic athletics.

Interested candidates should apply online at: http://conval.edu/district/human-resources and click on the career opportunities link.

For more information contact athletic director Jon Hall at (603) 924-3869 ext. 5, or jhall@conval.edu.

TORONTO -- Wally Buono, Paul LaPolice and Kavis Reed have been nominated for the 2011 Canadian Football League Coach of the Year Award, the league announced today.

"All three of these gentlemen had remarkable seasons," said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon. "They all showed the ability to fight through adversity and turnaround their team's fortunes, exemplifying the leadership that is worthy of this award.

"On behalf of the Board of Governors, our players and our fans, congratulations and good luck to our three nominees."

The winner will be presented the Annis Stukus Trophy on Friday, March 2 at the 51st Coach of the Year celebration held at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Toronto, Ontario.

The 2011 Coach of the Year nominees were selected by 56 voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada, including representation from each CFL market and a national chapter. Coaches are voted on based on their performance during the regular season, playoffs and Grey Cup.

WALLY BUONO - BC LIONS

It's been touted as one of the greatest coaching performances of his long career. In a year that the BC Lions were hosting the Grey Cup in their own backyard, Wally Buono and his team were coming off a disappointing year in which they finished the 2010 regular season with an 8-10 record.

With high hopes for the 2011 season, the Lions came out of the gate losing five straight games and six of their first seven. Led by Buono, the Lions turned their season around, winning 10 of their last 11 games and claiming first place in the West Division with an 11-7 record.

They went on to defeat the Edmonton Eskimos in the Western Final and then the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 99th Grey Cup.

It was Buono's fifth Grey Cup championship as head coach, and most likely his last as the winningest head coach in CFL history announced after the season that he would be stepping away from the sidelines. Buono remains with the Lions as General Manager and Vice President of Football Operations.

Buono has been named CFL Coach of the Year three times in his career (1992, 1993 and 2006).


PAUL LAPOLICE - WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

In just his second year as head coach, Paul LaPolice led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a Grey Cup, after orchestrating one of the biggest turnarounds in CFL history.

LaPolice took a team that finished 4-14 the year before and led them to a 10-8 record, first-place in the East Division for the first time since 2001 and an East Division Championship and Grey Cup berth for the first time since 2007.

The 2011 Blue Bombers were known for their defensive prowess, leading the league in many defensive categories including fewest yards allowed per game and quarterback sacks.

This is Coach LaPolice's first nomination for the Annis Stukus Trophy.


KAVIS REED - EDMONTON ESKIMOS

After finishing the 2010 season in last place in the West Division with a 7-11 record, Kavis Reed was brought in as head coach to turn around the Edmonton Eskimos. And he did just that.

In his first season as a CFL head coach, Reed led the Eskimos to an 11-7 record and second place in the West Division. The Eskimos hosted their first playoff game since 2004 and defeated the Calgary Stampeders 33-19 for a berth in the Western Final.

This is Coach Reed's first nomination for the Annis Stukus Trophy.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The Middlebury College 7-on-7 Team Camp will be held July 28.

Entering its seventh year, the camp is run and organized by Middlebury College coaches. The camp allows teams to be instructed by their own coaches and compete against programs from across the Northeast in 7-on-7 contests within a tournament design. All teams are scheduled for several games and will participate in a play-off format.

The cost for each team of 12 players is $350. The fee covers lunch for up to 12 players and all active coaches for each school -- additional players must pay $35 each. T-shirts or other items are awarded to teams that participate. The following is a list of teams and (number of years) they have participated: LaSalle Institute, N.Y. (6), Peru H.S., N.Y. (6), Otter Valley H.S., Vt. (6), Saranac Lake H.S., N.Y. (5), Exeter H.S., N.H. (5), Souhegan H.S., N.H. (4), Milton H.S., Vt. (3), Mount Anthony Union H.S., Vt. (3), St. Luke's H.S., Conn. (2), Essex H.S., Vt. (1), Lyndon Institute, Vt. (1).

If you are interested in learning more, contact Joe Early at (802) 443-3444 or via email: jearly@middlebury.edu.

***

If you have a camp or event you would like to publicize on New Hampshire Football Report the cost is $100. The information will run a minimum of four times in the month leading up to the event. For more details contact Roger Brown at rbrown@nhfootballreport.com.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

MANCHESTER -- Steve Burns said he doesn't plan to change much during his first season as Trinity High School's football coach. And wny would he?

The Pioneers have advanced to the Division IV championship game in each of the past two seasons, and beat Plymouth 30-14 to win last year's title. Trinity also won the Division V title in 2009.

"Part of the reason for Trinity's success has been continuity and consistency," Burns said.

Burns was elevated from Trinity's offensive coordinator to the program's head coach earlier this month, when former coach Gary Leonard resigned. Burns, a Derry resident, has spent the last five years on the Trinity staff.

He has also coached at Salem (two years), Alvirne (one year) and Manchester Memorial (six years). This will be his first opportunity as a head coach  

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Adam Gagne, who spent last season as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Westford (Mass.) Academy, has been hired to replace Jack Gati as the football coach at Salem High School.

Gagne, who lives in Haverhill, Mass,, has been at Westford since 2009. He was also an assistant coach at Merrimack College from 2003 to 2009.

Gati resigned following the 2011 season, after guiding Salem to a 121-77 record and two state championships during his 18 seasons at the school. Gati has also served as the head coach at Trinity (1978-85) and Concord (1986-93). He has a 221-138 career record with four state championships (1987, 1989, 1995 and 2009).

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Former Nashua North defensive tackle Kendall Reyes received an invitation to this year's NFL Combine, which will be held Feb.22-28 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Reyes talked about turning pro after his junior season at the University of Connecticut, but returned and was seventh on the team in tackles (46), third in tackles for loss (13.5) and third in sacks (4.5) for the Huskies last season.

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. -- The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
(MASCAC) announced Thursday that football will become the league's newest championship sport beginning with the 2013-14 academic year.

MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann announced Thursday that six core conference member institutions: Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Westfield State University and Worcester State University will join with affiliate member institutions Plymouth State University, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Western Connecticut State University to form a nine-team playing league that will kick off conference competition for the
2013 season.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

There's a strong possibility the NHIAA will adopt a three-division format for football before the 2013 season, according to a member of the NHIAA football committee.

New Hampshire will use six divisions for the 2012 season, but the committee was told to come up with a realignment plan that featured no more than five divisions by April 1. One proposal that received serious consideration during Wednesday's football committee meeting featured three divisions with four conferences in each division.

"Nothing has been finalized, but it looks like that's the direction we're headed in," the committee member said. "It was a very productive meeting. A lot of people are on the same page.

"You can never please everyone, but I think we'll be able to come up with something to keep the masses happy by April 1 without any problem."

If the NHIAA elects to go with three divisions and 12 conferences, each team would likely play every other team in its conference, as well as each team from another conference (East vs. West/North vs. South). Every game would count in the standings.

An additional week would be added to the postseason to allow for an extra round of playoffs. Eight teams (perhaps two from each conference) would qualify for the playoffs. Non-league games against out-of-state opponents may have to be eliminated.

The committee member said schools would be placed in a division based on enrollment, but schools would still have the opportunity to move up, assuming a school in a higher division would prefer to move down. Teams would be placed in a conference based on geography, in a attempt to reduce travel.

This proposal would allow may rivialry games to contniue (Pinkerton vs. Londonderry, Exeter vs. Winnacunnet, Spaudling vs. Dover, Nashua South/Nashua North/Bishop Guertin, etc.).

The six-division format has drawn heavy criticism from fans and coaches. Some coaches said it created an excessive number of non-competitive games because there was often a dominant team (or two) in a division.

In some cases teams were placed in a division where they couldn't compete. Fall Mountain, for example, has decided not to play a varsity schedule this season rather than play in Division V.

The committee member said the possibility of playing three championship games in one location on the same day -- something New Hampshire Football Report has advocated -- has been discussed.

"We may end up with two confereces [in each division], but we're definitely headed in the direction of three divisions," the committee member said. "That would give the committee a lot more flexibility."

HANOVER -- Dartmouth College has announced the starting times for the home games on its 2012 football schedule.

The season opener against Butler of the Pioneer Football League will be played Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.

While the Butler game is the only home game scheduled to be played completely at night, the homecoming game on Oct. 27 against Harvard -- the Ivy League's defending champion --will begin at 5 p.m. Each of the three remaining games at Memorial Field -- Sept. 29 against Penn, Oct. 13 versus Sacred Heart and Nov. 10 against Brown -- will begin at 1:30 p.m.

Dartmouth installed lights at Memorial Field last summer and played its inaugural game under the lights against Penn last October. The Big Green split its 10 games last year, going 4-3 in the Ivy League to tie for second place. It was the program's highest finish in eight years.

Here are the dates for the 2012 Boston College football camp:

Session 1: June 13-16
Session 2: June 19-22
Session 3: June 27-30

Click here for an application and camp brochure.

Others who wish to promote a camp or combine on New Hampshire Football Report can do so for $100. Ads will run a minimum of five times leading up to the event.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Record-setting quarterback Jonathan DiBiaso will bring his talents to New Hampshire.

DiBiaso, who played for his father at Everett (Mass.) High School, anounced Friday that he plans to spend a year at Phillips Exeter Academy before he enrolls at Dartmouth.

DiBiaso holds the Massachusetts record for career touchdown passes (103) and won the state's Mr. Football Award as a senior, when he led Everett to a Division 1A Super Bowl victory over Lincoln-Sudbury.

"They [Dartmouth] said it was up to me, that I could have came this year and contributed, battle for a No. 1 spot, and where Ivy Leagues don't have redshirt years, that I was more than welcome to do a [postgraduate] year," DiBiaso said. "Going into an Ivy League school, I know the academics are going to be very tough, so going to a prep school like Exeter, which is known for their academics, I think will prepare me very well. And where I'm still so young for a high school senior, athletically I'm going to mature more and grow as a player. And it's just another year of playing football, which I like."

DiBiaso's father, John, also spent a postgraduate year at PEA (1975) before he played four years at Tufts University.

The following New Hampshire athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent and will play college football at the Division I (FBS/FCS) or Division II level:

Nevin Cyr (Pelham/Cushing Academy): UMass
Jake Kiley (Plymouth/New Hampton): Penn State
Andrew Lauderdale (Concord/Trinity): UNH
Alexander Morrill (Lebanon/Lebanon): UNH
Raige Hollis (Laconia/Laconia): Stonehill
Emmitt Smith (Derry/Pinkerton): Bentley
Armond McCrae (Nashua/Nashua South): Merrimack
Cam Shorey (Calais, Maine/Phillips Exeter): UNH

Please send any addition/omissions to rbrown@nhfootballreport.com.

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Quarterback Christian McCormick, who was a three-sport athlete at Rice Memorial High School in Burlington, Vt., will join the University of New Hampshire football program as a preferred walk-on.

McCormick played for Berkshire Academy in Sheffield, Mass., last season. He took an official visit to UNH last weeked.

"What really stood out is the campus reminded me of being at home, but with football," McCormick said. "I'm excited about UNH. I know it's the right place for me."

McCormick was named Vermont's Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior season, when he threw for 2,619 yards ad 37 touchdows and led Rice to the Division II state championship. He was also Vermont's quarterback in last year's Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.

McCormick helped Rice win state championships in basketball in his sophomore and senior seasons.

He also had an opportunity to join UNH as a walk-on last year, but opted for a year of prep school instead.

"Neither me or my dad thought I was ready for college academically," he said. "Holy Cross showed some interest and Wagner did too. There were also some Division III schools interested, but I wanted to try and compete at the highest level I can. [UNH] felt like a winning atmosphere."

DURHAM -- University of New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell announced Wednesday that 13 student-athletes signed letters of intent on National Signing Day to attend UNH and play football for the Wildcats.

"We are very excited to add 13 student-athletes to the UNH football family," McDonnell said. "This class is one of the most athletic we've brought to Durham in a long time, especially in terms of speed and versatility. With the great blend of athleticism and ability this class possesses, we feel we've added depth and filled our needs with players who can play a number of positions."  
 
DeVaughn Chollette (LB/RB) Scranton, Pa./West Scranton
Dalton Crossan (DB/RB) Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North
Casey DeAndrade (DB/RB) East Bridgewater, Mass./East Bridgewater
Ryan Farrell (DB/WR) Westwood, Mass./Xaverian Brothers
Hayden Knudson (DB/WR) Alexandria, Va./Hayfield
Andrew Lauderdale (DE/TE) Concord, N.H./Trinity
Tad McNeely (DL/OL) Whitehall, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic
Alexander Morrill (DL/OL) Lebanon, N.H./Lebanon
Jordan Powell (DE/TE) Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township
Adam Riese (QB/DB) Hamilton, N.J./Steinert
Cameron Shorey (DE/TE) Calais, Maine/Phillips Exeter
Kyon Taylor (DB/WR) Springfield, Va./Lee
Stephane Turner (DB/RB) Rowlett, Texas/Loomis Chaffee
 

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Two players signed a national letter of intent Wednesday to play football at St. Anselm College.

David Camille, a linebacker from Bunnell High School in Stratford, Conn.; and Jared Anderson, an  offensive lineman from Bridgton Academy in North Bridgton, Maine, will both join the St. Anselm program. Anderson played for East Longmeadow (Mass.) High School before he enrolled at St. Anselm. 

Roger Brown
nhfootballreport.com

Lebanon High School offensive lineman Alexander Morrill is among those who signed a national letter of intent this morning to continue his football career at the University of New Hampshire.

"Turned it in before school," Morrill said.

Morrill helped Lebanon win the Division IV state championship as a junior. He will represent the West in the inaugural New Hampshire East-West All-Star Game in June.

"I think he made a good decision," Lebanon coach Chris Childs said. "He considered a year of prep school, but I told him he wasn't going to get any taller (Morrill is 6-foot-1). I don't think he was going to attract an offer from a BC or a UConn because of his height. I think I-AA [FCS] is where he belongs."