Week 1 thoughts and predictions.
Well, here we go! Friday Night lights are back...and how excited are you?! I've consulted with the football spirits (the ghostly kind) and they have assured me of the following outcomes tonight and tomorrow:
Stark @ Hanover -
The Generals visit the Marauder turf. Hanover will be a tough out this year especially on turf where they can take advantage of their speed. The Marauders take this one 28 - 13.
Laconia @ Windham -
The Jaguars will get an early look at one of D IVs top teams. Not having seen Windham play before I'm going with what I know...if the 'Motor' plays the Sachems come out on top 31 - 20.
Kennett @ St Thomas -
Interesting to see how Coach Cumba deals with Nick Massa this week. Tough game to call, but I'm going with St. Thomas on top 28-21.
Kingswood @ Trinity -
Pioneers pick up where they left off last year. Trinity on top 40 - 14.
Lebanon @ Plymouth -
Bull Dozer meets Bobcats. Lebanon should have a veteran team this year having only lost 2 starters from last years squad. Plymouth should get an idea of where they stack up after this one. The spirits tell me Bobcats win 24-21.
Other Divisions and other thoughts.
D V - Kearsarge should win this Division. They are senior deep this year with playoff experience. Look for Monadnock and Kearsarge to make the title game with Kearsarge on top. Claremont should also make a run as well providing they can keep cannon QB Logan Batchelder healthy.
D VI - Franklin and Newport will be tough again, however, my dark horse in this Division is Mascoma (yep that's right I said Mascoma).
Good luck to all this weekend. Let the fun begin!
~HC~
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
2012 D IV Football has arrived!
Welcome to the last year of D IV football - 2012 and arguably what will be the tightest division in NH football this year from the bottom up.
As teams get geared up for this weekend and their opening game, let's take a look at the teams and impact players this season.
While we lost a ton of talent last year, there are numerous players ready to step up and take their place for 2012. Guys like Dylan Drew (Lebanon), David Mahoney (Laconia), Brandon Goodale (Plymouth), Ryan Carrier (Trinity) and Nick Massa (Kennett) have been All State players for their entire High School carreers. It will be an exciting ride as we watch their Senior year finale unfold. They'll be joined by some great D V talent moving up to D IV this year. Ryan Monette will provide an immediate impact from St. Thomas and a veteran Windham team will be sure to make waves this year with the likes of players such as Danny Cannone and Kevin Cooney.
Let's start with the defending champion Trinity Pioneers.
Since their arrival to D IV 2 years ago, they've only ever lost 2 games. Both of those games were in 2010 and were to the eventual D IV champion Lebanon Raiders. Beyond that, they've had very few scares along the way and in most cases cruising to wins. They were undefeated last year defeating Plymouth in the Championship game. They return one of D IV's best in Ryan Carrier, who along with Romeo Masuku and Carmen Giampetruzzi, Poole, Bouchard and others will have a strong base or starters coming back.
No one runs the double wing better than these guys and finding the football is going to be key to dethroning the defending champs.
St. Thomas
Another undefeated team has come up to D IV. The Saints bring a wide open fast-paced spread offense to bear against their opponents and while I've only seen them play a few times over the past couple years they are fun to watch. Ryan Monette is a gamer with breakaway speed and a slippery style of running. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in vision. He has the potential to break a big play anytime he touches the ball. They have a fantastic junior Kicker in Middleton who is kicks the ball with power and accuracy, which is a huge advantage for any team in high school football.
Hanover -
These guys are a playoff team this year. They'll have Shawn Cavallaro at QB. He is a double threat offensively, with a great arm and the ability to scramble and make guys miss. If the pocket collapses or he rolls out you're sometimes in more trouble than if he were going to chuck it. He's got blazing speed and if he sees daylight, he will take it to the house.
Add to that Carl Keating, a power runner with good footwork, speed, and great hands and they can make things happen out of the backfield. Outside they have Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris who has good size and speed at wide-out and is a favorite target of Cavallaro's. They spread the field well and give their weapons room to work...these guys will be a tough matchup defensively for any team in the state this year.
Lebanon -
They only lost 2 starters last year in Morril (UNH) and Chris Henry, so they will bring back guys with varsity experience. Plus they have the Bull Dozer in Dylan Drew at FB. He won't throw many moves at you but would rather find you in his hole and run right through you. Drew is probably the biggest RB in the state with good speed for his size and a bruising style of running. A tenacious defender at ILB, he'll lead a Raider Defense that struggled at times last year defending the pass. They'll have to figure that out this year to contend. Lucas Gerow and Phil Hwang showed glimpses of play making ability last year as well, but either way the big question for Lebanon is their O/D Line on both sides of the ball. They lost both Morril and Henry so Coach Childs has to be concerned with how they will match up against teams in the trenches.
Laconia
Will be right in the hunt for the title this year. David 'Motor' Mahoney leads a Sachems team that expects to win a title EVERY year. Anything less is not only disappointing for these guys...it's unacceptable. These aren't just words, it's the way they play the game. You can see it from the way they walk onto the field, the way they execute, right down to the handshake at the end of the game. Mahoney will be the go to guy for Laconia this year. He's got good size to go with that extra gear once he sees the open field. Like Lebanon, the question will be what guys fill in the holes on the line. The Sachems lost Hollis and the older Mahoney so they'll rely on Nyhan, Hurley and Mears to open those lanes up. If they can do that they'll be right in the conversation come the end of October.
Plymouth
Speaking of expecting titles, you can't mention Laconia without mentioning Plymouth. Not so long ago, all the talk was around can anyone beat Plymouth. Well, they missed the playoffs in 2010 and rebounded last year by going all the way to the title game, before losing to Trinity. This year, Coach L. has quite a puzzle to put together after losing nearly 20 seniors. However, don't count the Bobcats out just yet. They do return an outstanding back in Brandon Goodale. Like Mahoney he has great speed, excellent vision, and the ability to score any time he touches the football. Furthermore they have a big time banger in John Thomas...he reminds me a lot of Drew from Lebanon on both sides of the ball. A bruising back who can run strong and flat out knock you out on Defense.
If you needed more, they also return Kyle Reisert. A big, fast target at out wide who rarely drops anything thrown his way.
Windham -
Unfortunately, I don't know much about the Jaguars. What I do know is they lost to St Thomas in the D V Title game last year and have a host of Seniors on their roster...and that makes them dangerous. Most of you have seen Cannone's highlight reel and he can flat out play. I've also heard good things about LB Kevin Cooney as well. I'm very excited to see these guys in action this year as they move up to D IV. Beyond that, these guys run a lot of double wing...and as Trinity has demonstrated...when it's run right it can be very difficult for guys to defend. We'll have to wait and see...
Kennett
The Eagles are another one of those teams that's always in the talk at the beginning of the year. They have a good running back in Nick Massa. He's a north south kind of runner who's got good top end speed. Seems like every Eagles game I've been to, Massa breaks one right off the guard and takes it the distance. Kennett always has good numbers so while Massa and McDonald are the names on this team, they will without question have new guys stepping up this year and making plays.
Kingswood -
With the loss of Kohl Meyers, Kingswood has some big shoes to fill. They had a tough season last year and it looks as though this may be another. The knights also ran the double wing last year but suffered from a lack of size up front. It will be interesting to see if they change the offense up a bit or put a new wrinkle in this year. Look for Junior Abe Demaio to step up and make plays for the Knights this year.
John Stark -
They don't get a lot of press, however, look for these guys to be in it all season long. They've got the right mindset and the roster to make some waves this year. Led by Junior RB Carson Dunn and Jacob Bumford they didn't lose a whole lot of kids last season. They return a solid Line which should allow them to compete up front. Winning is contagious and half the game is confidence. If these guys can get the ball rolling early with a couple wins the kids will start to expect it...and a confident team is dangerous one. In both games I saw them play last year, you could see the talent with these guys but when they got down, the heads started to drop a little, hands went to helmets and they got a little down. If they can get past that this year they will be right in it come the end of October.
As we enter the final season of Division IV football the entire landscape of NH High School football will change next year. The champions this year will forever go down in history as the last Division IV champs. There are many questions to be answered as we go into opening weekend, but one thing is certain. This division is up for grabs. The talent in D IV is undeniably on par with any other Division in the State of New Hampshire and the teams are as close as they've ever been (on paper anyway). This could be a historic year for D IV, and I can't wait.
Look for my Week 1 predictions later on today or tomorrow. Welcome to D IV FOOTBALL!
~HC~
As teams get geared up for this weekend and their opening game, let's take a look at the teams and impact players this season.
While we lost a ton of talent last year, there are numerous players ready to step up and take their place for 2012. Guys like Dylan Drew (Lebanon), David Mahoney (Laconia), Brandon Goodale (Plymouth), Ryan Carrier (Trinity) and Nick Massa (Kennett) have been All State players for their entire High School carreers. It will be an exciting ride as we watch their Senior year finale unfold. They'll be joined by some great D V talent moving up to D IV this year. Ryan Monette will provide an immediate impact from St. Thomas and a veteran Windham team will be sure to make waves this year with the likes of players such as Danny Cannone and Kevin Cooney.
Let's start with the defending champion Trinity Pioneers.
Since their arrival to D IV 2 years ago, they've only ever lost 2 games. Both of those games were in 2010 and were to the eventual D IV champion Lebanon Raiders. Beyond that, they've had very few scares along the way and in most cases cruising to wins. They were undefeated last year defeating Plymouth in the Championship game. They return one of D IV's best in Ryan Carrier, who along with Romeo Masuku and Carmen Giampetruzzi, Poole, Bouchard and others will have a strong base or starters coming back.
No one runs the double wing better than these guys and finding the football is going to be key to dethroning the defending champs.
St. Thomas
Another undefeated team has come up to D IV. The Saints bring a wide open fast-paced spread offense to bear against their opponents and while I've only seen them play a few times over the past couple years they are fun to watch. Ryan Monette is a gamer with breakaway speed and a slippery style of running. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in vision. He has the potential to break a big play anytime he touches the ball. They have a fantastic junior Kicker in Middleton who is kicks the ball with power and accuracy, which is a huge advantage for any team in high school football.
Hanover -
These guys are a playoff team this year. They'll have Shawn Cavallaro at QB. He is a double threat offensively, with a great arm and the ability to scramble and make guys miss. If the pocket collapses or he rolls out you're sometimes in more trouble than if he were going to chuck it. He's got blazing speed and if he sees daylight, he will take it to the house.
Add to that Carl Keating, a power runner with good footwork, speed, and great hands and they can make things happen out of the backfield. Outside they have Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris who has good size and speed at wide-out and is a favorite target of Cavallaro's. They spread the field well and give their weapons room to work...these guys will be a tough matchup defensively for any team in the state this year.
Lebanon -
They only lost 2 starters last year in Morril (UNH) and Chris Henry, so they will bring back guys with varsity experience. Plus they have the Bull Dozer in Dylan Drew at FB. He won't throw many moves at you but would rather find you in his hole and run right through you. Drew is probably the biggest RB in the state with good speed for his size and a bruising style of running. A tenacious defender at ILB, he'll lead a Raider Defense that struggled at times last year defending the pass. They'll have to figure that out this year to contend. Lucas Gerow and Phil Hwang showed glimpses of play making ability last year as well, but either way the big question for Lebanon is their O/D Line on both sides of the ball. They lost both Morril and Henry so Coach Childs has to be concerned with how they will match up against teams in the trenches.
Laconia
Will be right in the hunt for the title this year. David 'Motor' Mahoney leads a Sachems team that expects to win a title EVERY year. Anything less is not only disappointing for these guys...it's unacceptable. These aren't just words, it's the way they play the game. You can see it from the way they walk onto the field, the way they execute, right down to the handshake at the end of the game. Mahoney will be the go to guy for Laconia this year. He's got good size to go with that extra gear once he sees the open field. Like Lebanon, the question will be what guys fill in the holes on the line. The Sachems lost Hollis and the older Mahoney so they'll rely on Nyhan, Hurley and Mears to open those lanes up. If they can do that they'll be right in the conversation come the end of October.
Plymouth
Speaking of expecting titles, you can't mention Laconia without mentioning Plymouth. Not so long ago, all the talk was around can anyone beat Plymouth. Well, they missed the playoffs in 2010 and rebounded last year by going all the way to the title game, before losing to Trinity. This year, Coach L. has quite a puzzle to put together after losing nearly 20 seniors. However, don't count the Bobcats out just yet. They do return an outstanding back in Brandon Goodale. Like Mahoney he has great speed, excellent vision, and the ability to score any time he touches the football. Furthermore they have a big time banger in John Thomas...he reminds me a lot of Drew from Lebanon on both sides of the ball. A bruising back who can run strong and flat out knock you out on Defense.
If you needed more, they also return Kyle Reisert. A big, fast target at out wide who rarely drops anything thrown his way.
Windham -
Unfortunately, I don't know much about the Jaguars. What I do know is they lost to St Thomas in the D V Title game last year and have a host of Seniors on their roster...and that makes them dangerous. Most of you have seen Cannone's highlight reel and he can flat out play. I've also heard good things about LB Kevin Cooney as well. I'm very excited to see these guys in action this year as they move up to D IV. Beyond that, these guys run a lot of double wing...and as Trinity has demonstrated...when it's run right it can be very difficult for guys to defend. We'll have to wait and see...
Kennett
The Eagles are another one of those teams that's always in the talk at the beginning of the year. They have a good running back in Nick Massa. He's a north south kind of runner who's got good top end speed. Seems like every Eagles game I've been to, Massa breaks one right off the guard and takes it the distance. Kennett always has good numbers so while Massa and McDonald are the names on this team, they will without question have new guys stepping up this year and making plays.
Kingswood -
With the loss of Kohl Meyers, Kingswood has some big shoes to fill. They had a tough season last year and it looks as though this may be another. The knights also ran the double wing last year but suffered from a lack of size up front. It will be interesting to see if they change the offense up a bit or put a new wrinkle in this year. Look for Junior Abe Demaio to step up and make plays for the Knights this year.
John Stark -
They don't get a lot of press, however, look for these guys to be in it all season long. They've got the right mindset and the roster to make some waves this year. Led by Junior RB Carson Dunn and Jacob Bumford they didn't lose a whole lot of kids last season. They return a solid Line which should allow them to compete up front. Winning is contagious and half the game is confidence. If these guys can get the ball rolling early with a couple wins the kids will start to expect it...and a confident team is dangerous one. In both games I saw them play last year, you could see the talent with these guys but when they got down, the heads started to drop a little, hands went to helmets and they got a little down. If they can get past that this year they will be right in it come the end of October.
As we enter the final season of Division IV football the entire landscape of NH High School football will change next year. The champions this year will forever go down in history as the last Division IV champs. There are many questions to be answered as we go into opening weekend, but one thing is certain. This division is up for grabs. The talent in D IV is undeniably on par with any other Division in the State of New Hampshire and the teams are as close as they've ever been (on paper anyway). This could be a historic year for D IV, and I can't wait.
Look for my Week 1 predictions later on today or tomorrow. Welcome to D IV FOOTBALL!
~HC~
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