Ramblings and Opinions by the Coach, Chris T.
The Southern View 2008
Week One, And Away We Go...................
Well with week one in the books we are a little remised to say anything negative about high school football here in Vermont. Yes there were a few surprises and the Rutland Herald coach’s poll was in a word a “crap shoot” and that’s being very kind. How on Gods green earth you rank Hartford a defending champion out of the top two spots in D-I is just amazing to us here in sports land and if we see Fair Haven ranked in D-II again this year I am going to call the police because better teams are being robbed by people who just don’t get it that vote in the poll. Did U-32 get a ranking with the Slater’s because of the last two season’s Mike (run the score up on u) Law had with them? Were talking about a team that has been on a downward spiral through most of last season and then the Shrine game embarrassment should have put Law off the radar in Vermont football for good. In D-III the CVU ranking was another sham, perhaps a few coaches are just coming off their summer breaks a little late this season and thought it was still baseball season.
D-I
Ok let’s start with Vermont’s perennial division. Essex played a horrible game against a completely undermanned MSJ Mounties team that is looking for an identity. The Mounties played a great first half of ball but just didn’t have the horses to get through the third quarter of action. D-I is a numbers game and contrary to what the staff thinks down there, MSJ is in need of numbers and real time experience. Essex on the other hand has a lot of work to do with Rutland coming to town this Friday night, the hornets will not escape a team like Rutland with the numbers and experience they have over there. Speaking of Rutland they did get by South Burlington this week but the book is still out on the new look Raiders. After graduating 18 kids that played a lot of ball last year the Raiders are looking for a direction like many other teams in Vermont. There is a lot of Buzz about the MAU Patriots that beat on a D-II team this past weekend and we will hold comment on them for now. People up north of the football capital of Vermont were ooohing and awing about BFA St Albans chances this season, I am not so sure they are buzzing anymore after the Defending Champions Hartford Hurricanes gave them a rude welcome to White River last weekend. The Bobwhites will now have to deal with a Brattleboro team that has been re tooled at the coaching ranks and in our opinion will be in the top mix in late October.
D-II
Now its off to the second level of football in the state. The only team that deserved a ranking at all this past week won big and will dominate the season if things keep going north for the Crimson Tide. Spaulding and Colchester (not ranked last week in the herald, another sham) should have a date in early November and play for all the marbles if things keep going like they started for them both. U-32 lost to Milton so drop them out and Lyndon is the wild card here after handily defeating Bellows Falls last week end. MMU defeated a D-III opponent so were not sure what’s up with them yet but they could figure in late. RICE might be one of those teams you don’t want to play this season after a big week one win. They dug down deep late to earn that win and they could be a factor as well.
D-III
This will be perhaps the most competitive division in all of Vermont football this season. With Windsor wining big over a poorly coached Mill River team that will be searching for a win long into the season it looks like the jackets have re loaded the bus again. Springfield welcomed Poultney grad Jason Thomas to the southern coaching fold and now Jason knows he has much to learn as well about southern Vermont football. Poultney’s win up north last weekend shows the Capman kids are going to be reckoned with this year and should not be taken lightly. How CVU earned a ranking from the Herald is another big question from week one too. Coach Prenevost has been out of coaching for too many years and the staff he brought together is the defunct staff from Montpelier that went no where a year ago. With the Solons new staff in place things could get much better there for them and I believe they will make some noise as the season goes along.
Now we are onto the top Fourss for week one and we are looking forward to a great season of balanced football from a few northern teams that could very step up and make the south play better than it has in a while. You have to love parity and re alignment…..
D-I
Hartford, Essex, Rutland and Brattleboro
D-II
Colchester, Spaulding, Lyndon and Milton
D-III
Springfield, Windsor, Poultney and Oxbow
|
