By Jack Healey
The 66th annual Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl game is tomorrow at 5:30 at Dave Wolk Stadium at Castleton University. The parade in Castleton is at 3PM.
Former Castleton President Dave Wolk is the Grand Marshal. New Hampshire leads in the series 47-16 with 2 ties, but Vermont has won the last three straight.
The Vermont captains are Rutland’s Ryan Moore, Poultney’s Jacob Allen and Pat Burke and Mark Howland of Mt. Mansfield. We will have the video cast here at nsnsports.net starting at 5:10 PM with the pre-game show. It is free of charge.
The Vermont-New Hampshire Shrine game is the third largest game of its kind in the US behind the East-West college football Shrine Game and the Shrine Game of the Carolinas.
As we said Vermont has won three straight in the series and some fans will say that it’s because the New Hampshire talent has been watered down as many of the top players opt to play in the CHAD East-West game played in June at the University of New Hampshire and thus don’t play in the Shrine Game.
Make no mistake about it! New Hampshire still has a huge advantage population wise and also school size wise. There are players on this year’s team from Division 1 powerhouses Bedford, the undefeated state champion and Division 1 runner-up Pinkerton Academy as well as Nashua North, Nashua South and Manchester Memorial.Yes New Hampshire is taking this game seriously and this is no JV team they are putting on the field tomorrow. I still think the Green Mountain Boys win their 4th straight, but it will be close…..I say Vermont 24 New Hampshire 21!!!!