CASTLETON — The foliage will be gone and the state titles will have been decided by Saturday, Nov. 17. But the footballs will not be put away. That’s the day of one of the season’s highlights: The Annual Vermont Senior Bowl that pits the top high school seniors from the North against their counterparts from the South.
The scene shifts back to Castleton State College’s Spartan Stadium. The game has been remarkably competitive, something not lost on the state’s fandom as last year’s classic at Middlebury College was the best attended yet.
One of the most recruited players in this year’s classic is South quarterback Jake Stalcup of Burr and Burton Academy. His rocket arm and his familiarity with his own favorite receiver Chris Redding figures to allow South head coach Dennis Smith to unleash a devastating passing game.
North coach Josh Safran has said he will likely use two different styles of offense. He has players from the Spread attack of Essex led by quarterback Joey Picard but might also implement a bruising ground game such as the one BFA-St. Albans deploys, depending on which offense he has on the field at the time.
Kickoff on Nov. 17 is 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students. The game is a major fundraiser for the Vermont Chapter of the National Football Foundation and goes toward the awards banquet, scholarships for high school seniors and money to help developing youth and high school football programs.
The North team will feature Picard, James Olsen, Tyler Warren, Joey Ramada and Noah MacGillivray from the Essex team.
The Rice Memorial powerhouse representatives on the North team are Casey Tipson, Charlie Boardman, Billy O’Brien and Jordan Napolitano.
The Milton Yellowjackets will be represented by Jonah Blatt, Geoff Gadbois and Kincaid Dallier.
Wearing the helmet of the Colchester Lakers will be Bobby Brigante, Dave Lacroix and Dylan Meekins.
CVU will send Patrick Shea, Harvey Ottinger, Alec Distler, Davis Mikell and Ryan Beaudry onto the field for the North.
BFA-Fairfax fans can cheer for the North’s Doug Legris, Kris Wehner and Ryan Wimble.
BFA-St. Albans has Doug Saffo, Lucas Kelsey, Dylan Callen, Jordan Stone and Darren Callen on the North.
Adam Poquette and Billy Katon will be wearing the headgear of the Burlington Seahorses.
Game-breaker Cody Alexander is the representative for the Mount Abraham Eagles.
Spaulding’s Jon Kilian will be representing the Crimson Tide on the North and Jacob Buckles will be carrying the colors for North Country.
The St. Johnsbury Hilltoppers will be sending Lucas Robillard and Griffin Commanci to Spartan Stadium.
Montpelier will have Alex Dickenson on the team and Winooski will be represented by Geof Scott and Vedad Cicak.
Brooks Gay and Carter Glenn will be there from Mount Mansfield ands Connor Garrand will be wearing the distinctive helmet of U-32.
South Burlington has Mike Simoneau on the North team and Lyndon Institute offers Dilyan Switser.
THE SOUTH
Joining Stalcup and Redding on the South team are Joe Wood, Joe Cheslin, Jon Carlson, Michael DuLac, Nolan Frechette and Donevan Kelly from the defending Division I state champion Hartford Hurricanes.
Rutland boasts Mike Pileggi, Kyle Arnold, Joe Sullivan, Cam Kennedy and Mack Hock.
Brattleboro’s contribution to the South squad includes Tyler Higley, Noah Simeon and Phil Perkins.
It will have been a memorable season for Windsor quarterback Luke TanCreti. It began in the heat of Louisiana at the Manning Passing Academy and will end in the cool of November as a member of the South team.
The Mill River Minutemen will be represented by Tony Milo and Otter Valley by Justin Owen, James Winslow and Jackson Smith.
Wearing the helmet of the Poultney Blue Devils will be James Olsen and Dan Warnecke.
The Purple Gang from Bellows Falls have their banner carried by Zach Rawlings, Jacob Hodsden, Danny Armsrong, Zak Tarvit and Mike LeBeau.
Wearing the gleaming gold helmet of Mount St. Joseph Academy will be Jahnathan Mitchell and Seth LaChance.
Cody Braddish, Greg Pritchard and Dakota Euber will return to Spartan Stadium where they celebrated the 2011 Division II state championship for the Fair Haven Slaters.
Likewise for Woodstock’s Hunter Schmell, Ed Doton, Will Emmons, Travis Gault and Jalen Peterson who captured the Division III state crown at the venue.
South head coach Dennis Smith will get to continue coaching three of his own Middlebury players: Mitchell Clarke, Walter Odell and Derek Bagley.
Oxbow will have Justin Rasnic and Tyler Davidson playing for the South and Zach Bahan will be representing the Mount Anthony Patriots.
Cody Vandenburgh will be playing for the Springfield Cosmos.