Final words on football
Toolbox
Anna Grearson - Published: November 24, 2008
A quick word or two about the Vermont high school football realignment before we get into this week's schedule – where are the thanks to the youth program here in Barre for essentially bringing the Spaulding program from literally nothing to back-to-back champions? And what about Springfield?
I was not aware that in the relatively recent past there were rumors that Spaulding might cut its football team. The interest just wasn't there, apparently. So how does a program rebound to claim two championships in under a dozen years? Youth coaches, my friends, youth coaches.
Sure, a product like David Ball helps a lot, and coaches like Brennan Carney and Erik Anderson add to the mix, but there's got to be a base. And like most sporting endeavors these days, one must start young to be good down the road. So keep in mind the value of youth coaches – in all sports.
And then there's the Cosmos. It seems in all the discussion about putting this team up a division and this team down a division, I don't recall any talk of Springfield, which dominated Division III football this year. The Cosmos went 11-0 and won the Division III championship 52-28 over No. 3 Windsor and deserve every ounce of praise and celebration because of that achievement.
I am more than willing to admit I missed something, but was there any consideration given to moving them up a division?
The school has 500 students in grades 9-12, which in Vermont isn't exactly a small school. And the Cosmos compete in Division II in every sport except for football.
There will always be strong teams and weak teams, strong years and weak years, and a team shouldn't be "punished" for being good any more than a weaker team should be "punished" for not winning. I am simply curious as to why there hasn't been much discussion about this one team.
In the winter seasons – which we are finally, solely, in the winter sports season – there is still a week of tryouts and practice left for area high school teams before games start. The high school action will heat up in a hurry, though, with most local teams slated to play their season openers in just over a week.
Norwich University, probably because of the holiday week, has just three games this week, and none of them are in Northfield.
The women's basketball team will play at Middlebury tomorrow night and will return home for three straight home games – on Dec. 5, 6 and 9 – before the long winter break.
The men's ice hockey team will play two games at Middlebury on Friday and Saturday nights, with the Cadets facing Plattsburgh State on Friday at 4 p.m. If the Cadets win, there's a good chance they would advance to play the Panthers in the title tilt.
6