By Adam Aucoin
THE RUTLAND HERALD
The time is just about upon us for the first act of the 2022 Vermont high school football season.
The curtains will open up and teams across the state will put on their first performance. They’re hoping the opening act provides the positive momentum for their encore efforts.
Fair Haven is one of those teams hoping to get off to a fast start. The Slaters, a proud Division II program, are looking to re-enter the group of elite after their first losing season in many years.
Fair Haven hosted a scrimmage that included Division I runner-up CVU, along with Otter Valley and Mill River, and Slaters coach Jim Hill saw a lot of good things.
“We’re physically strong. We just need to clean up some of the mental mistakes,” Hill said about what his team needs to be successful. “Last year, we lacked the physicality and I think we’re a lot better there this year.”
The Slaters will be tested right out of the gate playing at U-32. The Raiders are coming off their second straight winning season in 11-on-11. They were upset by rival Spaulding in the D-II quarterfinals last season, but earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament.
“We’ve watched them on film. They run the double wing offense and they run it well,” Hill said. “We’ll have to play assignment football and defend well.”
U-32 is led by a new coach this season, Kevin Richards, who had been an assistant on the staff for the two years previous. The Raiders graduated a handful of major contributors, but have talent coming back, among them receiver Ismeal Cruz and running backs, Daniel Yaeger and Crosse Gariboldi.
Fair Haven returns plenty of talent in its own right, with guys like quarterback Joe Buxton and running back Tim Kendall, among others, making for a fun game on Friday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Montpelier.
Elsewhere in Division II, Bellows Falls begins its title defense with a tough matchup right out of the gate, hosting rival Brattleboro.
The Terriers are a group that doesn’t rebuild, they just reload, so they should be a contender once again.
The Colonels have the makings of a contender as well. Brattleboro won the 7-on-7 tournament held at Burr and Burton Academy over the summer. The talent at the skills positions displayed in that tournament should translate over to the fall.
Mount Anthony has D-II state title aspirations and has the talent, especially at quarterback and running back, to get the job done. The Patriots will be the first squad to get a look at the D-II incarnation of Colchester when MAU travels to CHS on Friday.
The Lakers have been in Division I for the last decade, so it will be interesting to see how they stack up with a new set of opponents.
The other matchups in D-II see Spaulding host North Country on Friday and newly-D-II Mount Mansfield playing an out of division game at BFA-St. Albans on Friday. Lyndon Institute has a rare Week 1 open date.
The preseason can bring lots of prognostication about what teams could be the cream of the crop. CVU is a team that has the makings of a Division I title contender with the talent the Redhawks have coming back.
Quarterback Max Destito and wide receivers Jack Sumner and Alex Provost make for an explosive air attack and if CVU can get someone to fill the shoes of the graduated Angelos Carroll, it will be a tough team to stop.
The Redhawks will be tested in a big way on Friday, when they head to play Middlebury.
The Tigers return plenty of talent in their own right and are consistently among the best D-I has to offer, no matter the personnel. Middlebury’s running game, which has loads of different options, could be a force.
The last time Rutland walked off its home field after a game, it was in a losing effort against Essex.
RHS doesn’t have to wait to get another shot at the defending D-I champion Hornets. Essex travels to Rutland’s Alumni Field for a Friday opener.
Both squads graduated high-end talent from those elite 2021 clubs, but have plenty left over wanting to make their mark.
Burr and Burton Academy was a team better than its 2-5 record let on. BBA gave elite clubs like Essex, MAU and Hartford everything it had and was also bit by the injury bug.
Bulldogs quarterback Jack McCoy could be in for a breakout season if he remains healthy. It all starts when BBA welcomes the Seawolves to Taylor Field Saturday afternoon.
Hartford was among D-I’s elite last year and saw its season end in an instant classic semifinal against CVU. The Hurricanes open their 2022 season at home against always-tough St. Johnsbury Friday night.
Defending Division III champion Windsor and runner-up BFA-Fairfax/Lamoille were the class of the division for much of last season, before the Yellow Jackets claimed a dominant state finals win.
The Bullets have their chance for revenge on Saturday when Windsor makes the trip up north for a season opener.
Two squads make their D-III debut this weekend. Mount Abraham heads to Dean W. Houghton Field to take on Poultney on Saturday and Rice hosts Otter Valley the same day. It will be the beginning of the Jordan Tolar era for the Otters.
Mill River kicks off the Phil Hall era on Saturday when the Minutemen travel over to Oxbow for a season opener.
Springfield gave Woodstock a tough D-III quarterfinal last fall, before the Wasps came out victorious. The teams open against each other on Friday at Springfield.
Elsewhere in D-III, Missisquoi hosts Milton on Saturday.
adam.aucoin @rutlandherald.com
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