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Tigers D1 Vt. State High School Football Champions 26-6 Over SBHS

Tuesday November 12, 2013

By Mike Cameron

Dennis Smith's Tigers were ready as were the Rebels of South Burlington coached by Joe McDonald.  The game would feature some fireworks on both offense and defense.  Middlebury played almost error free football for most of the season.  The Rebels had some key turnovers the last time these two got together and the Tigers took advantage of every single one of them both with time of possession and points on the board.
   On Saturday evening November 9th at Rutland's Alumni Field it was “de'ja-vu all over again,” as Yogi Berra would say.  After a hot start and a 6-point Rebel lead, the Tigers shook off the road trip and the wait for two other games to be played and  struck fast and furious from both sides of the ball on their way to a perfect 11-0 season with a 26-6 title game win
   The Tigers and Rebels II was the final on a big day of football.  Two other division championships were contested earlier in the day with Woodstock and Mill River kicking off VPA Championship Day (Woodstock wins in OT 20-19) followed by Lyndon Institute and Rice Memorial going at it in the Division 2 Championship. (Rice wins 26-20) Then the Tigers of Middlebury and the Rebels of South Burlington  would clash in the evening finally.  The 3, 2, 1 format has become standard and allows every one; students and fans alike to view the games and enjoy a great day of football.  
   The Rebels Tanner Contort, one of the best tailbacks Vermont has ever produced amassed 256-yards on 27 carries leaving no doubt that he is indeed the real deal, the last time these two meet in October.  Contois left the game after the second offensive play and never returned.  Rebel quarterback Hunter Riesling hooked up with wide-out Jeremy Clements on an 11-yard slant for the touchdown after a 57-yard drive on the Rebels first possession the p.a.t was wide left and the Rebels were up 6-0. That  evaporated as Middlebury came storming back after some give during the rest of the first quarter.
Rebels led 6-0 after one.  They would not score again.
   The Tigers would lay their ears back and attack on defense.  The blitz was on.  With the Rebels top rusher on the sidelines, the Tigers Jakob Trautwein, Sam Messinger, James Ploof, Sam Usilton, and Lucas Ploofe began to penetrate and harass  Riehle to hurry his passes and throw on the run.  The Tigers line-backers and defensive backs were also ready to pounce, and they did.
It was quarterback Austin Robinson who put the Tigers on the board early in the second quarter with one of his patented option keepers.  Robinson decoyed to the dive man Trautwein rolled to his left, got a great block at the left corner and lit his afterburner.  The 57-yard foot race with the Rebel secondary was no contest and the game was suddenly tied 6-6.  Josh Stearns kicked the p.a.t.  The Tigers were up by one 7-6 and gaining momentum.  
  Middlebury's Bobby Ritter made an almost impossible leaping off balance interception grab of a Riehle pass to close out the first half with South Burlington using down and outs to save clock before the half, Riehle saw Cam Nolting with one on one coverage from Ritter down the right sideline and threw a nice pass.  Both Ritter and Nolting were step for step with the pass just a few inches under thrown, Ritter left his feet and made a twisting mid-air interception after an amazing vertical leap. He came down with the ball protecting it from ever touching the ground and Middlebury was back on the attack with the clock running down in the half.
      The Tigers punched the ball to the 2  with Trautwein and Smith, used their time outs expeditiously and  scored when Robinson found Hathaway open in the left corner of the end zone for a TD.  The kick was wide and the Tigers went into the half up 13-6.
  Tiger coach Dennis Smith was philosophical when mobbed by reporters after the game.  “We had a goal to win the State Championship and this group of kids were focused on that all year long.”  He gave credit to South Burlington, “They had us on our heels for a while there and we were able to adjust.”Smith also talked about the future.  “We are so busy week to week it is hard to access how good these guys really were.  A look at the films will do that and it will give us an opportunity to enjoy what has really happened this year,” he explained.
Middlebury is Title town again in 2013-2014 thanks to the efforts of this special team and Coaches:
Smith, Nuceder and Malcolm.  The Tiger Tradition continues. The Middlebury Union High School Tigers are the Vermont Principals Association Division 1 State High School Football Champions after a perfect 11-0 season this year. They did it with skill, hard work, respect, and class.       

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