Main Sections

Tiger Football Takes Two On Road Brattleboro At Doc Collins Field Is Next

photo by Mike Cameron Tyler Hotte #36 and Spencer Carpenter #41 both made big plays against the BFA Bob Whites in a 14-0 win at Saint Albans. The Tigers are preparing for their home opener against Brattleboro at Doc Collins Field on Friday evening, September 16, 2016. Kick-off is scheduled for 7p.m. The Tigers are 2-0 on the season, both were road wins.

Tuesday September 13, 2016

By Mike Cameron

Middlebury opens the season with  a 49-23 victory over Mount Anthony and follows up week two with a 14-0 over BFA.
   The Tigers played solid early season defense for the first game of 2016 at Mt. Anthony.  Right out of the box this team met a significant challenge early on with MAU playing their tricky spread and throw offense.  
    Middlebury got settled down after trailing early 7-0 and started employing a punishing ground game with Spencer Carpenter pounding the ball up the middle from his fullback slot and Trey Kaufmann slashing off tackle and around the seam.  Special teams also stepped up. The Tigers scored on a kick off return and the defense forced a safety in this one. The  MAU offense was led by  Ryan O'neil and Will Fisher. New faces like Pierson Beatty, and Dustin Davio demonstrated early on that they have potential in the Tigers brand of football.  
    Tiger quarterback Andrew Gleason can now call this team his own after great work in the post season last year when Oakley Gordon was lost via injury against Hartford.  He hit lanky Doug Delorenzo for a touchdown from 15 yards out and ran for another himself.  Marty Niemo is picking up quickly where his brother Jerry, now graduated, left off last year on defense at the corner.  The final score was 49-23  at Mt. Anthony.  BFA, a team that came from behind late in the 4th quarter to defeat Rice at So. Burlington in week 1 would be waiting in Saint Albans for game two.
 Tigers Battle at BFA, Saint Albans...
    One week later the Tigers were on their way up I-89 to the Collins Pearley Sports Center and a 7pm scheduled kick-off against the BFA Bob whites.  This team is one of the oldest and most storied in the state.  Yes their mascot is a Bob white Quail and their most famous coach's name now many years removed from the gridiron was Bob White.  BFA also has the distinction of having as graduated from the Academy perhaps the most prolific running back in Vermont High School Football History.  His name is Ollie Dunlap and he is now enshrined in the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. Just a touch of trivia prior to what promised to be an exciting contest.
 If you like defense, it was. Both teams battled for almost 3 quarters before a score was allowed.  Tiger fullback Spencer Carpenter a 190 pound Senior put in a rugged night’s work lugging the football and stopping BFA on defense. Tyler Hotte a Junior at 225pounds  worked the nose position and also made of ton of big plays on both sides of the ball.  This one was a battle of attrition until a fumbled punt recovery deep in the BFA Red-Zone set up a another  TD pass from Andrew Gleason to Doug Delorenzo who then kicked the point after.  Delorenzo also had an eye-popping, leaping, 35-yard snag of a Gleason pass in traffic a short time later.  The point was added by Junior Jakob Boeckermann. Delorenzo headed to the sidelines with a leg cramp after scoring.  The deal was sealed 14-0 for Middlebury and BFA was unable to mount a comeback.  
  BFA coach Geoff Murry has plenty to work with and at 1-1 they will be a challenge for anyone the rest of the way.  BFA half back Nate Parady a junior speedster sat this one out with an injury.  The Bob whites are big and strong and can match up with anyone in Division 1. Big Jensen Spooner, Connor Callaway, Jordan Deso and Hunter Laroe each had excellent games for the Bob whites.
 “We still have a lot of rookies on our team but they are learning to take  ownership.”
   Tiger mentor Dennis Smith explained after the game.  “Better that we have two wins,” he said already contemplating the next foe, Brattleboro. The Colonels will enter Doc Collins Field on Friday night September 16th for a key D-1 test.  The 2016 home opener will be a hard earned welcome home for the Tigers, a team that appears to be coming of age as game three approaches.  

Printer Friendly

Top

Advertisements

Search our Archives