Times and faces changing on southern Vermont grids

Springfield reloads with a new coach, Bellows Falls gets younger and Windsor gets lighter — make that a LOT lighter — up front as the 2015 football season dawns.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150826/SPORTS02/708269915

Published August 26, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Times and faces changingon southern Vermont grids By POODY WALSH CORRESPONDENT Springfield reloads with a new coach, Bellows Falls gets younger and Windsor gets lighter — make that a LOT lighter — up front as the 2015 football season dawns. Capsules of Southern Vermont teams follow: SPRINGFIELD SPRINGFIELD — Rich Saypack was an assistant coach to Mike Hatt when the Springfield football team won the state championship in 2008, and he was around in 2009 when the Cosmos lost to Windsor in the championship game. He has also been an observer of Springfield football the last few not-so-good years, so now as the head coach, he knows what he’s getting into. Saypack will be the third coach in three years for the Cosmos, who scuffed along last year, beating an undermanned MSJ twice for its only two wins, but the start of a new season always brings hope. “I think we’ll settle in,” said Saypack who hit the recruiting trail and convinced six Green Mountain Union High School players to join the team to bring the roster total to around 35. “I’ve also spent the last two months watching film so I have a good idea if what to do and what not to do,” said Saypack. One of the things the Cosmos are going to do is run the ball with the Tubbs twins, Zack and Ben, along with Chris Ficklin lugging the ball. Springfield, which traditionally ends the season with Bellows Falls, will open the season on the road with the Terriers on Aug. 28. BELLOWS FALLS WESTMINSTER — Lots of new players and a revamped schedule is what is on the agenda this fall for Bellows Falls football. Last year the Terriers had a solid team that featured eight seniors who were picked for the North-South game, but this edition of the BF football will be a little younger. “We lost an awful lot of good talent,” said BF coach Bob Lockerby. One of those gone is veteran quarterback Ethan Illingworth, who will be replaced by Zack Streeter. Streeter will have Jake Lober to hand the ball to, and a line led by Liam Hackett and Brady Illingworth. Because the state was realigned after the last two-year cycle, Burlington, Mount Mansfield and Mount Abraham have been added to the schedule that will see the Terriers play perhaps its two toughest games at the end of the season, when they take on Burr and Burton and Fair Haven. “We’ve got a lot of things to put together,” said Lockerby. “Football is a sport where everybody has to act like one person.” Lockerby also feels fortunate that he gets the likes of Ryan Sweeney, Mike Empy, Mike Bennett and Don Lorandeau to come back each year to help with the coaching. “They make me look good,” said Lockerby. WINDSOR WINDSOR — What does a team do that loses six linemen that weigh 230 pounds or so? That’s the dilemma that faces Greg Balch and the rest of the coaching staff at Windsor. “We lost a big senior class and we replaced them with kids that weight 100 pounds or so less,” said Balch, now in his third season. Windsor also lost its leading ground gainer in Russell Simonds, but the rest of the backfield is in good shape with quarterback Nick Kapuscinski and running backs Trevor Worrell and Hunter Patenaude, both of whom rushed for around 1,000 yards, returning. Balch said he is flirting with Kapuscinski running the ball some with Seth Balch calling the signals. “We’re a fast, athletic and a tight-knit group and I think we’re going to be OK,” said Balch. The schedule has a little quirk to it as Lebanon, a New Hampshire Division II school, has been added to the schedule. The quirk is that because it is not on VPA school the game will not count in the standings. Windsor meets Poultney in its opener Aug. 28.