The Gilford-Belmont Eagles had a historic 2021 season. The cooperative football team went 5-4 – the most wins in the six-year history of the program – and reached the quarterfinals, the team’s first playoff appearance.
The Eagles tasted some success. Now they want more.
“It’s been a long time since that last loss to Timberlane,” said head coach Josh Marzahl, referring to Gilford-Belmont’s 42-6 loss in last year’s Division II quarterfinals. “The kids really focused in the offseason. They’ve put in more work than in past years.”
Marzahl has coached the Eagles for all six seasons and heads into year No. 7 with one of the largest – and most experienced rosters – that he’s ever had, with nine returning starters on offense and eight on defense. Gilford-Belmont’s roster stands at 48 players strong, much higher numbers than the typical mid-30s, according to Marzahl.
Even more impressive, the Eagles achieved that success with a first-year quarterback. Now a junior, Isaiah Reese is back under center. A speedy, athletic player, Reese has a strong arm and quick release that earned him Second Team All-State honors, and he should be even better with more knowledge of the position.
“He’s gotten even more athletic than he was last year,” Marzahl said. “He’s grown into himself more. Last year was the first time playing the position. He’s learning how to read defenses. Understanding it more will help him be an even more reliable quarterback.”
Isaiah’s older brother Jalen, a senior, sat out last season with an injury, but is back on the field. His 6-foot-6 frame provides a nice tall target for his younger brother, who has another solid target in junior Logan Grant.
Senior running back Michael Kitto is the featured back, but the Eagles will have several other players rotate in the backfield.
Part of the Eagles’ surge in numbers is thanks to a near-tripling of players coming from Belmont High School, and that includes senior running back Isaiah Lambert, a transfer from Colorado.
Lambert is a quick, athletic back who is a good complement for the bruising power running of Kitto.
Junior Michael Macaione is a key cog on both sides of the line, earning All-State First Team Offense honors as a sophomore.
Macaione at nose tackle, Kitto at middle linebacker (he was named to the First Team Defense last year) and Isaiah Reese at safety will make it extremely challenging for opposing offenses to break the Eagles down, should they try to attack the center of the field.
“We pride ourselves at the middle of our defense,” Marzahl said.
If opponents try to attack the corners, they’ll be met with the height of Jalen Reese and Grant, who are also expected to be regular fixtures on defense.
The Eagles open the season on Friday at Kennett, a game that Marzahl said “is a good barometer” of where they stand every year, although this year’s squad is eager to keep learning.
“They really want to just play football. They’re itching at the chance to play,” Marzahl said. “Usually preseason feels long. This year it’s been productive. They’re here to learn. They push us as a coaching staff. They want more and more.”
The Falcons went 4-3 and missed the playoffs for the first time since moving up to D-II in 2016, but have a fresh start in 2022 in a new conference. Bow was the only team to switch from the D-II West to the D-II East and will be playing a mostly new schedule against teams the Falcons haven’t faced in many years.
“With the change in alignment, it is truly a roll of the dice as to who will finish in the top four or so,” said Paul Cohen, who is entering his 22nd year as head coach.
Bow had a relatively small group last year with a roster of less than 40 but have more than 50 players this year, including a large group of returning starters.
Senior Owen Walton takes over at quarterback after serving as the backup last year and has an experienced stable of senior running backs – Ryan Lover (All-State First Team, 1,000-yard rusher last season), Owen Guertin and Logan Gordon – in the backfield with him.
Seniors Hollis Jones, Austin Bouch, Eric Goodwin, Ben Berube and junior Sean Nicholls provide a lot of size along the offensive line and large targets at tight end.
Jones (All-State First Team), Walton, Lover and Gordon anchor the linebacker and defensive back positions, while Bouch, Goodwin, Cole McLaughlin and Nicholls hold down the defensive line.
“I’m pleased that I return a lot of depth from a small squad last year,” Cohen said. “I will also count on a plethora of new players to augment the veterans. I will look to their experience to aid the rookies in the quest for gridiron greatness. Team speed and staying healthy will be keys towards accomplishing victory.”
The Pride struggled at times last year with a 1-8 record but have large group of returning players and “should be better overall this year,” said fifth-year head coach Joe Raycraft.
Seniors Nick DeBello, Buddy Eddy, Matt Sanborn, Johnny Lessard, Riley Flynn, Matt Hollins, Dan McGonagle, Aiden Monaghan and Tyler Wallace; juniors Nolan Beck, Cam Chevarie, Ayden Clark, Brayden Hussey and Mike Heine; and sophomores Reese Claremont, Jed Duquette, Travis Garcia and Ryan Monaghan provide an experienced core of players on both sides of the ball.
Sanborn is returning at quarterback, while DeBello should handle a lot of carries out of the backfield.
The Spartans went 2-7 but ended the season on a high note by winning the Cloe-O’Brien Bowl over rivals Merrimack Valley, and Joe Fitzgerald did well stepping up in the starting quarterback role late in the season.
Now a junior, Fitzgerald is a captain and returning starting QB and has plenty of targets, including senior captains Mike Gagnon and Brayden Casey and fellow seniors Josh Pilotte and Charlie Ransom.
Senior captains Aidan Weldon (center) and Evan Gonthier (tackle) and fellow senior Evan Lavenskie (tackle) anchor the offensive line.
Key defensive players are Gonthier and Lavenskie on the line, Weldon at middle linebacker, Pilotte at outside linebacker, Fitzgerald at free safety and Gagnon and Casey at defensive back.
“We are looking to be more competitive with a lot of returning players from last year,” said fifth-year head coach Will Moher, who has 13 seniors on the roster.
Pembroke has a tough draw to open the season, on the road against powerhouse Plymouth on Saturday.
The Redhawks lost seven starters from last year’s 2-6 team, including First Team All-State running back Jack Morrall, but HDH returns some key players, including Second Team All-State middle linebacker and guard Thaddeus Maughan.
Junior Noah Carter returns as the starting quarterback and has an experienced backfield with running backs/slot receivers Devin Barrett (senior), Manny Velazquez (senior) and Mason Nichols (junior).
Senior split end Jonah Klingler provides a nice target for Carter, while Klingler will also handle the return duties with Nichols.
Junior Maughan and senior Robert Rinden anchor the offensive line. Maughan will also lead the defense at middle linebacker, flanked by Barrett and Velazquez, while Nichols, Klingler and Rinden are experienced defensive ends.
Carter provides some experience at safety.
Depth could be a problem for the Redhawks. HDH has 30 players, the smallest roster size in the seven-year history of the Redhawks cooperative program.
“We have quality athletes and should be fine if we stay healthy,” said head coach Jay Wood.
The young Generals went 1-8 last year with several sophomores in skill positions, and 21 of the 28 players on the roster were freshmen or sophomores. Now with a year of experience under their belts, John Stark heads into the second year of head coach Ray Kershaw’s system with nine returning starters on offense and seven on defense.
Junior Blake Sutkus is back in the starting QB role, with senior Travis Wiggin returning as the leading running back. Both players are key to the defense in the linebacker position.
Alex Descoteau was one of multiple freshmen who had to start in 2021 and is back on both sides of the line as a sophomore. Senior Abe Twomey (lineman) and juniors Rory Magoon (lineman), Byron Parrish (running back/wide receiver/defensive back) and Deltyn Williams (running back/linebacker) are all key players.
Newcomers to keep an eye on are junior Lucas Belliveau (running back/linebacker) and sophomores Weston Haartz (running back/linebacker) and Drew Tower (running back/defensive back).
“We are still young, but the kids are working hard and buying into our system,” Kershaw said. “We are looking forward to competing this season and getting better and more experienced every week.”
The Cougars entered last season without a team in 2020, without a win since Oct. 13, 2018 and without a playoff berth since 2017. But Kearsarge had a breakout season in 2021, reaching the semifinals with a 6-3 record.
The Cougars are young team in most areas, but their backfield is an exception. Junior quarterback Parker Goin is starting this year but had significant playing time as the backup last season, including in Kearsarge’s semifinal vs. Pelham.
Senior John Fraioli (First Team Offense), sophomore Damon Dawson and junior Jason Dyment provide an experienced crew of running backs, while also playing on D at linebacker.
Junior Alex Tockman (offensive line/defensive end), sophomore Brodie Malynowski (lineman) and senior Cole Noyer (lineman) are returning starters on both sides of the ball.
Goin also contributes defensively as a defensive back.
Top newcomers to Kearsarge include junior Colin Croto (running back/defensive back), senior Josh Holderman (tight end/defensive back), sophomore Gunnar Benedict (lineman), freshman Cole Giberson (tight end/defensive end), sophomore Bryce Gove (lineman) and freshmen Bragen Kinzer and Kaleb Naughton (both quarterbacks and defensive backs).
“We had to fill positions like every other team but are looking forward to getting back on the field this season,” said first-year head coach David Yazzie. “We need to work hard each week and stay healthy.”
With two-time defending champions Pelham up in D-II, the field is wide open in D-III. Yazzie figures Trinity, Monadnock and Campbell to be in the mix at the top of the standings.