The Bowl, which has been hosted by the College for 47 years, features 72 graduated seniors from New Hampshire and Vermont who have been nominated by their high school football coaches to play in the storied event. The all-stars from the Granite State, who have been victorious in 39 of the 54 meetings, once again defeated their Green Mountain counterparts with a 23-20 win in front of a full house at Memorial Field.
The game appeared to be heading for a tie when Vermont, who went into the second with a 20-6 deficit, mobilized with several key turnovers. The day was saved for the Granite State when Eric Laliberte of Bishop Guertin in Litchfield, N.H., intercepted Vermont quarterback Corey Robinson of Otter Valley with 15 seconds left on the clock. Laliberte returned the ball to Vermont's 30-yard line for a winning field goal by New Hampshire's only quarterback, Bryan Ferris of Pinkerton Academy in Derry, N.H.
Farris, who will attend Phillips Academy in the fall for a postgraduate year, led the game offensively, hitting 16 of 32 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns. Robinson finished 12 of 23 for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, New Hampshire outgained Vermont 363-351.
"It was crazy but it was awesome. I had never hit a last-second kick to win the game like this in high school," Ferris told the Eagle Tribune of North Andover, Mass. "I just stayed relaxed and tried to hit the ball well. At that point, I just didn't want to let the team down. We all had worked so hard for this."
The game followed a week of training with coaches -- selected by their peers in their respective states -- at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, N.H. The teams also took the traditional trip to the Springfield Shriners Hospital in Springfield, Mass. The Springfield hospital is one of three Shriners hospitals -- in addition to one in Montreal and Boston Burns in Boston, Mass. -- that benefit from the proceeds of the Maple Sugar Bowl. The visit allows players and coaches to learn about the Shriners organization and meet with some of the children being treated at one of the 22 Shriners facilities in North America.
"It's a life-changing experience," New Hampshire head coach Keith Jones told Foster's Daily Democrat of Dover, NH. "You don't know how good you have it until you see a facility like that."
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of non-profit pediatric hospitals that offer care free of charge. The hospitals are administered by the Shriners, an appendant body of Freemasonry known for the red fezzes worn by members. Before the game in Hanover, Shrine units from the northeast congregated for a parade that featured miniature vehicles, pipe drummers, motorcycle units, and traditional brass bands.
In addition to high school all-star games nationwide, the Shriners host the East-West Shrine Game, a post-season college all-star football game held every January. The Vermont-New Hampshire game is the third best-attended Shrine game, after the East-West and the North Carolina-South Carolina high school games.
"I think New Hampshire and Vermont do a great job of supporting this game," Dave Boisvert, New Hampshire athletic director for the New Hampshire Shrine team said. "Everybody up here is pretty proud of that."
