By Mike Donoghue
Free Press Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, November 11, 2007
The pride is back for the Crimson Tide.
Sophomore quarterback Zach Dessureau threw for four touchdowns -- three to James Durham -- and ran for another as the Spaulding Crimson Tide collected its first Vermont football championship by rolling over Mount Mansfield, 34-7, in the Division II title game at Burlington High School's Buck Hard Field on Saturday.
The win completed one of the biggest turnarounds in Vermont high school sports history. Spaulding went from a 1-8 record last year to 10-1 this year with a crown never worn by a Crimson Tide football team.
"It means everything to the city of Barre. We have never won it. We've never had anything this big," Dessureau said of the historic win.
The football program struggled through the years, including in the mid-1990s when it hit its low point. The Tide forfeited its final varsity game in 1994 and played a junior varsity schedule in 1995 because of dwindling numbers.
The program grew slowly but the hiring of former South Burlington and Wesleyan University star Brennan Carney gave it a major boost.
"Football has been a joke the last couple of years. People didn't even take it seriously," Durham said.
"Coach (Carney) stuck with it. He was positive every game. He worked so hard in the off-season. He's a great coach. I wouldn't trade him for any other coach," Durham said.
Durham pulled in touchdowns passes of 28, 6, and 5 yards and set up the first TD by returning the opening kickoff 64 yards. One play later Dessureau ran in from the 20-yard line for a 6-0 lead with 22 seconds gone in the game. Steve Thompson converted one of his four extra points.
Spaulding built the lead to 13-0 when Dessureau hit Matt Allard on a 14-yard pitch with 10:10 left in the second period.
Durham hauled in a 28-yard catch to help build the score to 20-0 with 2:46 left in the first half .
The second half didn't go much better for MMU. The Cougars fumbled on the first play at their 15-yard line and Spaulding scored four plays later when Dessureau connected with Durham from six yards out at the 1:05 mark.
The two later teamed up for a 5-yard TD with 11:54 left in the game.
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"We didn't want to underestimate them because we know it's hard to beat a team twice," Durham said.
Mount Mansfield, playing in a title game for the second straight year, scored with 5:57 left in the fourth quarter Mike Shaw scampered 4 yards. Dan Christie added the extra point.
Cougar coach Marty Richards gave full credit to Carney and his young team.
"He has done a great job. They just outplayed right from the opening kick," Richards said.
He said it was still a wonderful season for MMU.
"When you think about it, in our fourth varsity year, we've made the championship for the second time. I'm proud of these guys," Richards said. "They worked hard. I would have liked the outcome to be a little different. We got a good old fashioned butt-whipping tonight. That's just the way it goes."
MMU running back Brian Wilcox said, "This is our third year because we went to the state championship in eighth grade. The seniors stepped it up. The score doesn't prove everything."
Carney, after he had his picture taken with the rest of the coaching staff and the 14 seniors, said he is proud of what has been accomplished by each player.
"For Barre, it's been a long time coming. They've earned it over the years," Carney said. "They're a bunch of great kids."
Carney thanked athletic director Shawn Woods for giving him a chance.
"The school took a shot at a young kid like me," Carney said. "I was 24. They gave me a job.
"These kids bought into what I was selling, which is a really good thing for us. We had a chance to do some of it. They gave me a lot of leeway."
The team lost several close games last year before winning its final game, giving Carney a base to build on.
"It was like a whole new season when you win that one game. You have to start somewhere. We had so many tough games last year. We just did not know how to win a game. It was just awful. We knew every way to lose and no way to win. This year we knew every way how to win and no way how to lose." |