Jack Stone was driving his pickup truck to Lebanon High School one morning last week when he received a text asking him to call Ed Borden, an assistant football coach at the University of New Hampshire. The coach was offering the senior a partial scholarship to play for the Wildcats.
Stone, twice the NHIAA Division II West player of the year, quickly accepted. He now had to try and concentrate in class the rest of the day.
“It was 7 in the morning and I was half asleep, so it took a little while to sink in,” Stone said. “I posted about it on social media during my second-period Shakespeare class.”
By noon, the news was all over school. Stone, also a standout in basketball who helped the Raiders win last season’s D-II state title, had been rewarded for years of athletic toil.
“It doesn’t take long watching him in a football game to realize he’s special,” said Lebanon boys basketball coach and assistant principal Kieth Matte. “I really appreciate his humility and intelligence and how hard he plays, and that he’s an unbelievable athlete.”
Stone starred as the Raiders’ quarterback the past two seasons but also punted and played safety, where UNH has initially slotted him. Lithe yet powerful, the signal caller displayed eye-popping speed and agility, compiling a catalog of long scoring runs on sweeps, draws, punts and interception returns.
Almost never caught from behind, Stone was also strong enough to shrug aside tacklers and willing to hit them head-on. He saved the latter skill mostly for defense, but his most valuable asset might well be his poise. High school athletes understandably often come apart under pressure, but Stone has been unflappable since freshman year.
“He’s a quiet, intense and humble guy,” said Matte, who’s watched Stone play his best at the biggest moments so often it’s almost become routine. “He’ll throw down a dunk and the gym will be going crazy, and he just looks like the ball went out of bounds.
“It’s easy to root for Jack Stone.”
The Plainfield resident’s reserve has sometimes caused others to assume he’s aloof. When comfortable, however, Stone is friendly and articulate with a wry sense of humor. The description even-keeled was made for him.
“I’ll always remember the bond we had, talking about plays on the sideline,” said Lebanon football coach Chris Childs, who first coached Stone in elementary school, when the youngster was a teammate of Child’s son, C.J. “He was the biggest, strongest kid on the field here, and he won’t be that down there.
“But he also won’t have to do everything, either. He can shine at what he does best, which they’ll figure out.”
An excellent student, Stone initially thought he was headed to Holy Cross, a strong program at the same NCAA Football Championship Subdivision level as UNH and Dartmouth College. The Crusaders recently informed him, however, that an unexpectedly high number of current seniors will take advantage of an extra year of eligibility granted because of the COVID-19 virus altering last season’s schedule.
UNH had yet to commit to him, so Stone briefly entertained the idea of attending prep school. Discussions with Proctor Academy in Andover, N.H., were underway when Borden called.
“I guess they had something open up,” said Stone, who was recruited by former Dartmouth head coach John Lyons, the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator until retiring after last season. “They give out scholarship money depending on how much you play, which is a pretty cool way to do it. Every single starter has a full one, and it goes down from there.”
Stone ran a 4.4-second time in the 40-yard dash at a high school combine, but northern New England is far from fertile recruiting ground and the level of competition lags behind most other regions. Stone will need to fully commit to a year-round conditioning program to get on the field for UNH, which plays in the Colonial Athletic Association with the likes of Villanova, Richmond, William & Mary, Maine and Delaware.
Not long ago, the Wildcats were one of the country’s better FCS teams, but they were 3-8 overall and 2-8 in conference play last season, the last for 23-year head coach Sean McDonnell. Former UNH quarterback Ricky Santos has succeeded him, and there promises to be gridiron change in Durham.
Stone said it’s possible he could wind up playing receiver, but it’s hard to project because he only played that position as a Raiders freshman. He said UNH coaches have promised to keep an open mind and are waiting to see if their prospect’s body responds to weight work with bulk or a more wiry strength.
“I think it’s going to be a good challenge,” Stone said. “Everyone wants to score touchdowns, but defense is almost more fun, because you can make plays every snap.”
Childs is familiar with the view from the Wildcat Stadium bleachers, having made numerous trips to watch 2012 Lebanon graduate Alexander Morrill play on UNH’s offensive line. Hanover High’s Cavallaro brothers, Shawn and Jack, also played for the program in the not-so-distant past.
“I got a lot of calls about (Stone) from Division II and Division III schools, but he had his heart set on Division I, and the offer finally came through,” said Childs, who will coach No. 12 one final time in August’s Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl all-star game. “For an Upper Valley kid, a Division I scholarship is a great honor. It doesn’t happen every day, and he should be proud of himself.”
Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.