CASTLETON, Vt. — It is time to buckle up the chinstraps for some of the best recently graduated high school football players in New Hampshire and Vermont. Teams will take to the gridiron at Vermont State University’s Castleton campus on Saturday for a good cause — the 72nd Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl, a fundraiser for juvenile medical patients.
Multiple players from the Upper Valley are on the game’s rosters.
Gareth Brown, representing team New Hampshire and Mascoma High School, said it meant a lot to be selected to participate in the annual clash.
“It helps out the community,” he said, adding that it is significant to be able to help out kids in need and be part of the team.
Graduated seniors are selected for the game through a screening committee, which chooses players who are nominated by their high school head coaches.
Nick Daniels, on Vermont’s squad, representing Hartford High, shared Brown’s sentiment.
“It’s a great opportunity to be able to play for these kids,” Daniels said. “These kids, obviously, have a lot going against them, and it’s great to be able to play in such a great game that does a lot for these kids.”
Since the first interstate battle in 1954, the game has served as a fundraising vehicle for Shriners Children’s, which since its first hospital opened in 1922 has been “devoted to providing high-quality specialty medical care to the children and families who come to us, regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status,” per its website.
Over the life of the game, it has raised more than $5,000,000 for Shriners Children’s.
“Things like what you’re doing this week is tremendous to our efforts and our mission,” Kerri-Lynn Tichy, senior director of philanthropy at Shriners Children’s New England, said during the game’s media day event earlier this week.
The game raises funds for Shriners Children’s in three areas: Canada, Springfield (Mass.), and Boston (Mass.).
Keegan Murphy, who recently graduated from Hanover High, will continue his family’s legacy of participating in Shrine Bowl games.
Murphy’s father, Sean, played in Maine’s edition of the game when he was in high school, and his brother, Seamus, participated in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl a few years ago.
When the younger Murphy was playing football at Hanover, he already had it in his mind that it was something he wanted to do.
“I loved everything about it. About raising money to help kids that are in need, playing an extra game, a bowl game, has always been a dream of mine,” he said.
This year’s Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl is also a full-circle moment for one of New Hampshire’s coaches, John Daley, head coach at Mascoma.
Daley played high school ball himself for Mascoma, and in 2013, had to forgo his opportunity to play in the Shrine Game due to Army basic training commitments.
“It’s a cool feeling,” Daley said on being able to return to coach. “I finally get to check that off my list.”
In advance of Saturday’s showdown, both teams were hard at work this week in what was essentially a training camp, with multiple practices a day in the summer heat in Castleton.
Austin St. Peter, who graduated from Hartford High, said the players were ready from the first day.
“We can really just skip all of the basics,” said St. Peter, adding that the teams can just install game plans and “just start hitting.”
Team New Hampshire will look to get back on the winning side this weekend, having lost the last two contests.
Since the game was canceled in 2020, the states have split four matchups. The Granite State holds a 50-18-2 all-time advantage.
Pre-game activities for the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl will begin at 11 a.m., with kickoff following at 11:30 a.m.
Presale tickets, available until Friday, cost $12, and presale parking passes, also available until Friday, cost $10. Day-of admission and parking cost $15 each.
For more information about the game and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.shrinemaplesugarbowl.com/index.html.
Upper Valley players on team New Hampshire include Gareth Brown (Mascoma), Keegan Murphy (Hanover), Zack Richardson (Stevens) and Ethan Lewis (Mascoma).
Upper Valley players on team Vermont include Nick Daniels (Hartford), Austin St. Peter (Hartford) and Caeden Perreault (Woodstock).
