For the 73rd time, some of the top recently graduated high school gridiron guardians from New Hampshire and Vermont will don helmets and pads and go to battle for a good cause on Saturday at Vermont State University-Castleton in the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl.
The annual contest raises funds for Shriners Children’s, which since 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,” according to its website.
Specifically, New Hampshire and Vermont’s version of the game raises money for Shriners Children’s New England in Springfield, Mass., Shriners Children’s Montreal and Shriners Children’s in Boston.
A total of 13 Upper Valley athletes were selected to the Granite State and Green Mountain State rosters.
Colin Burns (Mascoma), Justin Fletcher (Mascoma), Colin Myers (Mascoma), Kyle Rostron (Mascoma), Aidan Couitt (Newport), Brady Minckler (Newport), Adrian Sanchez (Newport) and John Taylor (Hanover) make up part of New Hampshire’s roster.
John Daley, who resigned from the head coaching position at Mascoma in the latter part of 2025 and has been tabbed to coach John Stark Regional High School in Weare, is on New Hampshire’s coaching staff as an assistant.
Noah Danieli (Hartford), Owen Mock (Hartford), Richard Rosenbeck (Hartford), Adam Wheatley (Hartford) and Rowan Larmie (Woodstock) are on Vermont’s roster.
The weekend’s activities begin a day before kickoff on Friday with a banquet at VSU-Castleton at 6 p.m. Registration is $35 and “helps fund specialized pediatric healthcare, regardless of a family’s ability to pay,” per the ticketing website.
Then on Saturday, team introductions are set for 11 a.m. with kickoff to follow at 11:30 a.m.
Presale tickets, which are available until Friday, cost $10 for parking and $12 for the game itself. Day-of purchases will cost $15 each for entry and parking.
Last year, Vermont won its third straight Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl, 19-14. Despite the Green Mountain State’s recent success, New Hampshire still holds a 50-19-2 all-time advantage.
For more information about the game and to purchase tickets, visit https://shrinemaplesugarbowl.com/index.html.
